Job Details

Forester

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) is seeking a full-time Forester I in the Forestry Division. This position is in state government and will cover multiple counties across Oklahoma. The State of Oklahoma offers a comprehensive benefits package, including a generous benefit allowance to offset the cost of insurance premiums for employees and their eligible dependents.

The annual salary for this position is up to $48,290.00 based on education and experience.

Positions in this job family are professional foresters assigned responsibilities to develop, implement, or administer forestry conservation and management programs, wildland fire management, and projects in an assigned district, region, or statewide.

Typical functions include:

• Collecting forest health, volume, and extent data across private and public land in all 77 counties in Oklahoma. Locate historic research sites, coordinate access with landowners, edit and transmit data to the US Forest Service.
• Conducting timber inventory surveys; computing and analyzing data collected and summarizing results; assisting operators and timber buyers in the location of salable timber.
• Facilitating and participating in meetings, conferences, and seminars on forest fire prevention and control, or forest management and conservation; developing and conducting training classes for employees, schools, civic groups, clubs, and concerned citizens.

This is the basic level of this job family where employees are assigned responsibilities involving beginning level professional work primarily related to providing farmers, landowners, communities, and others with technical advice and service concerning their forestry programs and natural resource needs. In this role they will be responsible for assisting in the development and implementation of forestry conservation projects in an assigned area or district. This will include analyzing forest resource conditions, developing recommendations and writing forest management plans, contacting landowners and providing advice on forestry management techniques, providing educational assistance to schools, civic groups and others, and assisting groups and local governments with community forestry projects.

Requirements at this level consist of a bachelor's degree in forestry or a related natural resources degree.

Knowledge, skills and abilities required at this level include knowledge of dendrology; of mensuration; of forest management; of silviculture; of modern forestry methods and techniques; of soil conservation techniques and principles; of forest economics; of timber management, inventory, cutting and regeneration methods; of forest products, marketing and urban forestry; and of tree physiology. Ability is required to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others; to express ideas clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; to speak effectively before groups; and to follow written and oral instructions.

This position requires extensive travel for 4 days a week (up to 90% of the year) and field work in all weather conditions while carrying heavy equipment (up to 50 lbs.). The position will require extensive hiking through difficult terrain and in some instances, incumbents may wade through water where other access is not available.

Selected applicants must possess a valid Oklahoma Driver License (or possess a valid Driver License and obtain an Oklahoma Driver License within 6 months of employment). Once obtained, the Oklahoma driver's license must be maintained by the employee throughout employment.

Incumbent must obtain FIA certification within 5-7 months through US Forest Service (paid).

This position is subject to a twelve-month probationary period.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry has determined that some positions in this job family are safety sensitive as defined by 63 O.S. 427.8.

Reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities may be provided upon request.

Equal opportunity employment: The State of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of genetic information, race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, or disability.