ABOUT US
Benchmark Forest & Land Management, LLC, owned and operated by John and Valerie O’Donnell, was established in 2010. We have 40 years of combined experience in both the private and public sectors, including all aspects of forestry consulting, industrial forestry, and watershed management. Our firm is well-equipped to fill a void in the forestry consulting market, in which the small woodland landowner is often under served by larger forest management firms that are unable or unwilling to work with smaller properties.
John O'Donnell
In addition to his experience as a consulting forester, addressing a wide range of landowner objectives, John has worked as a procurement forester, purchasing standing timber and logs for a sawmill. This has given him an extensive knowledge of wood products, including utilization, product yields, quality, and value. John’s diverse background in the forestry field provides the landowner with access to a wealth of information, aiding the landowner in making decisions about the management of the property.
John is a Society of American Foresters Certified Forester (SAF CF #3860), which is a voluntary certification with a professional organization that requires a strict adherence to a code of ethics and standards, as well as continuing education in the forestry field. In addition, John is a licensed NYS Pesticide Applicator (Categories 2 & 3A) and a certified Technical Service Provider with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS TSP #09-6266). John is also a licensed real estate salesperson in NY, specializing in recreational and timber land properties. John received an AAS degree from SUNY Ranger School, as well as a BS degree in Forest Resource Management and a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) degree in Forest Technology, both from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry (SUNY ESF).
John is a Society of American Foresters Certified Forester (SAF CF #3860), which is a voluntary certification with a professional organization that requires a strict adherence to a code of ethics and standards, as well as continuing education in the forestry field. In addition, John is a licensed NYS Pesticide Applicator (Categories 2 & 3A) and a certified Technical Service Provider with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS TSP #09-6266). John is also a licensed real estate salesperson in NY, specializing in recreational and timber land properties. John received an AAS degree from SUNY Ranger School, as well as a BS degree in Forest Resource Management and a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) degree in Forest Technology, both from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry (SUNY ESF).
Valerie O'Donnell
Prior to her work with Benchmark, Valerie worked for over ten years as the watershed forester for a municipal water utility, responsible for managing approximately 20,000 acres of forest land. With the primary goal of managing the watershed forests for health, diversity, resilience, and value, Valerie was responsible for overseeing timber and firewood harvests from the planning phase through harvest completion. In addition to the silvicultural and operational aspects of harvests, Valerie also focused on landscape-scale planning, aesthetics concerns, stakeholder outreach, wildlife habitat impacts, and invasive species populations. Valerie received a Master of Forestry (MF) degree from Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and a BA degree in Environmental Science & Policy from Duke University. Prior to studying forestry, Valerie worked in the Environmental Education field, including service in the US Peace Corps in Hungary.
Please contact us for resumes and/or references.
Please contact us for resumes and/or references.