Performs technical forestry assignments in a geographic area within a district. Typically leads natural resource workers, forest laborers and seasonal crews.

Locates timber sale boundaries, cruises timber on sale areas, locates access roads, appraises timber sales, and conducts timber sale contract compliance inspections; marks timber sale boundaries, surveys previously located access roads, collects, compiles and computes data for timber sales appraisals, and observes and reports timber sale progress and takes corrective action on timber sales contract compliance violations requiring immediate action; 

Accomplishes fourth and fifth order surveys to locate section corners, property lines, roads and recreational facilities; accomplishes fifth order survey of section lines, road locations and recreation facilities after control points have been established; draws plans, profiles, right of way plats and maps; gathers data and searches records for information; calculates traverses, cuts and fills and other routine engineering tasks;

Observes forest land activities, reports observations and takes immediate enforcement action when violations require immediate correction involving forest practices;

Conducts compliance inspection on permits which have little potential for significant impact of error due to public reaction, public value protection, complex operations or substantial bonding requirements involving the Surface Mine Reclamation Act;

Establishes and re-measures permanent forest inventory and in grid point plots;

Controls group events; supervises unskilled crews and directs skilled crafts in recreation construction and maintenance projects; conducts public relations work with small recreation user groups and enforces recreation laws;

Conducts reproduction surveys; lays out, recommends contract requirements and appraises costs in planting, pre‑commercial thinning, grass seeding and plantation maintenance projects; accomplishes such projects by supervising unskilled crews or conducting contract compliance inspections;

Trains owners of small private woodlots in technical activities as directed;

Gathers forest inventory data such as tree diameter, species identification and tree density using a variety of forest measurement equipment;

Records data in a field journal and electronically using a handheld computer and Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment;

Uploads data into a forest inventory system;

Implements field sampling protocols and ensures the accuracy and integrity of data;

Operates equipment and writes reports incidental to performance of other tasks;

Participates in local unit planning activities and program evaluation; 

Performs other duties as required.

Knowledge of: basic forestry technological principals, practices, and application techniques, including dendrology, silviculture, measurement, protection, surveying, harvesting, utilization, mapping, aerial photo interpretation, road systems and supervision.

Ability to: use forestry instruments such as: compass, abney level, diameter tape, etc., quickly learn foremanship skills, communicate effectively, deal tactfully with and inspire public confidence while enforcing rules and regulations, understand and apply laws and regulations, and work in inclement weather.

There may be instances where individual positions must have additional licenses or certification. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the appropriate licenses/certifications are obtained for each position.

Satisfactory completion of a two‑year Forest Technology Vocational Program.
Note: A Bachelor of Science degree in forestry or forest engineering will qualify under these minimum qualifications.

Equivalent education/experience.

New class:  2-8-71.
Revised definition, minimum qualifications, adds distinguishing characteristics and general revision:  8‑15‑75.
Revised minimum qualifications:  5-12-78.
Revised definition, deletes distinguishing characteristics, general revision and title change (formerly Forest Technician 1):  5-10-96 (Effective 7-1-96).
Revised new class code: (formerly 95160) effective July 1, 2007.
Revised typical work; adopted 6/13/2019, effective 7/1/2019.