Our Company

In 1998 after 18 years of working for others, including forestry consulting Companies, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and a Rochester-based mining company, Susan Keister decided to utilize her diverse background and interest in the prudent use of natural resources to start her own company. This allowed her to use her experience to implement her ideas and the flexibility to integrate the needs of her family, her community, and her tree farm.

Keister Consulting Inc., is a company built on a philosophy centered on a sound, scientific, long term and practical approach to natural resource and forestry issues - and we love to share that knowledge with others (pictured above - NYFOA woods walk). Improving residual forest quality, through proprietary liaisons with both existing and developing low grade markets, providing exceptional value to landowners selling high value woodlots by charging on a non- commission basis, working with landowners on an individual basis to leverage all potential resource opportunities including real estate property tax advice, and government funded grant programs and designing and permitting projects which balance the need of the permittee as well as the environment, are the hallmark activities of this company.

Industry-wide, Susan Keister’s work has developed a reputation of being fair, balanced, thorough and timely. In addition to her traditional forestry work, she has worked with landowners and a variety of businesses on such diverse projects as timber valuations for energy project right-of-ways, conducting a field inventory of 20,000 + acres of Native American forest land, forestry (tax law) and general inventory work on timber company-owned properties, and regulatory compliance issues (including site plan development, timber ordinance compliance, local and New York State Mining Permits, SEQR and SPDES work). She is on the Executive Committee for the industry and landowner organization: Empire State Forest Products Association, an American Tree Farm Inspector and an active member of the Society of American Foresters.

Keister Consulting, Inc.'s highly motivated, energetic, quality-driven company staff consists of:

Susan J. Keister, Principal Forester, B.S., SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Mark W. Keister, Forester, Certified Pesticides Applicator, B.S. SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry, NYS-DEC Forester, retired

Kyle Polisse, Forester, A.A.S. Paul Smiths College, 17 years industrial forest experience

Barbara C. Shafer, GPS/Mapping Techncian, M.F., Duke University School of Forestry and Environmental Management

Jan Vanderkamp, Office Manager