(a) The phrase “act in the capacity of ... a professional forester ...” pursuant to Public Resources Code (PRC), Section 766 refers to any person who is working in a responsible position as an individual or through the supervision of others, and performs services on forested landscapes applicable to “forestry” as defined in PRC, Section 753 and clarified herein. Forestry requires specific knowledge of forestry principles for providing advice to, or management for, employers, clients, or others, through consultation; through conduct of investigations in forestry matters which have potential environmental effects, or are for site-specific purposes; through evaluation of forest properties; and through the planning or execution of forest programs, management, operations, and/or treatment.

(b) A Registered Professional Forester (RPF) shall perform forestry services only in those subjects in which he or she is competent by training or experience. Thus, for an RPF to accomplish a site-specific forestry project where the RPF's prudent level of expertise is surpassed, that RPF may need to utilize the services of other qualified experts including but not limited to geologists, landscape architects, engineers and land surveyors, archaeologists, botanists, ecologists, fisheries biologists, stream restorationists, wildlife biologists, hydrologists, range scientists, soil scientists, and certified specialists established pursuant to PRC 772.

(c) In carrying out PRC, Section 772, a Certified Specialist shall perform only those services in his or her specialty, as described in Chapter 10, Division 1.5, Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. Nothing in this section shall preclude certified specialists or the other environmental professionals in subsection (b) from the application of scientific knowledge in their field of expertise outside the practice of forestry.