Professions and Occupationss

The Board shall hire an Executive Secretary who shall be responsible for the processing of routine operations and shall accept service of process as the Board's designated registered agent. The duties of the Executive Secretary shall be as determined by the Board. As an executive…

If a vacancy shall occur in the membership of the Board, the Chair and the Secretary shall prepare a notice to the Governor asking for appointment of a new member to fill the unexpired term. If the vacancy occurs in the office of the Chair, the Vice-Chair and the Secretary shall …

The last item of business on the agenda for each regular Board meeting shall be to schedule the date, time, and place of the next regular Board meeting. Each Member shall be mailed and e-mailed notice of the date, time, and place of the next regular meeting to his/her mailing add…

A. Board members shall attend all regular and special meetings unless prevented from doing so by reason of court order, subpoena, and such other business with a court, the death of a family member, or illness of the Board member or the member's immediate family. An absence for an…

The order of business at all regular and special meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the Board's Agenda. No later than five (5) business days prior to the date of the next scheduled meeting, any Board Member may request items and/or issues to be placed upon the Agenda …

The Board will issue declaratory opinions regarding the applicability of specified facts to a statute administered or enforceable by the Board, a rule promulgated by the Board, or an order issued by the Board. The Board will not issue a declaratory opinion regarding a statute, ru…

Declaratory opinions and requests for declaratory opinions shall be available for public inspection and copying at the expense of the viewer during normal business hours. Declaratory opinions and requests which contain confidential information or information which is exempt from …

A request shall be limited to a single transaction or occurrence. Notes 30 Miss. Code. R. 1001-3.2 Miss. Code Ann.§ 25-43-2.103(2) Adopted 7/20/2023

When a person with substantial interest, as required by Section 25-43-2.103 of the Administrative Procedures Act, requests a declaratory opinion, the requestor must submit a printed, typewritten, or legibly handwritten request on standard letter-size white paper (8 1/2" x 11"). A…

Any party who signs the request shall attest that the request complies with the requirements set forth in these rules, including, but not limited to a full, complete, and accurate statement of relevant facts and that there are no related proceedings pending before any agency, adm…

Each request shall contain the following: A. A clear identification of the statute, rule, or order at issue, B. A concise statement of the issue or question presented for the declaratory opinion, C. A clear and concise statement of all facts relevant to the question presented, D.…

The terms of a proposed opinion may be submitted to the Board together with a request for a declaratory opinion. The request likewise may contain an argument by the requestor in support of those terms of the proposed opinion. The argument may be submitted in the form of a memoran…

The Board may, for good cause, refuse to issue a declaratory opinion. The circumstances in which declaratory opinions will not be issued include, but are not necessarily limited to: A. The matter is outside the primary jurisdiction of the Board, B. Lack of clarity concerning the …

Within forty-five (45) days after the receipt of a request for a declaratory opinion which complies with the requirements of these rules, the Board shall, in writing: A. Issue an opinion declaring the applicability of the statute, rule, or order to the specified circumstances, B.…

A declaratory opinion shall not become final until the expiration of sixty (60) days after the issuance of the opinion. Prior to the expiration of the sixty (60) days, the Board may, in its discretion, withdraw or amend the declaratory opinion for any reason which is not arbitrar…

A. A person seeking registration as a Mississippi forester must complete an application on a printed form made available on the Board's website located at https://www.borf.ms.gov/application, or as may be otherwise provided by the Board. Where space on the form does not permit an…

Mississippi residents seeking registration pursuant to the Universal Recognition of Occupation Licenses Act, Miss. Code Ann. §§ 73-50-2, et seq., may complete an abbreviated application available to qualifying applicants. This application, entitled "universal application," is ava…

Active members of the military, spouses and/or dependents of an active member of the military, located in Mississippi, seeking registration pursuant to the Military Family Freedom Act, Miss. Code Ann. §§ 73-50-1, et seq., may complete an abbreviated application available to quali…

Each new application for registration shall be accompanied by an application fee in the amount of Fifty and No/100 Dollars ($50.00). This application fee provides for the applicant's first examination and, if necessary, second examination if completed within one (1) calendar year…

All applicants for registration must take a written examination. The examination consists of one hundred (100) true/false or multiple-choice questions, and applicants have a maximum of three (3) hours to complete. Applicants must correctly answer at least seventy (70) questions t…

A. Upon completion of the applicable application, verification of the information provided by the application, applicant's satisfaction of the licensing requirements of his/her granting state, if any, and successful passage of the examination, if required, an applicant shall be i…

Except as otherwise provided by Miss. Code Ann. § 33-1-39, all licenses expire after December 31st of odd numbered years and shall be invalid unless renewed. To avoid a late payment fee or lapse of a license, all licenses must be renewed no later than 12:00 p.m. CST on December 3…

No later than November 30 of each odd-numbered year, the Board shall mail written notice to all registered foresters advising of the December 31st expiration date of his/her license and the cost of its required two (2) year renewal. Notice shall be sent to each licensed forester'…

To renew an expiring or expired license, a licensee shall complete the renewal application available on the Board's website located at https://www.borf.ms.gov/application and return the completed application with applicable renewal fee to the Board by mail to Post Office Box 1884…

Each renewal application shall be accompanied by a renewal fee in the amount of One Hundred and No/100 Dollars ($100.00). Notes 30 Miss. Code. R. 1001-5.4 Miss. Code Ann. §§ 73-36-19(1)(a) and (1)(c), 73-36-29 Adopted 7/20/2023

Licensees shall be required to pay Two Hundred and No/100 Dollars ($200.00) for renewals made after December 31st of each odd-numbered year but prior to March 31st in the immediately succeeding even-numbered year following expiration. Licenses which have expired on December 31st …

Hours completed of Continuing Forestry Education (CFE) are to be disclosed at the time of renewal, but no supporting CFE documents are to be submitted at that time. Supporting information or documentation need only be produced when subject to a random audit by the Board. Notes 30…

Upon request and a hearing, an expired license may be reinstated by the Board within two (2) years following expiration of the subject license. If the Board determines the renewal is warranted, the Board may reinstate the expired license, subject to payment of the renewal and lat…

A total number of sixteen (16) hours of continuing forestry education, inclusive of one (1) hour of ethics, must be completed by each registrant biennially. Notes 30 Miss. Code. R. 1001-6.1 Adopted 7/20/2023

Of the total number of required CFE hours, a minimum of six (6) hours must be completed through professionally organized coursework, seminars, short courses, workshops and/or technical sessions which may enhance a forester's professional development. This description of CFE cours…

The remaining hours of CFE must be completed through participation in forestry-related meetings or committees, holding an elected or appointed office in a recognized forestry organization or association, preparing and/or production of forestry publications or such other job enhan…

Additional coursework and forestry-related activities may qualify as CFE hours but require prior approval from the Board if not listed by example above. Requests for prior approval must be made in writing and should contain as much detail as possible regarding the potential cours…

The Board reserves the right to audit any CFE Certification and to disapprove any session it finds unacceptable. Notes 30 Miss. Code. R. 1001-6.5 Miss. Code Ann. §§ 73-36-19(1)(a) and (1)(c) Adopted 7/20/2023

A licensee may be exempt from annual CFE requirements for one of the following reasons: 1. Sixty-Five (65) years of age or older 2. Full-time college student 3. Active-duty military 4. New licensee who received his/her license since the last renewal period 5. Sickness or hardship…

Individuals seeking reciprocity pursuant to Miss. Code Ann. § 73-36-31, who are not residents of the state of Mississippi and have no established place of business in the state of Mississippi, must complete the reciprocity application available on the Board's website located at h…

Each reciprocal application for licensure shall be accompanied by a non-refundable reciprocal application fee in the amount of Fifty and No/100 Dollars ($50.00). Notes 30 Miss. Code. R. 1001-7.2 Miss. Code Ann. §§ 73-36-19(1)(a) and 73-36-31 Adopted 7/20/2023

To satisfy the substantially equivalent requirement of Miss. Code Ann. § 73-36-31, a reciprocal applicant must have graduated with a bachelor's degree or higher degree from a university or college of forestry accredited by the Society of American Foresters or have completed a for…

Upon approval of licensure, the applicant will be issued a Mississippi reciprocal license and must satisfy all Mississippi licensing and renewal requirements in future license renewal periods. The reciprocal licensee must maintain his/her license in the original granting state an…

Any person who believes another is practicing forestry without a license or who believes a registrant is guilty of fraud, gross negligence or misconduct, may complete and submit the form complaint available on the Board's website located at https://www.borf.ms.gov/complaints, or …

Upon the filing of a Complaint with the Board, the Chair shall refer the Complaint to the Chair of the Complaint Committee ("CCC"). The CCC, or such other Board member as may be designated by the CCC, shall undertake an investigation to determine whether the facts as alleged and …

The respondent shall be served with the Board's formal Complaint and Notice of Hearing by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the respondent's address of record with the Board, at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the scheduled hearing. A. The formal Complaint …

A respondent may request an informal conference or may be requested to attend an informal conference with the Complaint Committee, the Chair, or such other Board member(s) as designated by the Chair. The respondent has the right to have counsel present at the informal conference,…

If, after receipt of the formal Complaint but prior to the scheduled disciplinary hearing, a respondent wishes to admit to the allegations of the Complaint and the consequent violation(s) of law and/or rule, a consent order may be entered into between the Board and the respondent…

A. A respondent in a disciplinary proceeding may assert conflict or bias by filing with the Board at least three (3) days prior to a scheduled disciplinary hearing an affidavit asserting a conflict or bias against any member(s) of the Board, setting forth in sufficient detail fac…

There shall be no pre-hearing discovery. However, at least seven (7) working days prior to the date of a disciplinary hearing, parties represented by counsel and/or producing witnesses shall provide a list of the same containing the name, address, and telephone number of counsel …

A. The Board may conduct disciplinary hearings with its Chair, or such other member of the Board as may be designated by the Chair, acting as the presiding officer or the Board may appoint a hearing officer to preside. The presiding officer shall have the power to administer oath…

A. The Board, through its counsel, and the respondent each shall be permitted to make an opening statement and closing statement. The Board, through its counsel, shall present its evidence first, followed by the respondent. Rebuttal witnesses may be called if necessary. Each witn…