History

Like every organisation during the Third Reich, forestry was placed under the control of the NSDAP. The Reichsforstamt (National Forestry Office) was created in 1934 to replace the regional forestry departments that had existed prior to this date. The goals of the Reichsforstamt were to extract economic value in the form of timber from the forests for the German industry, as well as preserve nature and natural monuments for the people as a part of German culture.
A sub-department for professional hunters employed by the government was created. Hunting matters had formerly been a part of the Ministry for Food and Agriculture, but were now placed under the influence of the Reichsforstamt.
Private forestry matters were placed under the care of the Reichsnährstand (National Nutritional Estate) in 1941.
The Reichsforstamt was headed by Luftwaffe leader Hermann Göring as Reichsforstmeister (minister of forestry).

The Reichsbund Deutsche Jägerschaft (National Society of German Hunters) was founded in 1934 as a statutory corporation for non-professional hunters. All existing hunting societies were disbanded and memberships transferred to the Deutsche Jägerschaft. Membership was mandatory for everyone with a hunting license.
Hermann Göring led the organisation as Reichsjägermeister (minister of hunting).

The Reichsforstschutz or Forstschutzkommando (Forestry Protection Service), in 1943 renamed to Forstschutzkorps (Forestry Protection Corps), was a paramilitary force instituted in February of 1940 in the General Government (occupied Poland). Made up of German forestry officials and ethnic Germans from Poland, the Forstschutz was tasked with regular forestry duties, as well as patrolling and protecting woodlands to keep them from being used by the Polish resistance. In 1942, Forstschutz personnel was also stationed in the Eastern European occupied territories where their work was heavily focused on anti-partisan operations.
Very little is known about the Forstschutz organisation today, and all items related to it are exceedingly rare.

The third pattern of Forestry shoulder boards was introduced in April of 1938. The green cords were replaced by a mix of silver-coloured (aluminum) and green cords referred to as “aluminium-grün” (aluminum green).
Two different types of shoulder boards were used depending on which tunic they were worn with. The everyday tunic was completed with shoulder boards featuring matte aluminum green cords, while the more formal tunic featured shoulder boards with bright aluminum cords.
All ranks now used rank pips in the form of four-sided stars. The metal acorns were discontinued.

Branch colours were introduced. Each Forestry branch was appointed its own shoulder board cloth backing colour: as before, State Forestry members used green and Communal Forestry used grey. Additionally, Private Forestry now used brown and Forestry Services of the Army (Heer) and Air Force (Luftwaffe) used black.

The shoulder boards are as follows:
The Reichsforstmeister wore gold/aluminum green/gold triple-cords braided to form four bends and a button loop, with two crossed oak leaves.
Generalforstmeister wore the same shoulder boards as the rank above, but with two silver-coloured pips instead of the crossed oak leaves.
Ministerialdirigent wore the same shoulder boards as the rank above, but with only one silver-coloured pip.
Oberlandforstmeister wore the same shoulder boards as the rank above, but without any pips.
Landforstmeister wore two aluminum green double-cords braided to form five bends and a button loop, with a secondary silver-coloured underlay and two gold-coloured pips.
Oberforstmeister wore the same shoulder boards as the rank above, but with only one pip.
Forstmeister wore the same shoulder boards as the rank above, but without any pips.
Forstamtmann wore two aluminum green double-cords braided to form five bends and a button loop.
Oberförster wore four aluminum green double-laid parallel cords, with two gold-coloured pips.
Revierförster wore the same shoulder boards as the rank above, but with only one pip.
Förster wore the same shoulder boards as the rank above, but without any pips.
Unterförster wore four double-laid parallel cords, the outer ones in aluminum green, the inner ones in green, with two gold-coloured pips.
Hilfsförster wore the same shoulder boards as the rank above, but with only one pip.
Forstaufseher wore the same shoulder boards as the rank above, but without any pips.
Forstanwärter wore four green double-laid parallel cords.