Forester – Management and Demonstration

Starting Salary Range: $60,000-$70,000 annually depending on qualifications 

Type: Full-time, Exempt

Application Deadline: Rolling, review of applicants to begin immediately

Who We Are: The 6,300-acre Great Mountain Forest (GMF) is a nonprofit dedicated to forest management that achieves resilience, fights climate change, enhances biodiversity, supports research, empowers education, and demonstrates sustainable uses that benefit communities. We are on a mission to catalyze regional forest management that achieves these goals.

What We Can Achieve Together: We seek an inspired forester to manage GMF’s forestry and stewardship operations, support our growing Woodland Academy program, enable research, and mentor the next generation of natural resource professionals. This position provides a unique opportunity to shape GMF’s demonstration forest programs and contribute to the regional forest community as part of a collaborative team of exceptional staff, volunteers, and partners. GMF is growing quickly as an organization, presenting an exciting opportunity for professional development and advancement within our team!

Key Responsibilities

Forest Management

• Organize and lead a full forest inventory to be completed every decade.
• Author and execute the Forest Management Plan, with annual updates, in consultation with other team members and advisors.
• Plan, contract, and monitor precommercial treatments, commercial harvests, and uneconomic habitat enhancements in consultation with other team members and advisors.
• Direct small-scale in-house forest treatments and harvests for demonstrations and education programs.

Internship Program

• Select, supervise, and mentor three summer forestry interns in close collaboration with GMF’s Facilities team and other departments.
• Co-design and implement a work plan for forestry interns, encompassing the broad activities of GMF and accommodating the intern’s professional development goals.

Education Programs

• Help to coordinate and support GMF’s educational programs for forest owners, professionals, and volunteers – generally team taught by a combination of staff and external experts.
• Lead tours of forest demonstrations.
• Support GMF educators integrating forestry methods and concepts into their k-12 and related curricula.

Network Building

• Build and maintain a professional and community network of forest landowners, researchers, foresters, and loggers and affiliated professionals.
• Actively participate in regional forestry groups such as the Society of American Foresters.

Forest Products

• Foster opportunities for demonstrations of timber and non-timber forest products and business models (e.g., sawmill, woodshop, mushrooms) with other staff, volunteers, and external partners.
• Monitor these demonstrations and periodically co-author brief memos on their activities, productivity, and impacts.

Grants

• Co-author and co-manage grants in support of the above activities.

Mapping and Data Management

• Create and update maps and spreadsheets of GMF’s natural resources, management activities, and other features as needed.

Research Support and Communication

• Stay informed on advancements in forest ecology, management, and policy.
• Occasionally contribute to articles and posts about GMF’s demonstrations.
• Facilitate access by external researchers to the forest.
• Collaborate in the creation of long-term monitoring projects and support data collection.

Budgeting and Reports

• Assist with the creation and management of GMF’s annual forestry program budgets.
• Deliver bi-monthly work reports.

Basic Qualifications

• A BA or BS in forestry or a related field with at least three years of post-graduate experience.
• CT Foresters license or ability to achieve licensure within 6 months.
• Proven experience developing forest management plans and conducting outreach or education.
• Curiosity and enthusiasm to explore and experiment with evolving forest management practices and goals.
• An understanding of the primary threats facing southern New England’s forests.
• An understanding of climate smart forestry, ecological silviculture, and uneven aged management.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Experience leading small teams.
• Ability and enthusiasm to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience creating GIS maps, collecting forest inventory data, and digitizing and managing that data.
• Experience conducting timber stand improvements.

Preferred Qualifications

• A Master of Forestry or MFS.
• Experience budgeting.
• Experience managing contractors, invasive vegetation, and/or conducting commercial timber harvests.
• A basic understanding of carbon offsets.

Benefits

• Paid vacation (including federal holidays), sick leave, and personal days.
• Retirement plan with up to 5% employer match.
• Subsidized health insurance.
• Gear and training allowance.