Consulting Foresters

[Joseph Zorzin]

Don Staples wrote:
> 
> On 26 Aug David A. Susen wrote asking opinion on SIP.  I responded but have
> not seen other postings.  Now that SIP is virtually dead, tell it all,
> brothers, tell it all!
> 
> Did you participate?

Yes. Here in Mass. much of the money went to help pay for SIP plans, most of which 
were actually state forest tax law plans in disguise. <G> I prepared dozens of them.

> Were you successful with the program?

Overall, yes. SIP financed 75% of the cost of the plans. Not a bad deal.

> Did you have bureaucratic hurdles to suffer?

Always, but I've been at war with the bureaucracy for over 20 years. The last several 
years, we've all gotten too old for feuding so we're enjoying detente.

> Do you know what portion of your state allocated money went to the landowners
> and what portion to the state agency?

Good question, but I don't know. Probably a significant amount. I never wanted to ask 
as it would have irritated me too much so I just took advantage of the program and 
tried to ignore the downside of the bureacracy.

> 
> A large number of consultants in Texas left the program when it became
> apparent that the land owner was the last one served with SIP funds, the state
> controlled it from the start, and seems to made a profit on the program.  Very
> little actual increase in land owner services were achieved.

An interesting thing about consultants in Mass., they're an endangered breed. There 
were probably 3 times as many after my hippie generation all wanted to go back to the 
woods. Most starved and went out and got real jobs like driving a taxi. <G> Those of 
us that survive (mostly all from the 60's generation) will continue to get by 
regardless of the rise and fall of gov. programs. Overall, I was happy with SIP, so I 
hope it makes a comeback.

Unfortunately, I suspect the forester community is not to computer savvy, at least not 
here in Mass. I'm not aware of any others here that surf the net, none have been here 
that I'm aware of. Too bad, as this is such a powerfull tool.

Perhaps we could start up a Net Savvy Forestry Consultants Assoc. and joining with 
other groups, attempt to influence legislation- just like the liers (I  mean lawyers), 
doctors and all the other groups that have managed to manipulate society to their 
betterment. Yes, I'm a skeptic, but I do like my work- I get paid to go hike through 
the woods and whatever I do, I do my way- to paraphrase Frank Sinatra.