Area Forester-Southern Rivers District

Title: Area Forester-Southern Rivers District

State Role Title: Natural Resource Specialist III

Hiring Range: Starting at $41,655.00 DOE with state benefits

Pay Band: 4

Agency: Department of Forestry

Location: Central Office Lunenburg

Agency Website: www.dof.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Virginia Department of Forestry is seeking to hire an Area Forester for our Southern Rivers District in the Central Region. Area Foresters spend most of their time outside providing professional forestry advice and assistance to private landowners. This position reports to the District Forester and implements the agency's forest management program at the local level.

Duties include, but are not limited to:
•Providing professional forest management advice to forest landowners through technical assistance and forest management plan development
•Administering state and federal cost-share programs to support forest management projects
•Assessing and addressing forest health concerns
•Establishing and managing riparian buffers to protect streams, waterbodies, and wetlands
•Educating the general public and organizations of the benefits of trees and forests
•Preventing and suppressing wildland fires, including enforcing Virginia's fire laws
•Inspecting logging jobs for compliance with Virginia's Silvicultural Water Quality Law

Location: This Area Forester will be focused on providing services in Lunenburg County. This position is part of the Southern Rivers District, covering Campbell, Charlotte, Halifax, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Pittsylvania, and Prince Edward Counties, including the Cities of Danville and Lynchburg.
Within 6 months of hire, the chosen candidate must reside in Lunenburg County.
This position is classified as having a home-based duty location, however there is a designated DOF office located in Victoria that can be used as needed. A take home state-owned vehicle, laptop, smartphone, and mobile printer will be provided.

Minimum Qualifications

Demonstrated knowledge of silviculture, forest measurements, wildfire suppression, prescribed burning, watershed protection, and forest health; experience in technical or professional natural resources work; ability to work independently; excellent organizational skills; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with personnel from various state and federal agencies, local planners, cooperators, and the public; public speaking skills and experience; demonstrated excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills; valid driver’s license; ability to negotiate different types of forested terrain on foot; ability to travel around the state and stay overnight on occasion; and experience with and ability to use a PC and Microsoft Office software required.

Additional Considerations

Experience in technical or professional natural resource management work; experience using Geographic Information Sytems, GPS units, and digital mapping tools

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

Must be able to obtain a Virginia Commerical Pesticide Applicator's License within 6 months of employment. Must be able to obtain Commercial Driver’s License within 12 months of employment. As a responder for wildfires, must be willing and able to be on-call during Spring and Fall fire seasons. Must pass moderate physical fitness test, per Federal guidelines. The test consists of walking 2 miles in 30 minutes carrying a 25-pound pack. Selected candidate is required to be drug tested and pass a criminal background check.

Contact Information

Name: Kristina Clore

Phone: 434-529-7244

Email: kristina.clore@dof.virginia.gov

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.