Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

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Service Forestry Program for Connecticut Landowners

Quick Links for Interested Landowners

Forest Landowner Questionnaire

Contact Information for Service Foresters

Brochure on "Ever Thought of Selling Your Timber?"

Brochure Describing What Service Foresters Have to Offer

DEEP’s Service Foresters provide advice and technical assistance to forest landowners in the following areas:

  • Forest Stewardship Planning

  • Wildlife Habitat Management

  • Forest Products Management

  • Christmas Tree Management

  • Forest Recreation and Aesthetic Enhancement

  • Forest Health, Insect and Disease Problems

  • Stream and Wetlands Protection

Connecticut's Forest Resource

Even though Connecticut is one of the nation's most densely populated states, it is also one of the most heavily forested, with 56% of our land cover forested.  Of Connecticut's 1.8 million forested acres, 73% is privately owned by individuals, families, land trusts, tribal owners, clubs and corporate owners.  Municipalities own an additional 9% of the Connecticut's forest land.

This means that the efforts taken by private landowners have an enormous influence over the quality and extent of our forests. 

Understanding forests, taking an active interest in their dynamics, and implementing a forest management program are among the best things an owner can do to promote long-lasting forest health and associated ecological, social and economic benefits. 

Although harvesting timber is a valuable management tool, forest management is not exclusive to harvesting. 

Forest management and land stewardship practices vary widely and depend on the goals of each landowner.  The common thread among landowners is the recognition of the value of the forest’s resources and the importance of the forest to the welfare of society.

How Can a Service Forester Help?

Service Foresters are here to help forest landowners get started. Service Foresters may spend up to one full day per calendar year with a given landowner for no charge.  At least a couple hours of that time is spent talking about the landowner’s goals, interest and concerns, as well as discussing property boundaries and other relevant details regarding ownership. Usually, a Service Forester then conducts a property visit, walking and discussing the forested acreage with the landowner.

Service Foresters apply this information and combine it with information gathered from the property visit and other available sources of information. Service foresters then provide the landowner with unbiased management recommendations, reference materials and additional resources.

In some circumstances, a Service Forester can facilitate the development of landowner's Stewardship Plan.

A Stewardship Plan will include:

  • A Forest Cover Map - a map delineating the different types of tree and shrub communities in the forest;

  • Stewardship Options - a brief listing of the types of management activities that the forest landowner might choose as a part of determining which goals to work towards; and

  • Recommended Action Steps - including “where to go from here” information that will help the landowner learn more about the forest and explore the available goals and options.

Following the Service Forester's input, landowners are recommended to contact a resource professional, such as a certified forester, who can work directly with the landowner toward the next steps in forest stewardship and management.

Making an Appointment

If you wish to investigate further how a Service Forester might be able to help,  contact the Service Forester who covers your area of the State. You can determine which forester to contact by viewing the map of the territories. 

When contacting the Service Forester, complete and send the Stewardship Landowner Questionnaire.

The Service Foresters are:

Eastern Connecticut

Vacant
Please contact
Program Administrative Office

Central Connecticut

Andrea Urbano
Eastern District Headquarters
209 Hebron Road
Marlborough, CT 06447
(860) 424-3594 (office)
(860) 422-3034 (cell)
andrea.urbano@ct.gov

Western Connecticut

Vacant
Please contact 
Program Administrative Office

Program Administrative Office

Doug Emmerthal
CT-DEEP Forestry
79 Elm Street
Hartford, CT 06106
(860) 424-3635 (voice)
(860) 424-4070 (fax)
douglas.emmerthal@ct.gov

Content last updated in April 16, 2020.