Biography

Colin Bagwell graduated from North Carolina State University in 1966 and began his professional forestry career in Kentucky... Read More
 

Profile

Colin Bagwell can thank his brother for his success in forestry. “I was a sophomore in college and had no idea what I wanted to do,” he said. “My brother introduced me to a friend of his who was a forester. I decided I wanted to that.” Apparently, that was the right decision for Bagwell. His grades improved and he has been a successful forester since 1966.

Today, Bagwell is the owner of Your Forester in Huntsville, AL. He is a licensed and certified forester who specializes in the field of timber. He helps landowners develop a more efficient, rewarding forest enterprise and teaches how forestry can be a profitable business by using sound management principles.

“My forest management revolves around educating landowners on the business of forest ownership,” he said. “I see more demand for management plans, timber sales, and helping my clients reduce their tax burden from forest income. It’s more the concepts of forestry and not as much site prep, like putting seedlings in the ground.”

Over the years, Bagwell has developed and honed the skill of asking the right questions to draw out all of a landowner’s goals. “When you're managing a forest, you've got to consider more than one goal,” he said. “You have to dovetail all of the different goals that you can think of. It takes time and thought to devise a management plan with all of the important things addressed.”

In addition to management strategies they might not have considered, many landowners find themselves with new goals that life chooses for them. For example, a family that has always managed for recreation might need to manage for timber income as a child goes to college or an elderly parent needs support.

“It’s rewarding to help clients avoid the more convenient but unwise path, such as allowing a logger to do a select cut at his own discretion that would not advance the landowners’ goals in the end,” Bagwell said. “I can help with that. I can serve my clients on as-needed basis and help you get the best price for their timber.”

Timber sales are an important part of the forest management program, but not the only part. Southern forests are growing about half as fast as they could under proper management. Weeding, thinning, cull removal, and tree planting are a few of the practices which improve the growth of woodlands. Bagwell’s experience provides guidance in planning this type of work and he can supervise the work as it's done.

“I love looking at a new tract of land with a new client, discussing their unique situation,” he said. “Then can help them arrive at good decisions.”

He holds a Bachelor of Science from Tennessee Wesleyan College, and a Bachelor of Forestry from North Carolina State University. After spending four years as a Service Forester with the Kentucky Division of Forestry, he became a Forestry Consultant in 1970. He is a licensed forester in Alabama and Georgia. He is a Certified Forester with the Society of American Foresters and is a member of the Association of Consulting Foresters. Bagwell is also a licensed Real Estate Broker. Widowed in 2018, he has two grown children and two grandchildren.

“Being an ACF members guarantees that I am working for the landowner and not the timber buyer,” Bagwell said. “It guarantees there is no conflict of interest. I am my clients’ business consultant and it’s my mission to provide professional forest management services to private landowners, helping them to grow sustainable forests.”

When Bagwell isn’t in the woods or working, you can find him singing in a barbershop chorus. “I’m a member of the Rocket City Chorus in Huntsville,” he said. “We have 30 members. Last year Barbershop opened up the membership to ladies, and the Rocket City Chorus now has three women members. It took us 81 years to get smart.”
 

Seeking clients in these counties:
Blount
Colbert
Cullman
DeKalb
Etowah
Jackson
Lauderdale
Lawrence
Limestone
Madison
Marshall
Morgan

Link# 8507
Acct.# 0043