Chapter 220-5 STANDARDS OF PRACTICE

Rule 220-5-.01 Standards of Practice

(1)	It is the responsibility of each registered forester to practice professional forestry in a manner which protects the public welfare and safety and in a manner which meets generally accepted standards of practice.

(2)	For purposes of this rule, generally accepted standards of practice shall include, but not be limited to, adherence to Best Management Practices which is available from the Board office.

(3)	Failure to practice professional forestry in accordance with generally accepted standards of practice shall constitute unprofessional conduct as provided for in O.C.G.A. 43-1-19(a)(6) and shall be grounds for disciplinary action as provided for by law.

Rule 220-5-.02 Professional Ethics

(1)

Definition of Ethical Conduct. Professional ethical conduct is behavior that adheres to the common sense of right and wrong within the profession. Notwithstanding the fact that ethical conduct is more than mere compliance with written law, the following code of Professional Ethics sets forth minimum standards of ethical conduct.

(2)

Code of Professional Ethics. The rules set forth below establish the Code of Professional Ethics for all applicants and registrants of the board. A failure to comply with one or more of these rules is deemed to be unethical conduct.

(a)	A forester shall disseminate only current and accurate information of forestry.

(b)	A forester shall take all reasonable actions to stop the spreading of false, misleading or inaccurate statements concerning forestry.

(c)	A forester shall give only honest truthful advice and refrain from any misleading or exaggerated statement concerning the skills or level of performance of any forester, including oneself.

(d)	A forester who participates in a public or private fact finding proceeding concerning forestry shall disclose all significant, material and relevant information that is or may reasonably appear to be contrary or inconsistent with the forester's stated statement or opinion.

(e)

A forester's loyalty to his/her client or employer includes a duty to keep confidential and not disclose any information about the business affairs of the client or employer, unless directed by the client, employer or required by law, regulation or other provision of this code of Professional Ethics.

(f)

A forester shall provide only those services the forester is qualified to do by reason of education and experience. All services rendered shall meet or exceed minimal accepted professional standards. Any agreement to provide services below accepted professional standards should be in writing and signed by the client or employer.

(g)

A forester shall disclose to a potential employer or client any business or personal interest that could influence the forester's professional judgement or give the appearance of a possible conflict of interest. The duty to disclose a business or personal interest continues during the period of employment or contract.

(h)

A forester shall accept compensation for a particular service from only one client or employer. Provided however, the forester may accept dual compensation for the same service, if every client or employer is notified in writing before the particular service is performed and gives their written consent to more than one party paying for the same service.

(i)

A forester who is a full-time employee of an individual or entity shall not accept compensation for forestry services, either as an employee or on a contract basis, from any third party, individual or entity. Provided however, the forester may accept compensation from a third party when the forester has first obtained the written permission of the employer and provided written notice to the third party.

(j)

A forester who possesses any credible information of a violation of any board rule, to include a rule of professional ethics, shall present the information to the board within thirty days of the forester or applicant first becoming aware of the potential violation. The report to the board may be made in the form of a confidential complaint.

(3)

Disciplinary Action. An applicant or registrant, who a majority of the board has determined, has failed to comply with any provision of the Code of Professional Ethics, paragraph (2) above, shall be deemed to have committed unethical conduct and maybe disciplined by the board. The disciplinary action may include a refusal to grant a license to an applicant and to revoke the license of a forester licensed by the board.

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