Consulting foresters of West Virginia: A profile, services and fees

Consulting foresters of West Virginia were surveyed with an aim to identify and document the firm characteristics, services offered and fees charged. The survey response rate was 56 percent. A suite of thirty-six (36) different services with different fee structures for each service is reported. West Virginia consulting foresters reported that they most commonly charge by the hour, with an exception for timber sale administration where they charge as a percentage of the sale revenues and for management plan preparation where they charge by the acre. Timber sale administration is the most frequent offered service, with an average fee of 12 percent of the timber sale revenues. Average hourly fees charged for all the services ranged from 30 to 70 dollars per hour. The two major challenges faced by the consulting foresters are cost of doing business and competition.