Position Opening: Forester 

Review of applications begins July 9, 2024 

Background: 

Based in Seattle, Northwest Natural Resource Group’s mission is to strengthen the ecological and economic vitality of Northwest forests and communities by connecting people with the knowledge, skills, and markets they need to steward their land. We focus on forests owned and managed by private landowners, smaller forest product companies, governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and Indian tribes. 

NNRG advances the state of knowledge about ecological forestry, spreads the word about its benefits and feasibility, and helps landowners put it into practice on their own forests. We provide access to Forest Stewardship Council® certification, forest management assistance, landowner incentives, marketing, and educational workshops. Our FSC® certificate includes more than 80 certified forests across 195,000 acres in Washington and Oregon, making it the largest certificate in the Pacific Northwest. 

Summary of Position: 

The Forester develops and writes forest management plans for NNRG’s clients, a process that involves site visits with landowners to ascertain their objectives for the forest and identify and prioritize management opportunities. Through the management planning process, the Forester develops recommendations and timelines for commercial timber harvesting, as well as stewardship activities such as seedling release, invasive species control, wildlife habitat enhancement, road maintenance, cultivation and harvesting of non-timber forest products, and forest restoration activities. 

In addition, the Forester takes part in NNRG’s timber harvest program, including inventory, marking, layout, preparing Forest Practices Applications (FPAs), and logging compliance monitoring. In many instances the Forester may be the first point of contact with a new client, and as such must serve as a representative of NNRG - describing the services and benefits of the organization while inviting landowners to become members of NNRG’s forestry program and securing business opportunities with them. They may lead a crew of 1 to 2 forest technicians in the field for data collection and tree marking. 

The position includes both field and office work. Field work includes site visits with or without accompanying landowners; rapid assessment of stand conditions; timber cruising; timber marking for harvest; monitoring forest conditions; and logging compliance monitoring. Field work will at times require the Forester to traverse steep and brushy terrain. Office work includes writing management plans, preparing FPAs, creating GIS maps for plans and permits, and landowner contact by phone and email. Landowner communication and client relations are central to the position. 

If you are passionate about the role that forest management can play in restoring forest ecosystems and rural economies in the Pacific Northwest, this is a unique opportunity to contribute to thoughtful forest stewardship in the region.

To perform this job well, you are: 

• A talented communicator, able to listen carefully and respectfully to a wide variety of landowner goals and values and to translate those goals into innovative forest management opportunities; 
• Skilled at cultivating client relationships, along the entire path from initial contact through contract, implementation, and client satisfaction; 
• A clear and cogent writer; 
• Familiar with the full range of forest stewardship activities that can restore forest structure and diversity, while also generating income; 
• Familiar with the application of the Washington Forest Practices Act to forest management decisions, planning, and permitting; 
• Competent with Microsoft Office suite and comparable Google Workspace applications; • Experienced at creating maps using ESRI (ArcGIS) software; 
• Experienced at forest mensuration and inventory techniques; and you have • At least two years of experience managing logging operations, including compliance monitoring and landowner coordination. 

In addition, the ideal candidate will: 

• Have experience writing ecologically-based forest management plans; • Be sufficiently familiar with regional log markets and logging practices to discern the feasibility of timber harvest operations on a given forest stand; 
• Have a bachelor’s degree in forestry or a related field plus four years’ experience; a master’s degree in forestry or a related field plus two years’ experience; or an equivalent combination of experience and formal education. 

Hours, Pay, and Location 

This is an hourly full-time position (40 hours/week), paying between $31 and $37 per hour depending on experience and skills. Compensation also includes competitive vacation, retirement, and health-insurance benefits. Some work may occur in the evenings or on weekends, and may require occasional overnight stays to minimize travel time. 

You will be expected to provide your own vehicle. NNRG reimburses for mileage and travel time from your home (if located within the Seattle/Tacoma/Olympia region) to job sites, which are primarily located within a 90-minute driving radius of Tacoma or Olympia, or within a 2-hour drive of Seattle. Most work can be performed in the field or from home, though NNRG’s Seattle office is available for the forester’s use as well. This position reports to Director of Forestry Kirk Hanson, who is based in Olympia. 

To Apply 

Please email a cover letter and resume as a single pdf document to jobs@nnrg.org. Include your last name at the beginning of the file name of the pdf. 

For questions about the position, please contact Seth Zuckerman, Executive Director, at seth@nnrg.org. Review of applications will begin on July 9, 2024.