Position Description and Application Information
Are you passionate about forest management and concerned about silviculture, the protection of forests, and improving forest habitat? Are you effective with forest project design, forest management planning, project planning, forest practice regulations and project implementation? If so then apply today to become a Natural Resource Specialist!
We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Natural Resource Specialist to work alongside a diverse team to support the department’s mission and goals by implementing sound ecological forest management within the constraints of policy, applicable legal requirements and applicable collective bargaining agreements.
We are recruiting to hire at the Natural Resource Specialist 1, 2 or 3 level. The expectation will be to train employees coming in at the Natural Resource Specialist 1 or 2 level that will eventually lead to the employee being qualified and classified as a Natural Resource Specialist 3.
Depending on which level you are hired at, your salary range will be as follows:
Natural Resource Specialist 1 - $3,446.00 - $4,509.00
Natural Resource Specialist 2 - $3,887.00 - $5,102.00
Natural Resource Specialist 3 - $4,398.00 - $5,772.00
Our Natural Resource Specialists,
- Conduct literature and/or specialist consultation to identify historic ranges of variability, characterize divergence from historic conditions and identify desired future conditions.
- Quantify timber volumes and other stand metrics to identify areas where silvicultural treatments are warranted and viable.
- Develop both immediate and long-term strategies for restoring and maintaining desired future conditions.
- Evaluate forest inventory data, degree of divergence from historic conditions, habitat quality, risks, accessibility, and economics associated with forest restoration projects.
- Develop necessary management strategies, in collaboration with other agency professionals, to establish priorities and economically viable management projects for restoring and maintaining degraded forest.
- Evaluate market conditions and develop timber appraisals to determine project viability, develop management plan implementation strategies and maximize returns for reinvestment into land management activities.
- Perform or coordinate completion of defining harvest units, locating boundaries, identifying harvest road access, designing roads, planning harvest systems, defining environmental requirements, completing required paperwork, and preparing contracts in cooperation with region staff.
- Develop, advertise, and administer contracts for timber sales, pre-commercial thinning, fuels management, road construction or repair, road maintenance, and reforestation projects.
- Supervise contractors, monitoring timber volumes and scale slips, and manage budgets including revenue/costs of timber sales and ensuring successful reforestation.
- Utilize ecological integrity monitoring approaches to evaluate project effects.
- Conduct tree seedling stocking surveys to ensure compliance with Forest Practices reforestation standards – evaluates wildlife benefits as necessary.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
- Work Setting, including hazards:
- Working alone and outside in traverse steep, uneven terrain in all weather conditions.
- Driving will be on primitive roads year-round.
- Schedule:
- Typically, work schedule is 10 hours per day, 4 days a week – may be required to work long and irregular hours as needed.
- Travel Requirements:
- Frequent daily travel to field sites.
- Occasional overnight travel.
- Tools and Equipment:
- Forest management tools including relaskops, laser range finders, clinometers, diameter tapes, chainsaws, axes, drip torches, and power tools. ATV’s may be used to access remote areas.
- Customer Interactions:
- Frequent interaction with the general public.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications for the Natural Resource Specialist 1:
- Bachelor’s degree in forest management, agriculture, aquaculture, geology, recreation, or a related natural science field.
OR
- Equivalent education/experience.
Required Qualifications for the Natural Resource Specialist 2:
- A Bachelor’s degree involving major study in forestry, agriculture, aquaculture, geology, recreation, or related natural science.
AND
- One (1) year of professional experience in a related natural resource specialty area.
OR
- Equivalent education/experience.
Required Qualifications for the Natural Resource Specialist 3 (Goal Class):
- A Bachelor’s degree in natural resources or area of specialty.
AND
- Two (2) years of professional experience in a natural resource program area.
Please Note: paraprofessional or technical experience in natural resources may substitute for the professional experience; three (3) years of paraprofessional or technical experience to two (2) years of professional experience.
Job knowledge and experience:
- Current forest management strategies and timber management planning.
- Two (2) years of professional forest management experience including planning and administering of commercial thinning projects.
- Forest Practices rules and other regulatory laws and policies.
- Logging and forest road construction equipment.
- Inspecting, instructing, and working with contract crews to ensure compliance with contract(s).
- Familiar with and ability to use common forestry equipment suchas GPS devices, maps, aerial photos, compass, clinometer, relaskops, and laser rangefinder to cruise timber and make accurate maps.
- Planning and administering pre-commercial thinning projects.
- Planning and administering commercial thinning projects.
- Planning and administering reforestation projects.
- Conflict resolution and public relations.
- Computer applications including MS Word, MS Excel, ARC-GIS ARC-View.
- Safely operating motor vehicles on primitive roads in inclement weather conditions including snow.
Certifications/Licenses:
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Certification as a cultural resources technician.
- Tree falling certification.
- National Wildfire Coordinating Group PM-310-1 Red Card (certified or able to obtain)
- Certification as an ATV and snowmobile operator.
