District Forester

Manage nearly 5500 acres of Jefferson County reforestation lands.  Work with private and public entities in all aspects of natural resource management involving both administration and technical assistance. 

Duties include, but not limited to, the following:

• Plan and direct the management, protection, and use of County reforestation lands in accordance with the existing Forest Management Plan; update Forest Management Plan. Maintain, paint, and post all 75 miles of forest boundaries continuously on a 10-year cycle. Determine survey needs and oversee surveys of problem areas.  Maintain existing forest access roads and trails according to the Forest Management Plan requirements. Oversee development and maintenance of new access roads and trails. Assess project budgets, reports, and monitor expenditures.
• Inventory: Plan and design forest inventories and use GIS/GPS for map development; enter inventory into GIS and NED3 databases. Monitor continuous forest inventory (CFI) plots to assess forest types across county forest and determine sustainable yields from growth models. Conduct forest inventory work and map timberlands, wetlands, etc.; delineate stands; forest boundaries. Summarize and analyze forest inventory data for the development of a treatment schedule as well as silvicultural prescriptions;
• Timber sales: Utilize standard silviculture guides to perform stand analysis; develop a marking guide, mark stand according to marking guide; tally the volume of species; quality of each marked tree, determine volume and fair market value of the timber to be sold; prepare a timber sale prospectus; solicit bids; award bid; develop a timber sale agreement, secure payment and performance fee; secure correct liability and workers compensation insurance from logger and oversee harvest and clean up per timber sale agreement. Plan and mark operational aspects and best management practices of a timber sale as well as obtain any necessary regulatory permits.
• Oversee the maintenance of field equipment; maintain an inventory of field equipment and supplies.
• Create tree planting plans for landowners; coordinate and implement tree plantings as needed;
• Conduct occasional forest management presentations.
• Assist with the District’s annual tree sale, provide technical assistance to residents on an as needed basis.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Graduation from a regionally accredited New York State registered college or university with an associate’s degree in forestry, forest technology, or closely related field and two years of experience in forest management activities.
• Appointees will be required to possess a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State or otherwise demonstrate their ability to meet the transportation needs of the job.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities: 

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of forest management (forest ecology, silviculture, dendrology, forest operations, forest mensuration, forest economics, forest resource management, and timber management);
• Ability to utilize tools, equipment and machinery used in the thinning, pruning, care of trees, as well as the construction and maintenance of trails.
• Conduct inventory, collect data and map reforestation lands utilizing GPS/GIS.
• Timber sales: Planning, layout, and administration, appropriate use of tools to measure tree volume/size, determine timber species and estimate market values, timber sale marketing, bidding and contractual agreements.
• Summarize, analyze, and interpret forest inventory data for the assessment of forest conditions; Assess stand conditions and the need for interfering vegetation, invasive species, or forest pests; plan treatments as appropriate.
• Plan and prioritize workload with strong organizational and time management skills.
• Act safely with appropriate forest management techniques; communicate safety standards as needed.
• Walk long distances over tough terrain in all weather conditions; Physical condition must commensurate with the demands of the position; Candidate must have strong skills to navigate in the forest.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local rules, regulations, and best management practices as they relate to forest management and the protection of natural resources.
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing; read and interpret maps, charts, graphs, etc. and compile data and prepare reports with accuracy. Intermediate computer skills: GIS, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.
• Effective interpersonal skills: dependability, positive attitude, flexibility, problem solving, conflict resolution, collaboration, and team building.