Job Description

Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's mission is to help ensure that Montana's land and water resources provide benefits for present and future generations.
The DNRC believes employees are their most important asset. The DNRC empowers employees to exercise professional judgment in carrying out their duties. Employees are provided with the training and tools necessary to achieve the mission. Both team effort and individual employee expertise are supported and sustained.
Core Values:
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's Forestry and Trust Land Division recognizes that building a collaborative, professional, and inclusive work environment is critical to fulfilling our mission of managing, protecting, and promoting stewardship of Montana's forests and lands for the benefit of current and future generations and our trust beneficiaries. We hold ourselves to these high standards as we are accountable to the people of Montana.

• We value and respect each other.
• We create collaborative work environments.
• We build and maintain strong relationships.
• We practice accountability.
• We celebrate our successes and take pride in our work.

Job Overview:
This position is a Service Forester. The position is responsible for providing service forestry leadership and consultation to forest communities, loggers, land managers, and landowners located within the Unit to build local capacity to sustain adaptive management of Montana forests. This includes assisting landowners in meeting their management objectives while improving and restoring the health of the land, protecting homes and property, retaining the value of the land and ensuring compliance with state and federal laws. The position also provides wildland fire suppression services and assistance to county and rural fire departments as needed to protect lives, property and natural resources in the unit, and manages unit operations on behalf of the unit manger to ensure continuity of services. The Service Forester reports to the Unit Manager.
Essential Functions (Major Duties or Responsibilities): These job functions are the essential duties of the position and are not all-inclusive of all the duties that may be assigned to the incumbent.
Service Forestry:
Provide service forestry leadership, education, and consultation to forest communities and landowners in the Unit to build local capacity to sustain active management of Montana forests. This includes assisting landowners in meeting their management objectives while improving the health of the land, protecting homes and property, retaining the value of the land and ensuring compliance with state and federal laws.
Plan and develop service forestry services to meet bureau and division objectives and to facilitate the management of public and private forested lands for economic, recreational, and conservation purposes and to meet customer needs.
This includes considering the needs and objectives of landowners, users (e.g., recreational, logging, residential, agricultural, and other users), and community boards and committees; assessing the type, amount, location and worth of timber and other forest resources; determining how to conserve wildlife habitats, creek beds, water quantity and quality and soil stability, promote healthy forests, increase tree growth, and improve tree vitality; monitoring the ownership and use of lands in the unit; evaluating disease and insect issues; planning silvicultural treatments and hazard reductions; and determining how best to comply with environmental regulations.
Manage program and project funding and administration including grant administration activities to achieve unit service forestry objectives in compliance with funding requirements and applicable regulations and to manage natural resources in a sustainable manner. This includes providing information for or preparing grant applications; managing or providing assistance to cooperators in managing projects including urban forestry, fuel reduction, and conservation (e.g., improving soil, water, plant, air, animal and related resources); coordinating with funding agencies such as the
Provide technical assistance with and enforcement of Streamside Management Zone (SMZ) law and voluntary Best Management Practices (BMP) to safeguard land and water and to ensure wise resource use. This includes providing guidance on the planning and implementation of projects and land use (e.g., logging, road building, water access and use, etc.); developing customized resource management plans for landowners to meet recreation, wildlife, forestry, forest health, fire hazard mitigation, and resource conservation objectives; investigating and remediating or reporting violations; and developing and presenting workshops and education on SMZs and BMPs. Evaluate alternative practices to determine if deviations from established SMZ requirements are appropriate and assist in preparing project plans and Montana Environmental Protection Act documents to ensure projects comply with the intent of the law.
Wildland Fire Management:
Provide direct wildland fire suppression services and assistance to county and rural fire departments as needed to protect lives, property and natural resources in the unit.
Serve as Duty Officer on a rotating basis with other Unit personnel to provide direction for unit fire responses including acting for the Unit Manager and being available by radio or telephone on a twenty-four hour basis while on duty. Take command of initial attack and extended attack or escaped fires in wildland urban interface and other areas by interpreting and responding to fire data, resources at risk, and the nature of impending threats. Command and control resources engaged in fire suppression and set resource priorities for direct fire suppression efforts.
Perform fire prevention duties as specified in the Unit's Prevention Plan to reduce fire hazards. This includes inspecting forest operations for compliance with the Forest Fire Rules and Regulations; communicating prevention messages to the general public; and performing various other tasks as needed based upon assessment of existing conditions to achieve the objectives of the plan.
Participate in training of seasonal fire crews as needed to ensure adequate trained staffing to meet unit prevention and suppression needs. This could include developing interview questions, participating in interviews, making hiring recommendations, and implementing unit training plans including classroom, drills, and simulation components for fire crews, team leaders, lookouts, and other field office representatives.
Provide expertise and technical assistance on fire rehabilitation projects to restore lands after fires and support fire prevention activities. This includes developing prescriptions for rehabilitations and ensuring they are accomplished (rehab of fire line, water and erosion control structures, overseeing activities in SMZs), working with hydrologists and other professionals to develop plans, and providing onsite guidance.
APPLICATION MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION ARE:

• Online State of Montana application
• Resume
• Cover Letter

HELPFUL HINT: You must check the "relevant document" box to ensure your attachments are uploading correctly to the specific application.
Benefits:

• Paid Vacation, Sick Leave and Holidays
• Health, Dental, Prescription, and Vision Coverage
• Retirement Plans
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) - Employment with the State of Montana may qualify you to receive student loan forgiveness under the PSLF. Look here,

to learn more and see if you may qualify!
*If you are interested in a complete job description, please contact HR at Stacey.Gabrio@mt.gov.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications (Education and Experience):
The position requires education and experience equivalent to a bachelor's degree in forestry, natural resource management, forest management, or a related field and four (4) years progressively responsible experience in forestry and resource management.
Required knowledge, skills, and abilities:
The position requires knowledge of the principles and practices of forestry and natural resource management including silviculture, survey methods, research and analysis, fire prevention, forest improvement, insect and disease identification and treatment, wildland and urban fire fighting tactics, conservation practices, watershed protection, and forest products (e.g., logging and mill operations). The position requires knowledge of public relations, communication, technical writing, conflict resolution methods and techniques, investigation and enforcement practices, program administration, governmental accounting and budgeting, grant administration, records management, and report writing.
Knowledge that is preferred or required upon hire includes Montana Forest Practices Laws; the Stewardship Incentive Program as described in the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act; the Private Forestry Assistance (PFA), Federal Law P.L.101-624; Stream Side Management Zone Law (MCA 77-5-301 through 307); Best Management Practices Law (MCA 76-13-104 (3)); Hazard Reduction Law (MCA 76-13-401 through 414) and related programs; and the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA). Requires knowledge to pass the following courses upon hire: Standards for Survival (annual); Work Capacity (pack) Test (annual); S-130 Introduction to Fire Fighting; S-190 Basic Fire Behavior; S-290 Intermediate Fire Behavior; S-205 Fire Operations in Urban Interface; and S-230 Single Resource Boss.
The position requires skill in administering multiple forestry programs, verbal and written communication, negotiation and conflict management, the use of personal computers and forestry- and business-related software, and in the operation of fire suppression equipment.
The position requires the ability to communicate detailed information verbally and in writing; develop and implement State forestry programs; train and direct the work of others; plan, manage time, set priorities and carry out forestry field projects; keep records and prepare reports; make quick, proper and decisive fire suppression decisions; persuade and direct private landowners on methods to achieve forest management objectives; prepare silvicultural prescriptions and fire prescriptions; persuade, discern, negotiate or sometimes diffuse volatile situations, and to provide effective application of forest management principles for accomplishment of forestry field projects.
SPECIAL INFORMATION:
Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States. A valid driver's license is required with less than 12 conviction points in the most recent completed 36 months.
ELIGIBILITY TO WORK:
In accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act, the person selected must produce within three days of hire documents that show authorization to work in the United States. Examples of such documentation include a birth certificate or Social Security card along with a driver's license or other picture I.D., or a U.S. passport, or a "green card"

Skills Required