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Related Links

Association of Consulting Foresters

Practicing of Consulting Forestry Course

Welcome & PFI History

The Practicing Foresters Institute (PFI) is a 501(c)(3) trust dedicated to the purpose of providing training to practicing foresters through assistance grants and scholarships as well as education programs to the general public.

Early Association of Consulting Foresters (ACF) visionaries Edward Stuart, Eley Frazer, John Bradley, Eugene Putman, and Robert Kleiner saw the advantage to establish a charitable arm of ACF with the mission of providing educational
opportunities for ACF foresters, and in general, promote the profession of forestry.  To that end, the Practicing Forestry Institute (PFI) was formed on January 1, 1984.  PFI was initially funded by a contribution from ACF in the amount of $10,000. By 1995, the PFI Board had refined the mission to include funding projects that promoted forestry, providing scholarships and research grants for students, while continuing to offer educational opportunities to practicing foresters. Further, an endowment fund was created at this time to promote charitable contributions with the interest from the fund designated for educational activities, not operating costs.  The Endowment  is intended to be utilized by ACF Chapters and other organizations (e.g. universities, extension services, foundations, museums and research centers) to help underwrite the cost of educational programs.

In 2013, the former volunteer financial contributions made by J. Tobey Wright and Harry Murphy to ACF, PFI and the profession of forestry were honored with the formation of the Wright – Murphy Speaker Series (WMSS) Endowment, deisgned to support high-caliber speakers at education events.  Additionally, in 2013 PFI established a separate PFI Scholarship Fund, which was designated for college student scholarships to attend the annual ACF meeting and to partially offset the cost for foresters to attend The Practice of Consulting Forestry.  Next in 2018, PFI established a Memorial Fund with the passing of Eley Frazier to honor his memory.  The Memorial Fund also provides a place where donations can be made to honor the memory of any member in the future.