Habitat Project Manager (Forester)

The California Deer Association (CDA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to enhance native deer and other wildlife populations across the state of California through habitat restoration projects. Land-use practices, climate change, and fire suppression over the last century have resulted in substantial degradation of critical forest and wetland habitats. CDA partners with private, local, state, and federal landowners to improve and restore conditions across several habitat types. Our restoration treatments address a variety of objectives, including restoring ecosystem structure and function, reducing hazardous fuel loads, removing encroaching conifer and invasive species, and mitigating post-wildfire impacts. Projects generally entail either hand or mechanized treatment, including but not limited to canopy thinning, understory thinning, mastication, and prescribed burning.

Description: The Habitat Project Manager (Forester) position will report to the Program Manager and will be responsible for working with contractors, landowners, and CDA staff to coordinate the successful preparation and implementation of habitat restoration projects that focus primarily on forest management via commercial thinning. Responsibilities will include performing and/or overseeing field crews as they perform a comprehensive suite of technical forestry tasks associated with timber harvest planning, including but not limited to stand inventory, harvest unit delineation, timber marking, timber cruising, and GPS data collection. These duties will include inspecting work for quality assurance, ensuring compliance with silvicultural prescriptions and resource protection measures, project site monitoring, and progress reporting. This job will be primarily field based with most of the work time spent at job sites performing duties listed below. The work will be performed in forested environments where terrain may be uneven, rocky, and covered with thick vegetation. Climatic conditions range from extremely hot and dry to extremely cold and wet. Rain, snow, wind, or dust may be encountered. The work involves regular and recurring risks or discomforts that require safety precautions or the use of personal protective equipment such as boots, gloves, goggles, and hard hats. The CDA headquarters office is based in Redding, California, however, this is a field-based role and will require regular travel across California. There may be opportunities to perform office duties from a satellite office and/or from home.

Essential job duties will include:

• Management of contractors or CDA field crews performing stand inventory and timber harvest planning activities
• Performance of forest mensuration, field reconnaissance, data collection, and project layout/design
• Proficiency in GPS/GIS mapping and data management, preferably with the ESRI suit of GIS software
• Performing quality assurance/quality control to ensure compliance with silvicultural prescriptions, resource protection measures, and project specifications
• A high level of physical fitness to hike long distances in uneven terrain and varying weather conditions (ability to hike up to 5-10 miles with a 30–40-pound pack daily)
• Driving long distances and navigating 4×4 drive roads
• Regular overnight project travel. Possess skills suitable for working and camping in remote and rugged outdoor environments with variable weather, sometimes alone
• Assistance with grant writing and applications, outreach, and other administrative tasks as required
• Engage with CDA Development Staff, chapters members, and community members to support chapter development, volunteer engagement, youth events, etc.
• Develop and produce outreach materials in partnership with CDA Marketing Team that communicate habitat program project work to promote awareness and participation
• Willingness to work flexible hours to accommodate field days when necessary. Other job duties as assigned by the Habitat Program Manager, Habitat Program Director, or other management staff

Required Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree in Forestry, Natural Resource Management, or a related field with 2-3 years OR 6+ of experience in a forestry related field
• Knowledge of silviculture, forest ecology, and timber harvesting methods
• Experience with forest mensuration stand inventory, timber cruising, timber marking, and sale layout
• Ability to hike long distances across difficult terrain and in varying weather conditions.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds
• The ability to use a hand-held GPS device and data recording devices such as a tablet
• Must have a valid driver’s license, a clean driving record, and experience 4×4 driving
• Organizational and record keeping skills for regular progress updates
• Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing. Ability to listen to safety and operational instructions
• Equal ability to work independently and cooperatively as a team
• Working proficiency with GPS data collection systems, preferably ESRI Field Maps or Avenza Maps
• Proficiency in GIS mapping and data management, preferably with the ESRI suit of GIS software

Preferred experience:

• Previous experience in timber harvest planning or administration
• Competency in timber cruise/inventory sampling design, silviculture planning
• Proficiency with GPS, GIS, and forestry software
• Experience working with public lands, private landowners, and/or forest products companies
• Familiarity with the California Forest Practice Rules, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
• Passionate for environmental conservation and restoration
• Knowledge of diverse California wildlife and ecology
• Wildland Firefighter Type 2 Red Card