Forestry Technician

Position Title: HRI Forestry Technician

Reports to: HRI Forestry Crew Leader

Posting Date: August 9, 2024 (This posting will remain open until filled.)

Start Date: October 1, 2024

End Date: Approximately May 9, 2024 (season typically runs through the first week of May)

Hours: Up to 40 hrs/week; full-time seasonal position. The position requires a flexible schedule; hours will vary based on weather, project location and state/local COVID-19 related restrictions, with a target of three to four 10-hour days per week on average; some weekends and multi-day, overnight trips throughout the year; minimum number of hours/week not guaranteed. Weekly average of 33-35 hrs/week for past seasons. Work weeks may exceed 40 hrs/week (Monday-Sunday), when necessary.

Compensation: Hourly wage will start at $20/hour, with adjustments based on experience. Benefits include paid holidays and limited paid time off. Mileage reimbursement provided for personal vehicle use when use of personal vehicle is necessary; other approved travel expenses. 

Program Description: The Hemlock Restoration Initiative (HRI) is a grant-funded program managed by WNC Communities’ Forestry Education LLC. HRI’s mission is to work with a variety of partners and existing programs to restore hemlocks to long-term health throughout North Carolina and ensure that eastern and Carolina hemlocks can resist hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) and survive to maturity on North Carolina’s public and private lands. This is accomplished through establishing hemlock conservation areas (HCAs), implementing chemical and biological control of HWA, supporting the restoration efforts of partner agencies, and educating private landowners and others on the importance of hemlocks and how they can help conserve hemlocks on their own properties or as volunteers on larger public lands projects.

Summary of Position: Our Forestry Technician crew is on the front-lines in our program to control HWA on forest lands in North Carolina. As a Forestry Technician, you will work fall through spring as part of a small team conducting hemlock restoration activities on national, state, and otherwise conserved forests, including parks, game lands, and private lands across Western North Carolina. These activities will consist of conducting chemical treatments for HWA, scouting and assessing the health of hemlock stands, writing and updating hemlock treatment plans for each site, installing and collecting data from impact monitoring plots, and to a lesser degree supporting other HWA control strategies, including biological and silvicultural control strategies. This work is done mostly in the field, in backcountry wooded terrains. Work days are generally 10+ hour days, spent outside. On occasion, the technician crew will work with others (such as volunteers, Job Corps, ACE, BRIDGE, other agency staff, etc.) to accomplish the above tasks. This position is an excellent opportunity to be a member of a dynamic team, play an influential role in addressing an important forest health issue, and work in ecologically special and often stunningly beautiful natural areas across Western North Carolina and the Southern Appalachians. The ideal candidate will believe in the program’s mission, embrace a positive, collegial culture, and relish being a member of a hard-working team for a transformative non-profit organization.

Work Environment: HRI’s office is located in Asheville, NC. The position will be an in-person, field-based position, using the office as headquarters. Most fieldwork days will be 10+ hour days (generally 8:00AM to 6:00PM) returning to the office each day; however, there will also be multi-day, overnight trips (camping or staying in shared cabins). The field work can be moderately to highly physically strenuous, in remote locations, on difficult terrain (steep slopes, thick understory vegetation), in cold and occasionally hot temperatures, with possible exposure to poison ivy, insects and other wildlife. Technicians can expect to spend some time each week in our shared office entering field-collected data and updating hemlock treatment plans (HTPs).

Duties and Responsibilities (job activities include but are not limited to):

• Perform chemical treatment of hemlock trees on state and other public lands in areas determined by the HRI Director and program partners
• Prepare for workdays, incl. acquiring maps of and directions to site, reviewing treatment plans, checking equipment, etc.
• Drive HRI program vehicle or personal vehicle to and from site and on-site, when necessary; maintain gas & mileage log
• Scout and assess potential Hemlock Conservation Areas and draft or update HTPs
• Provide on-site guidance, instruction & additional facilitation of volunteers, workshop participants, and occasionally Job Corps and BRIDGE crews. Work independently to conduct treatments when other crews are not available
• Assist with HWA-predator monitoring & other aspects of biological control program
• Assist with installation and monitoring of tree health assessment plots
• Use proper data recording techniques and GPS to record, compile and enter data from chemical and biological treatments and tree health assessments, including mapping
• Maintain frequent and timely communication with HRI Forestry Crew Leader and other staff
• Help Crew Leader and other members maintain an inclusive, safe, positive, and fun work culture
• Follow all HRI protocols and policies and be accountable for all work performed on site
• Ensure personal safety while in the field, including the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety procedures in all tasks
• Clean, maintain, and properly inventory equipment used in the field
• Maintain a professional demeanor as a representative of the HRI program when interacting with partners, volunteers, or other members of the public
• Bring any issues or challenges related to team dynamics, duties, protocols, policies, along with suggestions and other ideas for program improvement, to the attention of the HRI Crew Leader and/or Director
• Participate in end of season wrap up and clean up
• Other tasks TBD

Position Requirements

HRI Forestry Technicians must:

• Be authorized to work in the U.S.
• Have a valid driver’s license, an insurable driving record, and reliable transportation
• Be able to drive 4WD vehicles/trucks in a variety of road conditions
• Have basic computer skills, including intermediate knowledge of Excel and Google Workspace, strong professional email etiquette, strong data management skills, and the ability to prepare and maintain records and reports
• Have, or be willing to obtain, a North Carolina Commercial Pesticide Applicator’s license
• Be willing and able to mix and apply insecticides correctly and safely (once trained)
• Be capable of physically strenuous field work in the work environment described above using a variety of hand tools and pesticide application equipment
• Be willing and able to work an irregular weekly schedule with occasional weekends/evenings, and multi-day trips
• Be willing and able to camp or stay in shared housing, where private rooms are not always available

The strongest candidates will also:

• Be able to function as an efficient, effective, communicative, and adaptable team member
• Be personally accountable, and able to receive and provide constructive feedback
• Be able to understand and carry out oral and written instructions
• Be comfortable working with and training non-HRI team members, including agency partners and members of the public
• Be able to adapt to surrounding work environment and conditions that can change frequently
• Be able to problem solve, produce solutions, and also ask for help when needed
• Possess an attention to detail and an ability to accurately record, transpose and enter data
• Have a strong work ethic and commitment to quality and excellence in every area of work
• Have outdoor living/camping skills and a commitment to “Leave no Trace” principles
• Have previous experience in nonprofit, conservation, and/or natural resource management fields
• Have experience or knowledge of environmental stewardship and restoration, Southern Appalachian forest ecosystems, forestry, collection of ecological field data
• Have previous pesticide application experience
• Have Wilderness First Aid or First Responder medical training