Will foresters clear stone and iron?

Question

If I place a forester hut in an area with lots of stone and iron, will the foresters assigned clear iron and stone in their radius to make room for planting saplings?

Answer 1

Yes, "In the process of planting new trees the foresters will remove loose stone and iron and take these to the nearest stockpile."

Answer 2

Yes, they will. However I highly recommend marking stone and iron for laborers to clear as it will greatly increase the effectiveness of foresters - if you don't they will spend a lot of time mining and hauling raw material.