Natural Resources Technician Forestry

MN DNR—Division of Forestry (DOF) seeks to fill a Forestry Technician position located at the Kabetogama Field Station in Tower, MN. This Forestry Technician position exists to implement technical tasks across all Division of Forestry programs so that forest resources are protected, managed, and utilized in accordance with department policy and procedure.

Job Summary:

The Forestry Technician commonly performs the following tasks:

• Evaluate the condition of forest stands and recommend silvicultural prescriptions and harvest methods to meet multiple resource goals.
• Estimate standing volume, appraise timber for sale, and administer state timber permits.
• Engage in wildfire prevention and suppression activities to minimize threats to life, property, and resources.
• Collect forest inventory data using common forestry tools and mobile data recorders.
• Propose planting projects with appropriate tree seedlings and stocking rates.
• Propose and implement tending and timber stand improvement projects.
• Identify tree, shrub, and plant species common to Minnesota.
• Use air photos, maps, GPS, and/or compass to navigate to forest stands and establish management boundaries.
• Operate and maintain various vehicles, equipment, and tools (pickup, trailer, fire engines, bulldozer, snowmobile, ATV, lawn mower, long-handled tools, etc.).
• Provide outreach to the public and external agency colleagues.
• Lead seasonal or intermittent employees and emergency-hire firefighters to meet assigned objectives.
• Review and approve, or deny, burn permit requests.

Please note: During periods of elevated wildfire danger, the Forestry Technician will be assigned to work weekends, evenings, and holidays. Also, to support ongoing incidents, the Forestry Technician will be assigned to travel throughout Minnesota on multiple-day assignments.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

**To facilitate proper crediting, please ensure that your resume clearly describes your experience/education in the areas listed and indicates the beginning and ending month and year for each job held. Any degrees must be earned by June 1st, 2026 to receive credit.**

To be considered for this job, applicants must have either:

One year experience in forestry that demonstrates: 

• Knowledge of forest management, soils, hydrology, and ecology principles sufficient to evaluate stand conditions and recommend silvicultural prescriptions and harvesting regulations.
• Experience using common forestry tools (e.g., GPS, prism, clinometer, diameter tape) to accurately collect and record forest inventory data and appraise and scale timber.
• Plant identification skills sufficient to identify and record tree, shrub, and herbaceous species.
• Knowledge of cartography, navigation, land survey techniques, and the ability to use and interpret aerial photography and GIS software for mapping, species identification, and locating property lines.

OR:

An associate degree or higher in forestry or closely related field including coursework in: 

• Silviculture, forest management, or timber sale design.
• Forest measurements, forest inventory, or timber appraisal.
• Dendrology, plant physiology, or plant and tree identification.
• Cartography, geographic information systems, land survey, or navigation techniques.
• In addition to the above experience or education, applicants must also have:
• Ability to earn and maintain National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) basic wildland firefighter (FFT2) qualification within six months of hire.
• Knowledge of safety hazards prevalent in forestry and wildfire operations sufficient to prevent accidents, mitigate hazards, and instruct others in safe work habits.
• Knowledge of a wide variety of tools and machinery sufficient to safely and effectively operate and service equipment for wildfire suppression, forest development projects, and maintenance work.
• Computer skills sufficient to keep records, write reports, and communicate and collaborate with partners and colleagues using various applications (e.g., Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, SharePoint, Adobe, ArcGIS).
• Communication and interpersonal skills sufficient to understand and carry out oral and written instructions, assist the public, provide direction to seasonal employees and contractors, and function as a productive member of a team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate degree or higher, accredited by the Society of American Foresters OR two or more years of forestry experience as described above.
• Knowledge of Division of Forestry policies and procedures sufficient to implement assigned tasks safely and within legal and ethical guidelines.
• NWCG qualified as Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1), Incident Commander Type 5 (ICT5), Faller Type 3 (FAL3), Track Vehicle Operator (TVOP), Engine Operator (ENOP), Helicopter Crew Member (HECM), or Initial Attack Dispatcher (IADP).
• Experience taking initiative and leading small groups to achieve common goals, objectives, and tasks.