FORESTER **REPOST**

13

Chesapeake Forest and Pocomoke State Forest

This position serves as a GIS Forester at Chesapeake Forest and Pocomoke State Forest and provides technical and professional support in the areas of forest management, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), recreation management, and forest protection.. This is a critical and highly skilled position responsible for managing a complex integrated geospatial (GIS) database management system utilized in the development of annual forest work plans to direct on-going sustainable forest management activities on two State Forests. This position is also responsible for running highly sophisticated modeling software to verify sustainable harvesting levels consistent with third-part forestry certification standards. Position is also responsible for implementing daily field operations of the Chesapeake Forest and Pocomoke State Forest, including timber sale preparation for revenue generation, inventory work for the development of the annual work plan/long-range management plan, maintaining updated boundary shape files, managing recreational uses, and boundary reconciliation and maintenance, and geo-referencing boundary lines to new GIS reference points. Position is essential for achieving requirements of Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) third-party sustainable forestry certification. Position requires highly specialized knowledge of GIS software (ArcGIS 10.x/ArcGIS Pro), forest modeling software (Remsoft), operation of GPS and field data recorders, and ability to integrate this information into the Chesapeake Forest data management system. Requirements include querying the database to develop alternative management strategies and the production of specialized forest management maps used in the Public Review process. In addition, this position is responsible for managing and updating the Hunt Club lease portion of the database, along with tracking lease payments from about 250 Clubs.

The Department of Natural Resources, Forest Service, is currently accepting applications for a Forester at Chesapeake Forest and Pocomoke State Forest in Snow Hill. This position serves as an assistant forester and provides technical and professional support in the areas of forest management, Geographical Information Systems(GIS), recreation management, and forest protection. Position assists with the field operations of Chesapeake Forest and Pocomoke State Forest, including timber sale preparation, forest inventory work for the development of the Annual Work Plan and the Sustainable Forest Management Plan, maintaining updated boundary shape files and geo-referencing boundary lines to new GIS reference points, managing and implementing recreational trail grants, managing recreational uses, and boundary reconciliation and maintenance. Position assists with achieving requirements of Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) third-party sustainable forest certification. Position requires working knowledge of current GIS applications and the ability to integrate and manage system data for necessary operational support.

Education: A Bachelor of Science degree in forestry from a school of forestry accredited by the Society of American Foresters.

Experience: None.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Master of Science degree approved by the State Board of Foresters for the required Bachelor’s degree.

2. The education requirement is pursuant to Business Occupations and Professions Article, Sections 7-206 and 7-304 of the Annotated Code of Maryland.

3. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in the natural resources management and biological sciences classifications or natural resources management and biological sciences specialty codes in the forestry field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required education. 

• Training and/or experience in forest data collection and analysis.
• Training and/or experience in GIS use.

Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

1. Candidates appointed to positions in this classification will be subject to assignment in any county of the State. Upon permanent appointment, the employee will be required to reside in the county or region to which they are assigned.

2. Employees in this classification are subject to call-in and, therefore, are required to submit a telephone number where they can be reached in case of forest fire emergencies.

Please make sure you provide sufficient information on your application to show that you meet the qualifications for this recruitment. All information concerning your qualifications must be submitted by the closing date. We will not consider information submitted after this date. Successful candidates may be ranked as Best Qualified, Better Qualified, or Qualified and placed on the employment (eligible) list for at least one year.

STATE OF MARYLAND BENEFITS

The online application is strongly preferred. If you are unable to apply online, you may submit a paper application and supplemental questionnaire to: Department of Natural Resources, Human Resources, 580 Taylor Avenue, C-3, Annapolis, MD 21401. The Human Resources unit is not responsible for applications sent to any other address.