Project Forester

THIS POSTING WILL BE USED FOR ONGOING RECRUITMENT AND MAY CLOSE AT ANY TIME. APPLICANT LISTS MAY BE SCREENED MORE THAN ONCE.

The New Mexico Forestry Division retains lead responsibility for wildland fire management on all non-federal, non-tribal, and non-municipal lands, maintaining fire suppression capacities and emphasizing public and firefighters¿ safety. The Forestry Division promotes healthy, sustainable forests and watersheds in New Mexico for the benefit of current and future generations.

This is a professional forestry position requiring advanced knowledge, skills and abilities to provide assistance to private landowners and tribes, local governments, and state and federal land management partner agencies in the management of forests and watersheds. The position exists to assist landowners and partners to meet their goals and objectives which may include improving forest health and wildlife habitat, generating income, restoring forest and watershed conditions, reducing wildfire risk, utilizing prescribed fire, and sequestering carbon. The position provides technical assistance for climate change adaptation including adjustments for longer fire season, higher temperatures and greater variability in precipitation including prolonged drought and high-intensity storm events. This position acts as an agent to negotiate timber sale contracts, inspect timber harvests for compliance with state regulations, develop projects and procure funding for projects, establish partner collaboration for the implementation and oversight of projects and associated funding sources. Further, the position coordinates the procurement of contractors for forest restoration and treatment services. The position is also responsible for assisting local economies and statewide resources and considering the environmental impact on natural resources as a result of future climate change and mitigation of these impacts. The position consults on fire suppression, fire prevention and prescribed burning through education; considering the effect of forest pathology and entomology on natural resources and implications of climate change impacts. Lastly the position will assist with training of partner organizations in forest management, wood product utilization, and spatial forest and fire management planning.

This position is responsible for programs such as Timber Harvest Program and assists the District Forester with Wild land - Urban Interface (WUI). The duties include writing stewardship plans, drafting and releasing requests for proposal (RFP), issuing timber permits, and reviewing timber harvest applications. As the Project Forester they will be required to enforce state forest practice regulations with uncooperative private landowners, maintaining a safe work environment during fire suppression activities and assist in resolving disputes between forestry thinning contractors and private forest landowners. All of this is done while assuring that the Division stays in compliance with the applicable State Laws and Regulations.
Develop, coordinate and manage forest management projects by overseeing the timber harvest permit program, promoting forest and watershed management best practices, and providing technical assistance to landowners, tribes, local government and state and federal land managers with goals of achieving multiple benefits for the public, keeping these forested lands in a productive and healthy condition for future and present generations, and increasing the environmental benefits for the public and landowners.
Coordinate and manage Forest and Watershed Restoration Projects across the district.
Support the District's Fire Program and New Mexico Prescribed Fire Act activities in the district.

Primary customers are private forest landowners, cooperating natural resource agencies, local governments, tribal nations, and non-federal forest landowners.

Bachelor's degree in Forestry, Range Management, or Ecology and three (3) years of experience in Forestry, Range Management, Forest Management, Natural Resources, Wildlife Science, Fire Science or Ecology. Seven (7) years of active duty service in the Armed Forces will substitute for the required education and experience. Substitutions Apply. See Substitution Table below.

Must maintain and possess a current New Mexico Driver¿s License

This position offers both an office and field environment with extensive travel statewide. Work requires considerable physical exertion such as long periods of standing, walking over rough, uneven or rocky terrain, repeated bending, stooping and reaching. Work involves some exposure to hazardous working conditions/inclement weather. Working irregular or extended hours including evenings, weekends & holidays may be possible. Must be able to fly in small aircraft at low altitude over mountainous terrain for extended periods of time without incapacitating airsickness. Experience in forest entomology and/or forest pathology. Work is preformed both in office and field setting. Employee may be exposed to inclement weather conditions and required to weld in steep rugged terrain. Employee may be exposed to excessive noise from power equipment and fire suppression apparatus. Employee may be required to work with supervised minimum-security inmates. May be required to work evenings, weekends and holidays.

This position is not covered by a collective bargaining agreement.