The Field Forester supports forest management operations and implements forest and stream restoration projects across forest holdings managed by The Nature Conservancy in the Central Cascades (45,000 acres) and adjacent public lands. The Field Forester works with staff and partners to restore forest health and stream habitat at a landscape scale while also striving to deliver social and economic benefits to the surrounding community.
The Central Cascades Field Forester is responsible for executing forest stewardship and management activities on The Nature Conservancy’s Central Cascades forest holdings (45,000 acres). They may also assist, as needed, with forest management on the Conservancy’s forest holdings in the Willapa Bay, Olympics Forest Properties (approx. 35,000 acres) or on adjacent public lands. The Conservancy’s primary forest management goal is to work in collaboration with partners such as the Tapash Sustainable Forest Collaborative and Teanaway Community Forest to restore forest and stream health and resilience across the landscape while also striving to deliver social and economic benefits to the surrounding communities. They work closely with a Washington forest management team to carry out the following essential functions:
Land Management & Forestry (60%)
- Plan, implement and monitor restoration projects including commercial restoration thinning and pre-commercial thinning, reforestation, invasive species monitoring and treatment, forest road improvements, road decommissioning, and road maintenance.
- Collect field data on forest stand inventory and stream habitat conditions and may assist external scientific assessments.
- Provide technical input to management plans, harvest prescriptions, road layout and engineering.
- Implement ongoing property management activities, such as road, trail, and gate maintenance, garbage removal, and signing.
- Support third-party audits for certification according to the Forest Stewardship Council’s standards.
- Support Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data collection and management.
- Maintain TNC equipment, vehicles, and other resources.
Community Relations (10 %)
- Develop and foster strong community and partner relations.
- Process landowner use agreements and manage public access and recreational use as necessary.
Project Management & Administration (30%)
- Prepares, administers, and monitors contracts, and tracks spending against approved budgets.
- Provides technical oversight for land management activities.
- Writes proposals and reports progress and results of grant-funded projects.
- Obtains necessary permits for all forest management, harvest operations, and road maintenance and abandonment work.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
Level of Responsibility
This is a mid-level position that collaborates with senior staff to accomplish program goals.
- Manages on-the-ground forestry operations primarily in the Central Cascades region.
- This position reports to the Washington Forest Manager, and may supervise interns or volunteers.
Within the scope of this position, the Central Cascades Field Forester will:
- Oversee forestry, logging, and heavy equipment contractors and ensure work is performed to meet TNC specifications.
- Support the Washington Forest Manager and forest management team and build strong relationships with forest management partners.
- Ensure program compliance with the Conservancy’s internal policies and values.
- Perform tasks with minimal supervision and make independent decisions based on analysis, experience and judgment.
Work Environment and Schedule
- This position often works in harsh weather conditions, at remote locations, on steep, difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.
- This position often requires extended and/or varied work hours, including work outside of normal business hours and on weekends.
- This is a field based position with approximately of the work occurring outside in the forest environment.
- Overnight travel will be required for this position, primarily within Washington State.
- Experience managing forestry, logging and/or heavy equipment contractors.
- Experience using ArcView GIS, GPS, data loggers, and proficiency in Microsoft Office (i.e., Word, Excel, and Power Point) software.
- Experience completeing multiple tasks independently with respect to timeline(s) and deliverables.
- Must have valid driver's license and experience operating four-wheel drive vehicles on remote forest roads.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Knowledge and experience with forest restoration, fire management, and stream restoration in dry-mesic inland forests of California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, or the Rocky Mountains.
- 3-5 year's experience managing logging and forest road projects.
- Experience in writing and managing contracts and grants for forestry work.
- Experience tracking finances and managing budgets.
- Self-starting, independent worker who can thrive in a decentralized organization.
- Relationship building skills to work closely with a variety of partners, e.g., government officials, scientists, donors, tribes and the local community.
- Multi-lingual and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
- Experience with forest inventory techniques following common forest mensuration methods of the Pacific Northwest
- Current Washington Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator license or ability to obtain.
- Experience safely using and maintaining tools and equipment, including power and construction tools, chain saws, brush cutters, backpack sprayers, 4-wheel drive and all-terrain vehicles (ATV’s).