Inventory Forester

Inventory Forester, Natural Resource Specialist 1 (NRS1)
Full-time, Project, Represented position (WPEA)
Anticipated Project is 08/16/2025 to 12/31/2025
Work Hours flexibility may be available and considered 
Salary: $3,811.00 – $5,117.00 Monthly

Want to join something GREAT and make a difference?
Do you like traveling and working in the woods? Do you enjoy using state-of-the-art technology and equipment? How does supporting a state-of-the-art forest inventory program sound to you? We are seeking an individual who possesses a strong “woods-sense” and is capable of navigating forest roads and hiking across remote and challenging terrain to collect forest inventory data, which supports a remote-sensing program involving over 2.1 million acres. The Inventory Forester position is largely field-based, with most of the time spent traveling, either locally or regionally, to Department of Natural Resources (DNR)- managed forest parcels for data collection. This is a short-term project position beginning Aug 16, 2025, and lasting until Dec 31, 2025. From this position, you would have the opportunity to work across the majority of the state and see a wide variety of forest types and conditions. On average, 1 out of 4 weeks in a given month are spent in travel status, meaning that the candidate would work in a team somewhere else in the state sampling inventory plots for our remote-sensing inventory, getting to see a ton of cool places, forests and cities across the state of Washington. The position has a four-day work-week schedule of Monday through Thursday with a ten-hour work day, with some flexibility. Because of the nature of the sampling grid for the inventory plots, the data to be collected is always in a new spot; though some areas of the state hold more plots than others, the work takes place in unique spots every time we measure. You’ll see coastal areas, high-elevation stands, lowland valleys, and eastside forests. Wherever there is forested land that is managed by the Department of Natural Resources, we have plots in place waiting to be measured!Duties

Responsibilities:
Typical duties involve using computer software such as ArcGIS/ArcPro; operating handheld Android OS tablets, high-precision GPS systems, and laser rangefinders; navigating to remote plot locations; training others in the field measurement protocol; and performing QA/QC on associated contractual work.

Required Qualifications: 

• A Bachelor’s degree involving major study in forestry or related natural science:
  OR an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
• Professional working knowledge of environmental sampling and data gathering, e.g., forest mensuration.
• Experience identifying common plant and tree species of the Pacific Northwest.
• Familiar with using computerized systems in the field and office, e.g., tablets and radios.
• Familiar with ArcGIS software.
• Familiar with using survey-grade GPS and processing coordinates obtained with this technology.
• Familiar with using and troubleshooting/repairing common mensuration equipment, such as compass, diameter tape, laser hypsometer, and relaskop.
• Commitment to fostering and supporting an environment that honors diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice practices.