State Lands Forester 

Natural Resource Specialist 2/Natural Resource Specialist 1 (NRS2 In-Training)

Northeast Region – Colville or Deer Park

Recruitment # 2020-12-6951, 7180

These are full-time, permanent, represented positions.

Want to join something GREAT and make a difference?

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, enjoy working with a professional staff, and have good practical forestry skills with a proven ability for working as part of a team, then this is the job for you. The Northeast Region of the Washington Department of Natural Resources is looking to add two new employees to our team. These Natural Resources Specialist 2 positions will be located out of our Colville and Deer Park locations. These positions perform professional level forest management under the direction of the Silviculture Unit Forester. These positions work independently and has regular interaction with Foresters, Forest Engineers, other Natural Resource Professionals as well as other agency representatives, business partners and the general public. Responsibilities will include a combination of silviculture duties including: contract administration for herbicide applications, tree planting, pre commercial thinning, fuels reduction projects and forest surveys. These positions are also responsible for timber sale planning, timber sales layout, and timber sale compliance. Occasional fire suppression duties may be available on a voluntary basis.

Responsibilities:

• Timber sale design, 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.
• Preparing documents, including SEPA, FPA and other permits, GIS maps, pre-cruise narratives, and contract documents
• Contract administration on regeneration harvests, thinning’s, salvage sales, pre-commercial thinning’s, plantings, and herbicide treatments.
• Forest survey inventories which includes: survival assessments, stocking, verify target, pre-commercial thinning and forest health.

Who are we looking for:

Natural Resource Specialist 1 (NRS2- In-Training) candidate has:

• Knowledge and experience with eastside forest management objectives, timber management objectives and Silviculture practices.
• Experience working within the practices requirements for wetland and stream delineation for eastern Washington.
• Able to use GPS equipment and ESRI GIS program to map unit boundaries and road layouts.
• Knowledge of Logging and forest road layout.
• Experience working independently or as part of a team on assigned tasks, and adapt to changing needs.
• Personal Computer use including Word and Excel.
• Combination of four-years of education and experience.
• This position is required to maintain a commercial pesticide applicators license as a condition of employment. The incumbent should have, or be able to obtain, a commercial pesticide applicators license within one year of employment.
• Ability to work on uneven terrain in all weather conditions.
• The incumbent in this position is required to travel.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and have two years of driving experience. This position requires driving as an essential function.  Employees who drive for state business, whether in a state or privately-owned vehicle, are required to possess a valid license as defined in policy PO02-006 and abide by all other driver responsibility requirements. 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.

This level of knowledge and skill is typically achieved with: A Bachelor’s degree in Forestry or a closely related Natural Resource field and two years of professional experience; or a two year Associate Degree in Forestry or a closely related Natural Resource field and four years of professional experience.

Natural Resource Specialist 2 candidate will meet the NRS1 required qualifications in addition to the qualifications below:

• Knowledge of contracting procedures.
• Experience with Contract Development and Administration for Timber Sales, Road Construction, Reforestation, Thinning or other Silviculture Practices.

Desirable Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Forestry.
• Experience with 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.
• Employee supervision experience.
• Experience using computer applications such as Arc GIS and Microsoft PowerPoint.

This may be filled as an in-training. The training plan is up to 24 months. If you complete all elements of the training steps in a shorter amount of time, we may waive the remainder of the time required. This period may be extended with the approval of the Region Manager to a maximum of 36 months. Candidates will be considered as Natural Resource Specialist 1 (salary range: $3,446-$4,627 per month) or Natural Resource Specialist 2 (salary range: $3,887-$5,229 per month), depending on qualifications.

The Location
One of the world’s most scenic places, Washington State offers breathtaking discoveries for people who love natural beauty and outdoor recreation, from the Pacific Coast shores to the rugged Cascade Mountains to the rolling hills of the Palouse. Your office will be located in Colville or Deer Park.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, telework (mobile-work) may be expected. The incumbent must have internet access and connectivity. When approved to return, the incumbent is expected to report to the duty station for work activities.

Why work for DNR?

At DNR, we value public service, innovation and creative problem solving, safety and well-being, and leadership and teamwork. At DNR you’ll support the vision of a sustainable future by using your skills to protect and manage the state’s natural resources for both current and future generations. As a DNR employee, you’ll work with the public’s interest in mind as we manage more than 5 million acres of state-owned forest, range, commercial, agricultural and aquatic lands. But managing lands is only half of our story. We house the Washington Geological Survey, a dynamic program that is the primary source of geological products and services in support of decision making in Washington. We also protect other public resources such as fish, wildlife, water, and provide public access to outdoor recreation. Two of our largest and most important state-wide resource protection responsibilities are fire prevention and suppression, and overseeing forest practices.

We are nearly 1,500 employees strong and dedicated to making DNR a great place to work. Our mission is to serve Washington’s lands and communities; build strong and healthy rural communities; enhance forest health and wildfire management; strengthen the health and resilience of our lands and waters; and increase public engagement and commitment to our public lands and resources. In partnership with citizens and governments, we provide innovative leadership and expertise to ensure environmental protection, public safety, perpetual funding for schools and communities, and a rich quality of life.  At DNR we approach our work through the lens of making Washington a better place environmentally, economically and socially for current and future generations.

What makes DNR a great place to work?

• Commitment to organizational health and wellness
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council
• Leadership that empowers and supports employees
• Work/life balance
• Leadership development opportunities
• Educational aid and career development stipends
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Eligibility
• Opportunities to participate in wildland fire suppression assignments
• Opportunities to stretch your professional skills
• 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.

Application Process
To be considered you must apply online at www.careers.wa.gov (Click on the APPLY button above). You must complete the entire online application to be considered for the position.
Required Attachments:

• A letter of interest describing how your experience and qualifications relate to the position profile, required and desired position qualifications, and special position requirements.
• Your resume – do not add it into the text of the application, it must be an attachment.
• The names of three to five professional references – you may attach a document, use the References text field in the online application, or include with resume.

Questions?  Please contact Adam McClelland at (509) 680-8517, Adam.Mcclelland@drn.wa.gov or e-mail us at DNRrecruiting@dnr.wa.gov.

This recruitment may be extended depending on the quantity and quality of the application pool. This recruitment may also be used to fill future similar vacancies for sixty (60) days.

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.

Washington State Department of Natural Resources is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind.  We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities in a fair and impartial manner for all persons without regard to age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, creed, color, national origin, religion, pregnancy/parental status, genetic information, military status, political affiliation, criminal history or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability or the use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability.  Persons with a disability who need assistance during the screening process or those needing this announcement in an alternative format may contact DNR Recruiting staff (360) 902-1350 or (360) 902-1139.  DNR may be contacted using the Washington State Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) by dialing 711.