Salary: $48,156.00 – $64,788.00 Annually
Location: Okanogan County – Other, WA
Job Type: Full Time – Permanent
Department: Dept. of Natural Resources
Job Number: 2023-3-7980-03123
Closing: 4/2/2023 11:59 PM Pacific
Are you someone who loves the outdoors, and is passionate about becoming a natural resource forester working for Washington State? If you love working in the outdoors, appreciate a remote natural environment, have good practical forestry skills, a working knowledge of sound ecological forest management, silviculture, prescribed fire, and enjoy being part of a high functioning team, then this might be the job for you.
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Northeast Region is looking for a lead Forest Health and Prescribe Fire Special Projects Forester to join our West Uplands Unit. This position, under the supervision of the Highlands District Silviculture Unit Forester, will have regular interaction with foresters, forest engineers, other natural resource professionals, other agency/organization members, and the general public. Position responsibilities within the Silviculture program will include performing as a lead forester on designing, writing burn plans for West Uplands District, and the implementation of prescribed fire on DNR lands. This position may also help with presale setup, planting and site prep compliance, surveys, and Pre-Commercial Thinning delineation. This position may also support the fire suppression program during peak workloads.
Duties
Responsibilities:
- Serve as a lead for Silviculture/Forest Health activities such as prescribed fire, pre-commercial thinning, shaded fuel breaks, and prunining projects.
- Silviculture/Forest Health project design that ensures an economic and operational viability.
- Prescribed fire planning, design, writing burn plans, and implementation.
- Utilize computer programs such as Behave Plus, ArcGIS, Avenza, and Microsoft software.
- Prescribed fire design that meets DNR policies and procedures while creating fire resilient stands that provide ecological benefits and improve forest health.
- Communication and consultation with the public, specialists, external and internal stakeholders, and the Forest Resiliency Division.
- Silviculture layout, surveying, writing prescriptions, writing contracts, compliance, and closeout.
- Timber Sale layout including stream type determination, identification of potentially sensitive areas, boundary location and marking, reserve and legacy tree identification and marking, identifying appropriate harvest systems and locating roads to access landing locations.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- A Bachelor’s Degree in Forestry, Fire Ecology or Natural Resource related field of study.
OR an AA degree and two years of relatable experience.
OR a combination of education and relatable experience equivalent to 4 years. - Experience with prescribe fire, forest management and Silviculture.
- Experience complying with forest practices requirements for wetland and stream delineation.
- Experience using GPS equipment and ESRI GIS program to map unit boundaries and road layouts.
- Experience using Microsoft Word and Excel or similar software.
- Red Card Qualification of Firefighter 1 and Incident Commander Type 5 or higher.
- Experience managing contracts.
- Shown ability to work independently or as part of a team on assigned tasks, and adapt to changing needs.
- DNR Core Competencies:
- Personal Accountability
- Value Others
- Compassionate Communication
- Inspire Others
- Commitment to Excellence
Working Conditions:
- The large majority (80%) of work is performed alone or with a small team in isolated unimproved natural areas. 20% of work is performed in an office setting. Incumbent must be able to traverse uneven terrain in all weather conditions.
- Requires a large amount of time in the field traveling alone between timber sales, contract administration sites, fires, and work centers. Occasional travel throughout the region for meetings, temporary assignments, and training sessions
- A valid driver’s license and have two years of driving experience. This position requires driving as an essential function. Finalists and/or interview candidates will be asked to provide a driving record from all states in which they have held a license during the past three years.
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Employees of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are required to complete their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines (be fully vaccinated against COVID-19) or be approved for a medical or religious exemption and accommodation as a condition of employment. Please note, any offer of employment is contingent upon you providing verification of your vaccine status or having an approved medical or religious exemption and accommodation. No start date will be approved until you have either verified your vaccine status or have an approved exemption and accommodation. “Fully vaccinated” means the following: An employee is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 two weeks after they have received the second dose in a two-dose series of a COVID-19 vaccine (e.g., Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax) or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine (e.g., Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen) authorized for emergency use, licensed, or otherwise approved by the FDA or listed for emergency use, or otherwise approved by the World Health Organization.
Desired Qualifications:
- Contract Development and Administration for Timber Sales, Road Construction, Reforestation, Thinning or other Silviculture Practices.
- Previous wildland firefighting experience, prescribed fire implementation, burn plan development and hazardous fuels treatment prescription implementation.
- Knowledge of employment rules and regulations as they apply to permanent, seasonal career and seasonal DNR employees.
- Proven ability in computer applications such as Arc GIS, Microsoft Word and Excel.
Application Requirements:
- To be considered you must apply online at www.careers.wa.gov (Click on the APPLY button). You must complete the entire online application to be considered for the position.
- Attach a letter of interest describing how your experience and qualifications relate to the position profile and the position required, desired and special requirements.
- Attach a resume describing your experience and qualifications.
- Provide three to five professional references – you may attach a document, use the References text field in the online application, or include with resume.
- Important: Do not attach any documents that include photos or private information (social security number, year of birth, etc.).
- Complete all supplemental questions.
Supplemental Information
About the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
At DNR we approach our work through the lens of making Washington a better place environmentally and are dedicated to serving Washington’s lands and communities through diversity, equity and inclusion. With nearly 1,500 employees in locations throughout Washington, we manage and protect more than 5 million acres of state-owned forest, range, commercial, agricultural and aquatic lands.
Our Vision – Our actions ensure a future where Washington’s lands, waters, and communities thrive.
Our Mission – Manage, sustain, and protect the health and productivity of Washington’s lands and waters to meet the needs of present and future generations.
Our Core Values:
- Safety and Well-Being —Our top priority is the safety of the public and our employees.
- Public Service —We value and respect the public we serve, and we value and respect the people of the Department of Natural Resources who step up to serve.
- Innovation and Creative Problem-Solving — We solve our state’s most pressing challenges through innovative thinking, dedication, and bold and creative vision.
- Leadership and Teamwork —We are committed to building leaders at all levels and building teams for success.
DNR provides excellent benefits, a few of those include:
- Commitment to organizational health and wellness
- Work/life balance
- DNR Employee Resource Groups (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, Women’s Employee Resource Group, Veterans Employee Resource Group, etc.)
- Statewide Employee Business Resource Groups, visit here to learn more
- Leadership that empowers and supports employees
- Professional development opportunities
- Educational and career development aid
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness Eligibility
- Opportunities to participate in wildland fire suppression assignments
- A comprehensive benefit package that includes employer contributions toward health insurance, paid holidays, retirement plans, sick leave and vacation days. Visit http://careers.wa.gov/benefits.html for more information.
Additional Information:
This recruitment may be extended and may also be used to fill future similar vacancies for up to sixty (60) days.
Veterans wishing to claim Veteran’s preference please attach a copy of your DD-214, NGB-22 or other verification of military service. Please black out your social security number prior to attaching. We thank you and are grateful for your service!
The Department of Natural Resources is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, veterans, military spouses or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.
Persons needing accommodation during the screening process or this announcement in an alternative format may contact DNR Recruiting staff at (360) 522-2500 or (360) 522-0143 or by email at DNRrecruiting@dnr.wa.gov. Those with a hearing impairment in need of accommodation are encouraged to contact the Washington State Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) at 1-800-833-6388 or www.washingtonrelay.com.
Questions? Please contact Joseph Hoagland at joseph.hoagland@dnr.wa.gov or e-mail us at DNRrecruiting@dnr.wa.gov
Once you submit your online application, you can check your status by logging into your account. If you experience technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application call NEOGOV toll-free at (855)524-5627 or email CareersHelp@des.wa.gov.
