Landowner Services

It has long been State of Tennessee and USDA Cooperative Forestry Program policy to encourage private enterprise in private forestry work, so TDF is obligated to inform landowners of the availability of private vendors and consulting foresters.

In many areas, however, forestry service vendors are not available to landowners. In other instances, private vendors are unable or unwilling to take on small or scattered forestry jobs. Therefore, although it is not the intention or policy of the State to compete with private vendors, it is appropriate that TDF personnel advise landowners that the Division of Forestry may also be able to furnish certain vendor services.

However, the Division of Forestry does not seek to serve forest landowner clientele that should more properly be served by the private sector.

Where private vendors or consultants cannot or will not provide forestry services, the Tennessee Division of Forestry will furnish the following vendor services to landowners:

  • Prescribed Burning and Standby
  • Timber Marking
  • Firebreak Installation and Refurbishment
  • Tree Planting

Other forestry practices, such as non-commercial thinning, cull tree removal, other timber stand improvement (TSI) including vine control, site preparation for natural regeneration of hardwoods, and mid-story removal, are not offered as a vendor service.

Division personnel can demonstrate these types of practices by flagging or marking with paint, the trees or vegetation to remove, on up to one acre of the client’s property, free of charge.

Road closure and rehabilitation services are not offered as a vendor service. Division personnel can offer technical assistance to the landowners, free of charge.

Please note that the Division will not act as landowners’ legal agents, provide land surveys, perform timber valuations or appraisals, negotiate timber sales, open bids, handle landowner’s money, or make any decision on the award of timber sales.

Want to learn more about the services we do provide? Click the button below to find out more.