STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Environmental Protection Forester 2 (35 Hour)

Outreach

Recruitment #230719-7616EE-001

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Introduction


Are you looking to grow your environmental career?


At the State of Connecticut, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), we are dedicated to conserving, improving and protecting our natural resources and the environment- and increasing the availability of cheaper, cleaner and more reliable energy.  The mission of the Bureau of Natural Resources is to conserve and enhance Connecticut’s fish, wildlife and forest resources and to enhance opportunities for public use and appreciation. The Bureau of Natural Resources is made up of three Divisions (Fisheries, Forestry and Wildlife) and a central office.

DEEP's Forestry Division encourages the long-term practice of responsible and sustainable forest management. We accomplish this by:
  • Protecting Connecticut's forest resources from the effects of fire, insects, disease, and misuse;
  • Providing accurate and timely information about Connecticut's forest resources;
  • Certifying forest practitioners;
  • Managing the State Forests, in which exist many large blocks of unfragmented forest land;
  • Engaging municipalities and citizens in the work of urban forestry; and
  • Providing guidance and technical support to private forestland owners.
The Forestry Division has several units of focus, each specializing in achieving these goals as relevant to their programs. These units include State Lands Management, Private & Municipal Lands, Forest Protection, Forest Planning, Forest Practices Act, and Utilization & Marketing. The Forestry Division’s Private and Municipal Lands Unit, which houses the State’s Urban & Community Forestry Program and Stewardship (i.e., Service Forestry) Program, is currently seeking to hire an Environmental Protection Forester 2. This new Outreach Forester position is tasked primarily with supporting the Urban & Community Forestry and Service Forestry Programs’ outreach needs, however, will also provide outreach support to all other Division units as needed. 

In this role as an Outreach Forester, you will work cooperatively to provide education, social media products, and outreach materials that inform Connecticut residents and urban, suburban, and rural tree and forest stakeholders. You will work closely with DEEP’s Communications team, Forestry Division staff, and program partners statewide to ensure residents and said stakeholders have the most accurate information and guidance needed to promote forest health, resilience, and stewardship across the urban to rural landscape gradient.          

This position is based out of Hartford, CT and supports outreach efforts statewide.

Hiring Supervising/Contact Information: 
Andrea Urbano, EP District Supervisor, Private & Municipal Lands Unit: andrea.urbano@ct.gov.

State of Connecticut employees participate in a competitive benefits plan that includes: 
  • NEW: A Platinum Healthcare Plan, the nation’s best for state employees and dependents, according to a report by Georgetown’s Center on Health Insurance Reform and article by Ellen Andrews, Ph.D., along with comprehensive benefit offerings.
  • Sick and personal leave.
  • We encourage a healthy work/life balance to all employees.
Discover the opportunity to: 
  • To work for a Forbes top company: ‘Forbes’ State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible Schedule.
  • Engage in a rewarding career.
  • Assist our employees so they can achieve success.
  • Make a difference in the public sector.
  • Work together in a collaborative team environment.  
To learn more about working for the State of Connecticut, please watch this video below:

Selection Plan

  • Incumbents in this class must be willing to accept assignment or transfer to any area of the State.
  • Incumbents in this class may be required by the appointing authority to possess and retain appropriate current licenses, permits and/or certification including a standard first aid certificate. Incumbents may be required to perform emergency first aid as needed.
  • Incumbents in this class must obtain a Commercial Supervisory Certificate for the application of pesticides issued by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection within one (1) year of appointment.
  • Incumbents in this class will be required by the appointing authority to possess and retain certification as a Forester in accordance with Section 23-65h of the Connecticut General Statutes.
  • Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.
  • Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator’s license.
  • Incumbents in this class must have and maintain adequate physical strength, stamina, physical agility, and visual and auditory acuity, and must maintain such physical fitness as to be able to perform the duties.
  • A physical examination may be required.                                             
  • This position is non-examined. Open to the public.
  • Eligibility Requirement - SPECIAL Notice: Incumbents in this class will be required to possess and retain certification as a Forester in accordance with Section 23-65h of the Connecticut General Statutes unless already certified by another reciprocating state. Applicants not currently certified as a If not already a licensed practitioner, the Outreach Forester must take the certification exam on March 6, 2024. Exam pre-registration is required by February 6, 2024.
To Apply
  • In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on this job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.
  • The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
  • Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system.
  • All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
Important Information After You Apply
  • This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the questionnaire's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
  • Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
  • Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
  • The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Nick Naples at Nicholas.Naples@ct.gov.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Division of Forestry this class is accountable for acting as a working lead and/or for performing the most complex tasks in forest resource management and protection activities.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

When used as a working lead as assigned by their supervisor, the Outreach Forester may distribute, prioritize, oversee, and review office unit work; may provide staff training and assistance; may conduct or assist in conducting performance evaluations; may act as liaison with operating units, agencies, consultant staffs and other outside officials regarding unit office policies and standards; performs related duties as required.                                            

This specific position:

  • Works independently and collaboratively to develop digital and printed publications, webinars, and in-person instruction on a variety of urban, suburban, and rural tree and forest management technical subjects, including but not limited to carbon sequestration and storage, urban tree environmental justice and community health benefits, forest and tree pest and disease, and the benefits of management interventions to improve resiliency in the face of climate change. 
  • Coordinates education, outreach, and communication strategies with the Division’s Private & Municipal Lands Unit and other Division Units as guided and necessary. 
  • Develops and conducts adult education workshops, hybrid/online program content, and instruction for interested groups regarding various aspects of urban, suburban, and rural tree and forest management, current-use woodland taxation, forest insects and disease, and other natural resource issues.  
  • Develops and coordinates the printing of informative flyers, brochures, and other outreach materials.
  • Utilizes social media, list-servs, web pages, and other outreach avenues to promote programs, educate, and engage the public. 
  • Establishes and maintains healthy working relationships with DEEP Communications team and other DEEP staff.
  • Actively seeks additional grant funding opportunities to support Outreach Forester endeavors, Connecticut’s Forest Action Plan, and special Division mission-driven initiatives. Prepares grant narrative applications and required reporting accordingly.
  • Acts as a Department representative at technical and professional meetings.
  • Performs miscellaneous administrative duties: attends staff meetings and program partner meetings; develops and processes program surveys, manages databases, uses geographical information systems; responds (written & orally) to correspondence and inquiries; tracks project status and coordinates to ensure timely completion, provides recommendations to supervisor & staff to improve efficiency; reviews plans & documents prepared by others.
  • May lead and assist in fire prevention and control activities including the training and direction of fire wardens and crews; may be required to assist other states or federal agencies on emergency assignments; performs related duties as required.
  • Applicants must have and maintain the agility, endurance and physical ability to perform the required work. A physical examination may be required prior to and/or during employment in this class. Incumbents in this class may be exposed to some risk of injury or personal harm from on-site field conditions and a moderate degree of discomfort from year-round weather conditions.
  • Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of silviculture and forest resource management, silvics, forest mensuration, aerial photogrammetry, forest products marketing and utilization, forest surveys and type-mapping, forest recreation, forest diseases and insects; knowledge of laws and regulations pertaining to forest lands, arboriculture, and related resources; knowledge of forest land tax classification laws; interpersonal skills; oral and written communication skills; ability to develop short and long range forest management plans and programs; considerable ability to keep records and make reports; ability to review and evaluate forest management plans; ability to coordinate and oversee forest fire prevention and control; ability to utilize computer software; some lead ability.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Seven (7) years of experience performing technical analysis in forest management.

Forest management is defined as professional level forestry work requiring a knowledge of such scientific fields as dendrology, silvics and silviculture, engineering, forest economics, forest influences, and forest pathology and entomology and the application of their principles to the production of goods and services.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

1. College training in forestry, forest management as defined or arboriculture may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years.
2. A Master's degree in forestry or forest management as defined may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Bilingual in English and Spanish, including reading, writing, and speaking. 
  • Experience liaising with internal and external program partners while managing time and deadlines independently.
  • Experience disseminating technical and scientific information to lay audiences using presentations, webinars, and outreach materials. 
  • Experience public speaking to and facilitating discussions with stakeholders including at least two of the following: rural woodland owners, municipal woodland owners/land managers, non-profit organizations, tree commissions and advocacy groups, elected officials, or the public.  
  • Experience in urban and rural forest management and in urban and rural forest assessment or inventory.    
  • Experience utilizing publisher software.
  • Experience managing website content and using social media platforms to meet professional programmatic goals.   
  • Completed technical trainings, continued education credits, or higher education course credits in climate science, forest carbon cycle or carbon forestry, and forest health and resilience. 
  • Experience working in underserved and environmental justice communities. 

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Incumbents in this class must be willing to accept assignment or transfer to any area of the State.
2. Incumbents in this class may be required by the appointing authority to possess and retain appropriate current licenses, permits and/or certification including a standard first aid certificate. Incumbents may be required to perform emergency first aid as needed.
3. Incumbents in this class must obtain a Commercial Supervisory Certificate for the application of pesticides issued by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection within one (1) year of appointment.
4. Incumbents in this class will be required by the appointing authority to possess and retain certification as a Forester in accordance with Section 23-65h of the Connecticut General Statutes.
5. Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.
6. Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator’s license.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Incumbents in this class must have and maintain adequate physical strength, stamina, physical agility, and visual and auditory acuity, and must maintain such physical fitness as to be able to perform the duties.
2. A physical examination may be required .

WORKING CONDITIONS

Incumbents in this class may be exposed to some risk of personal injury or physical harm from on site, field conditions and to some degree of discomfort from year-round weather conditions.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.





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