forester, #L24

Basic Purpose:

Positions in this job family are assigned responsibilities involving professional forestry work in assisting landowners and developing, implementing, or administering forestry conservation and use programs and projects in an assigned district, region, or statewide, as needed.

typical Functions:

The functions within this job family will vary by level, but may include the following:

• Participates in planning, developing and implementing various forestry use, conservation, fire prevention, marketing of forestry products, or other programs or projects.

• Advises farmers and land owners concerning the establishment of windbreaks, shelter belts, post lots, wildlife habitat, erosion control, and forestation projects; provides technical service and advice to forest land owners and sawmill operators regarding timber inventories, management, cutting and forest regeneration methods, and marketing of forest products.

• Conducts timber inventory surveys; computes and analyzes data collected and summarizes results; assists operators and timber buyers in the location of salable timber .

• Provides assistance to cities and towns, non-profit groups, homeowners, and others on urban and community forestry projects; provides information to the public on proper tree planting and care.

• Prepares specialized written forestry plans for landowners, groups, or communities which contain specific forestry recommendations, such as forest management guidelines, protection of water quality, protection of forests from fires and pests, improvement of wildlife habitat, control of erosion, tree planting and maintenance guidelines, and timber harvesting.

• Supervises or performs development and implementation of a wide variety of forestry assistance programs in a multi-county district, multiple districts, or statewide as assigned, including coordinating with other state and federal agencies and private industry, developing and interpreting program guidelines, and preparing program promotional materials.

• Participates in meetings, conferences and seminars on forest fire prevention and control, or forest management and conservation; develops and conducts training classes for employees, schools, civic groups, clubs and concerned citizens; prepares news stories, leaflets, and bulletins on basic forestry practices and techniques.

LEVEL DESCRIPTORS:

This job family consists of five levels which are distinguished based on the complexity of assigned duties, the level of expertise required to complete assigned tasks, and the responsibility assigned for providing leadership to others.

Level I            Code: L24A            Salary Band: I

This is the basic level of this job family where employees are assigned responsibilities involving beginning level professional work primarily related to providing farmers, land owners, communities, and others with technical advice and service concerning their forestry programs and natural resource needs. In this role they will be responsible for assisting in the development and implementation of forestry conservation projects in an assigned area or district. This will include analyzing forest resource conditions, developing recommendations and writing forest management plans, contacting land owners and providing advice on forestry management techniques, providing educational assistance to schools, civic groups and others, and assisting groups and local governments with community forestry projects.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities at this level include knowledge of modern forestry methods and techniques; of soil conservation techniques and principles; of business mathematics and English; of timber management, inventories, cutting and regeneration methods, forest products, marketing and urban forestry; and of tree physiology. Ability is required to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others; to express ideas clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; to speak effectively before groups; and to follow written and oral instructions.

Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of a bachelor's degree in forestry.

Level II            Code: L24B            Salary Band: J

This is the career level of this job family where employees are assigned responsibilities at the full performance level for performing various forest management, fire prevention, conservation, urban forestry or other similar duties involving professional forestry work. This may include responsibility for development of special forestry projects or programs as assigned, and supervision of volunteers, administrative personnel, lower level foresters or others in a lead worker capacity.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required at this level include those identified in Level I plus knowledge of the methods, techniques, tools and equipment used for forest fire prevention and suppression; of report-writing and record-keeping; of tree identification; and of forestry programs, forest regeneration systems, and natural resources.

Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of those identified in Level I and two years of professional forestry experience.

Level III            Code: L24C            Salary Band: K

This is the specialist level where employees are assigned responsibilities involving the planning, organization and development of all aspects of a specific program related to forest conservation and use or are assigned all aspects of the forestry program and delivery of services in an assigned district. Some positions will be responsible for conducting a forestry conservation and use program within an assigned district, and provide supervision to assigned foresters, protection personnel, technicians or other employees in the district, prepare plans for managing designated forest properties, conduct surveys, advise landowners on forestry conservation needs and techniques, coordinate district activities with local agencies and groups, and perform various administrative tasks as required, including budget preparation and administration. Some positions may be assigned responsibility for special forestry programs or projects, such as supervising and/or performing work in forest utilization and forest products marketing or urban forestry, and conducting surveys and evaluations of forest activities including harvesting, site preparation and planting, watershed surveys of silvicultural activities and their effect on water resources. In this role they will serve as a staff member in the Forestry Division with responsibility for developing assigned programs and provide functional or direct supervision and training to lower level foresters in conducting assigned programs. These positions are responsible for all phases of development and coordination of assigned programs in consultation with upper level foresters or Agricultural Services Administrators.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required at this level include those identified in Level II plus knowledge of silvicultural requirements of forest species; of common plant pests and appropriate pest control measures; and of long-range planning. Ability is required to establish realistic direction for the district or the program assigned in consultation with higher level foresters and administrators.

Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of those identified in Level II plus one additional year of qualifying experience.

Level IV            Code: L24D            Salary Band: L

This is the leadership level where employees are assigned responsibilities involving the planning, organization, and development of one or more specific programs related to forest resource conservation, management, and protection. In this role they will serve as a staff member in the Forestry Division with responsibility for developing all aspects of assigned programs and provide functional or direct supervision and training to lower level foresters and other personnel in conducting assigned programs and perform various administrative tasks as required, including budget preparation and administration, coordination with other federal and state agencies, forest industry, associations and other cooperators, overall program promotion and development, and program evaluation and strategic planning. Some positions may be assigned responsibility for specialized statewide forestry programs, such as supervising and/or performing work in forest water quality.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required at this level include those identified in Level III plus knowledge of supervisory principles and practices; of federally shared forest resource programs; of public relations and promotional techniques; of budget preparation and administration; and of modern office practices. Ability is required to provide supervision and training to others and to promote interest and cooperation in improved forest management practices.

Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of those identified in Level III plus one additional year of qualifying experience in a supervisory capacity.

Level V            Code: L24E            Salary Band: N

This is the management level of this job family where employees are assigned responsibilities involving the direction of professional forestry work and programs in a designated region of the state. This includes planning and organizing work to be done, periodically reviewing regional activity and job assignments, providing supervision and training to employees in forest conservation and management, and various administrative tasks such as budget preparation, annual work planning, and overall program administration.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required at this level include those identified in Level IV plus ability to manage and direct forestry operations and programs within a large geographical area.

Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of those identified in Level IV plus one additional year of qualifying experience in a supervisory capacity.

Applicants must be willing and able to fulfill all job-related travel normally associated with this position.

Certification by the Department of Agriculture as a Pesticide Applicator must be obtained prior to the completion of the probationary period.