Forester

Manage public and private forested lands for economic, recreational, and conservation purposes. May inventory the type, amount, and location of standing timber, appraise the timber's worth, negotiate the purchase, and draw up contracts for procurement. May determine how to conserve wildlife habitats, creek beds, water quality, and soil stability, and how best to comply with environmental regulations. May devise plans for planting and growing new trees, monitor trees for healthy growth, and determine optimal harvesting schedules.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: Area Forester; District Forester; Environmental Protection Forester; Fire Prevention Forester; Forest Silviculturist; Procurement Forester; Resource Forester; Service Forester; Silviculturist; Urban Forester

Tasks

• Establish short- and long-term plans for management of forest lands and forest resources.
• Plan cutting programs and manage timber sales from harvested areas, assisting companies to achieve production goals.
• Determine methods of cutting and removing timber with minimum waste and environmental damage.
• Negotiate terms and conditions of agreements and contracts for forest harvesting, forest management and leasing of forest lands.
• Perform inspections of forests or forest nurseries.
• Monitor contract compliance and results of forestry activities to assure adherence to government regulations.
• Supervise activities of other forestry workers.
• Provide advice and recommendations, as a consultant on forestry issues, to private woodlot owners, firefighters, government agencies or to companies.
• Develop techniques for measuring and identifying trees.
• Map forest area soils and vegetation to estimate the amount of standing timber and future value and growth.
• Plan and supervise forestry projects, such as determining the type, number and placement of trees to be planted, managing tree nurseries, thinning forest and monitoring growth of new seedlings.
• Plan and direct forest surveys and related studies and prepare reports and recommendations.
• Choose and prepare sites for new trees, using controlled burning, bulldozers, or herbicides to clear weeds, brush, and logging debris.
• Plan and implement projects for conservation of wildlife habitats and soil and water quality.
• Monitor forest-cleared lands to ensure that they are reclaimed to their most suitable end use.

Knowledge

• Biology
• Mathematics
• English Language
• Geography
• Administration and Management
• Customer and Personal Service
• Administrative
• Law and Government
• Economics and Accounting
• Computers and Electronics

Skills

• Reading Comprehension
• Speaking
• Critical Thinking
• Monitoring
• Active Listening
• Writing
• Active Learning
• Mathematics
• Science
• Learning Strategies

Abilities

• Oral Expression
• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Category Flexibility
• Oral Comprehension
• Written Comprehension
• Written Expression
• Problem Sensitivity
• Information Ordering
• Speech Recognition
• Speech Clarity
• Near Vision
• Flexibility of Closure
• Far Vision
• Fluency of Ideas
• Mathematical Reasoning
• Number Facility
• Perceptual Speed
• Selective Attention
• Trunk Strength