Forester

The incumbent performs a variety of the following activities:
Timber Sale Planning
The forester may serve as work group member for the District/ Field Office's forest planning and timber sale preparation team. He/she performs work with logging systems, sale planning and layout, road layout, interdisciplinary (ID) team/EA work, and long-range forest management plans. He/she would work with team members in the technical aspects of logging systems, forest engineering, forest management planning, and documentation of NEPA compliance. Develops and maintains long range forest management plans that are refined through the ID team process into viable timber sale contracts.
Environmental Assessment Preparation
The forester may serve as a member of ID team that develops and designs projects for the
forest management program. He/she would identify forest management activities on specific tracts which result in the Field Office meeting its ASQ and RMP commitment. The forester would prepare forest management alternatives, evaluations, and recommendations for environmental assessments (EA). He/she would ensure that the alternatives are incorporated in the plans and the final EA.                                                       Logging Systems Specialist
The forester serves as District/Field Office harvesting and logging systems technical specialist. He/she prepares viable and acceptable logging and harvest plans. Identifies and finds solutions to road location, harvesting, logging, site preparation, fire protection, fuels/slash treatment, and environmental protection problems and concerns. The forester will seek solutions to balance competing multiple use resource objectives.
Contract Preparation
The forester prepares a variety of timber sale and silvicultural service contracts.  Contracts must fully implement accepted plans, agency policies, and multiple resource management objectives. Contracts must be legally exacting, clearly specified, and readily enforceable. Designs contract provisions based upon field conditions, knowledge of past practices, and policy and guidelines.
Timber Sale Contract Administration
He/she evaluates timber sale requirements and ongoing operations to insure that resource
management and environmental protection goals are achieved.  He/she inspects operations to ensure contract compliance and interprets contract provisions consistently. Makes on-the-spot decisions and gives instructions to operators to resolve sale issues. The forester prepares all correspondence, documentation, and bills for each sale. He/she distributes contracts among administrators to maintain workflow and high-quality administration.                                                                                                                         Reforestation
The forester plans, coordinates, manages, and evaluates the District /Field Office forest regeneration program. He/she prescribes silvicultural and site preparation treatments based on field exams of stand conditions and other resource values. As COR, inspects all phases of reforestation contracts.  The forester handles all seedling and reforestation project orders. Maintains liaison with other reforestation specialists and landowners to update knowledge and provide technical assistance.  He/she monitors quality control of all reforestation projects through stand establishment.  He/she writes silvicultural prescriptions and contract provisions for vegetation management activities.