Natural Resource Conservation Services Planner

Northeast Natural Resource Conservation Services Conservation Planner, Environmental Planner 3 (EP3)
Recruitment #2025-9-P487
Full-time, Project, Represented position (WFSE)
Anticipated Project is November 2025 – August 2027
Location: Colville, WA
Work Hours and Partial Telework flexibility may be available and considered
Relocation Compensation may be available and considered
Salary: $5,666.00 – $7,622.00 Monthly

Review of applications is ongoing. We reserve the right to make a hiring decision or close this recruitment at any time after 9/10/25. It is in your best interest to submit materials as soon as possible.

The NRCS Conservation Planner’s role within the Service Forestry Program is to establish and expand environmental planning tools by bringing NRCS technical and financial assistance into an integrated program that serves non-industrial small forest landowners in Washington. The Conservation Planner reports to DNR’s Service Forestry Planner and coordinates with the NRCS District Conservationist and other technical staff to provide landowners with conservation plans and enroll them in financial assistance programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Although the focus is on small forest landowners, this position serves as the subject matter expert for all NRCS programs, providing education and information to DNR staff as well as external partners within the assigned work area.

The Conservation Planner specializes in providing technical environmental planning assistance specific to forest management, including watershed protection, insect and disease control, forest recreation, tree planting, wildlife habitat development, and fuels reduction or mitigation.

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor of Science in natural resource planning, environmental planning, forestry, forestry education, biology, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or closely related field, AND a minimum of three years of professional, operational, field experience in forest management in the Pacific Northwest;
  OR an equivalent combination of education plus experience.
• Experience in typical silvicultural and forest management practices in the Pacific Northwest, including forest road design and construction, timber management planning, silviculture techniques, reforestation methods, and timber harvest boundaries.
• Experience using forestry tools such as measuring and hand tools.
• Experience responding to and interacting in a positive, responsive, cooperative, and collaborative manner while interacting with the public and other professionals (both inter-organizational and interdisciplinary).
• Proficient with computers and Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and SharePoint.
• Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), including ArcGIS Pro, Survey 123, Field Maps, and other mapping tools to document work and convey information to non-technical audiences.
• Experience with and motivated to achieve program-specific desired outcomes while managing competing deadlines and priorities.
• Uses interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence to develop relationships rooted in acceptance, cooperation, and mutual regard with the public, external partners, and other governmental agencies.
• Accustomed to identifying or creating need-specific organizational systems and implementing them to track program-specific components and competing deadlines.
• Commitment to fostering and supporting an environment that honors diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice practices.