Forestry Coordinator – MS Alluvial Valley

Ducks Unlimited, Inc. (DU), the world’s leading waterfowl and wetland conservation organization, is seeking qualified candidates for a Forestry Coordinator to join a great team of professionals and deliver our forest restoration programs in the four-state region of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.  We are seeking an experienced individual to manage and oversee afforestation efforts. DU’s mission is to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl. These habitats also benefit other wildlife and people.

The primary responsibility of the successful candidate will be supporting the implementation of the Flyway Forests carbon program.  The Flyway Forests program is a DU initiative that restores bottomland hardwood forests for carbon sequestration and biodiversity outcomes by producing carbon credits traded in the Voluntary Carbon Market.  The Forestry Coordinator will join a team of DU biologists and lands professionals to conduct landowner outreach to identify suitable candidate sites for the carbon program.  The Forestry Coordinator will work closely with landowners to select reforestation areas and support enrollment in the Flyway Forests program.   The Forestry Coordinator will be responsible for prescribing appropriate site preparation activities and species mixes, soliciting bids, coordinating with contractors and nurseries, and conducting oversight of restoration activities.  After restoration practices are implemented, the Forestry Coordinator will design and lead an annual monitoring program to document survival and growth during the establishment phase.  This person will also be responsible for recommending and implementing adaptive management practices to improve forest health.  The Forestry Coordinator will help document the carbon program’s required due diligence and compliance activities and may support the DU lands team in the compliance monitoring of conservation easements on properties enrolled in the program.

The Forestry Coordinator will play a supporting role for DU in delivering the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) program in the states of Louisiana and Mississippi.  The Forestry Coordinator will conduct site visits, prescribe forest restoration activities according to NRCS specifications and allowable practices, oversee procurement, and coordinate with contractors and nurseries.  The Forestry Coordinator will support a team of regional biologists to conduct oversight of the restoration activities.

The Forestry Coordinator will be responsible for providing leadership and guidance for both Flyway Forests and WRE reforestation program activities and issues. They will play a key role in DU’s long-term success by enabling the organization to build, nurture, and maintain strong relationships with landowners and conservation partners as well as future opportunities with corporate and public sustainability efforts. This position provides opportunities to work with many private and public partners on diverse land conservation issues in a large, critically-important DU conservation priority area.

Duties and Responsibilities:   

• Plan, coordinate, and implement restoration on privately-owned bottomland hardwood forests in the Mississippi Flyway.  This includes working closely with the Flyway Forests team, DU staff, and state and federal conservation partners including the NRCS.
• Develop improved landowner outreach and engagement strategies to accelerate the pace and scale of enrollment in Flyway Forests.   Provide support and technical expertise to landowners enrolling in reforestation programs.
• Oversee all aspects of reforestation including nursery procurement, site preparation, planting, monitoring, and adaptive management.   
• Document and support required compliance activities with the Flyway Forests team to ensure compatibility with carbon registry requirements and DU conservation easement terms.  
• Monitor restoration program performance and implement adaptive management.  Support annual monitoring of conservation easements.  
• Promote reforestation and the co-benefits of water quality and wildlife habitat via engagement, outreach and education.  
• Facilitate the evolution of Flyway Forests to involve additional ecosystem services by developing additional environmental markets, including biodiversity and water quality crediting. 

Qualifications:                          

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in forestry, natural resource management, biology, or environmental science. Advanced degree (e.g., M.S.) preferred but not required.  Farming background beneficial.    
• Minimum of three years of professional experience related to forest restoration, management, and/or monitoring required; more experience strongly preferred.  GIS experience preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing deadlines and meet high-quality standards for restoration projects.
• Experience working with diverse public and private interests.    
• Outstanding verbal and interpersonal communication skills; exceptional written communication skills and the ability to work both independently and as a member of a diverse conservation team.
• Professional interests that align strongly with DU’s conservation mission and vision.  
• Desire and demonstrated ability to identify and address personal knowledge gaps; to learn on the job; and to cultivate sources of knowledge, expertise, and skill.
• Able and willing to travel frequently within the region of responsibility and occasionally beyond the service area.

The preferred office location for this position is Monroe, LA, but exceptional candidates willing to office in other DU Mississippi Alluvial Valley offices may also be considered (e.g., Ridgeland, MS; Jonesboro, AR).