NR Forestry Specialist

State of Minnesota; Mora (MN); On-site; USD 53,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

MN Department of Natural Resources seeks a Forestry Specialist to support statewide forest management programs. You will evaluate forest stands, plan silvicultural prescriptions, and appraise timber sales across Backus, Bagley, Mora, Nimrod, and other locations.

Responsibilities include GIS mapping, field data collection, wildfire prevention activities, and coordination with private landowners. Weekend work during high wildfire risk and multi-day travel may be required.

Qualifications

• Two years of work experience in forestry.
• Bachelor's degree in forestry or closely related field.
• Eighteen months of forestry experience with associate degree or higher.
• Knowledge of dendrology, plant ID, and forest measurements.
• Knowledge of forest economics, mensuration, and harvest systems.
• Ability to use GIS, aerial photography, and surveys for mapping.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate forest stands and develop silvicultural prescriptions to meet multiple resource goals.
• Appraise timber for sale, implement forest management guidelines, and adminster timber permits.
• Visit stands impacted by insects, disease, or fire and plan responses.
• Create maps in GIS programs, analyze and interpret air photos, and use GPS/compass to navigate to stands.
• 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.
• Analyze forest inventory data, input into GIS databases, and adjust stand boundaries.
• Identify tree, shrub, and plant species common to Minnesota.
• Use the Ecological Classification System to determine native plant communities and update maps.
• Apply statistical methods to develop timber cruises and estimate standing volume.
• Propose tree planting, site preparation, or timber stand improvement projects.
• Locate and map invasive plants and propose treatments to control infestations.
• Operate various vehicles, equipment, and tools.
• Meet with private landowners and provide advice to manage private woodlands.
• Participate in presentations and outreach to the public and to agency partners.
• Lead seasonal or intermittent employees and emergency hire firefighters to meet objectives.
• Review and approve, or deny, burn permit requests.

Skills

Dendrology

Plant ID

Public speaking

Team leadership

Communication skills

GIS knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in forestry or closely related field

Eighteen months of forestry experience with associate degree or higher

Two years of work experience in forestry

Tools

ArcPro

Excel

GIS

Outlook

Word

SharePoint

Adobe

Job description

Working Title: Forestry Specialist

Job Class: Natural Resources Forestry Specialist

Agency: MN Department of Natural Resources

• Job ID: 97381

• Location: Backus, Bagley, Big Falls, Mora, Nimrod.

• Telework Eligible : No

• Full/Part Time : Full-Time

• Regular/Temporary: Unlimited

• Who May Apply: Open to all qualified job seekers

• Date Posted: 10/03/2026

• Closing Date: 11/09/2026

• Hiring Agency/Seniority Unit: Department of Natural Resources

• Division/Unit: Forestry

• Work Shift/Work Hours: Day Shift

• Days of Work: Monday - Friday

• Travel Required : Yes, occasionally

• Salary Range: $25.22 – $36.59 hourly / $52,659 - $76,400 annually

• Classified Status: Classified

• Bargaining Unit/Union: 214 - MN Assoc of Professional Empl/MAPE

• FLSA Status: Exempt-Professional

• Designated in Connect 700 Program for Applicants with Disabilities (https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/diverse-workforce/people-with-disabilities/connect700/) : Yes

The work you'll do is more than just a job.

At the State of Minnesota, employees play a critical role in developing policies, providing essential services, and working to improve the well-being and quality of life for all Minnesotans. The State of Minnesota is committed to equity and inclusion, and invests in employees by providing benefits, support resources, and training and development opportunities.

The DNR is seeking to fill multiple Forestry Specialist positions across the state. This posting will be used to fill vacancies in the following work locations: Backus, Bagley, Big Falls, Mora, and Nimrod, Minnesota. During the application process, applicants will choose their preferred location(s).

Depending on internal movement, this posting may be used to fill vacancies in these locations if they become available: Aitkin, Backus, Bagley, Baudette, Bemidji, Big Falls, Blackduck, Effie, Finland, Grygla, Lewiston, Littlefork, McGregor, Northome, Onamia, Orr, Outing, Park Rapids, Preston, Sandstone, Warroad and Williams.

The Forestry Specialist position exists to implement program support tasks across all Division of Forestry programs so that forest resources are protected, managed, and utilized in accordance with department policy and procedure. During periods of elevated wildfire danger, the Forestry Specialist will be assigned to work weekends, evening, and holidays. Also, to support ongoing incidents, the Forestry Specialist will be assigned to travel throughout Minnesota on multiple-day assignments.

The Forestry Specialist commonly performs the following tasks:

• Evaluate the condition of forest stands and apply native plant community guidelines, develop silvicultural prescriptions, and determine harvest systems to meet multiple resource goals.

• Appraise timber for sale, implement forest management guidelines, market permits to timber purchasers, administer state timber permits, and scale cut products.

• Visit forest stands impacted by insects, disease, or fire and create plans to respond to those effects.

• Create maps in GIS programs, analyze and interpret air photos, and use GPS and/or compass to navigate to forest stands to establish management boundaries.

• 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.

• Analyze forest inventory data, input into GIS databases, and adjust stand boundaries.

• Identify tree, shrub, and plant species common to Minnesota.

• Use the Ecological Classification System to determine native plant communities and update maps.

• Apply statistical methods to develop timber cruises and accurately estimate standing volume.

• Propose tree planting, site preparation, or timber stand improvement projects to meet management plan objectives.

• Locate, identify, and map instances of terrestrial invasive plants and propose treatments to control infestations.

• Operate various vehicles, equipment, and tools (pickup, trailer, ATV, snowmobile, fire engine, long-handled tools, etc.)

• Meet with private landowners and provide advice to manage private woodlands.

• Participate in presentations and outreach to the public and to internal and external agency partners.

• Lead seasonal or intermittent employees, student interns, and emergency hire firefighters to meet assigned objectives.

• Review and approve, or deny, burn permit requests.

This position requires the ability to complete physically demanding tasks with or without accommodation and the ability to work independently in remote locations sufficient to accomplish work without immediate supervision.

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 January 1st, 2027 to receive credit.

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

• Two (2) years of work experience in forestry.

OR:

• A bachelor's degree or higher in forestry or closely related field.

OR:

• Eighteen (18) months of work experience in forestry AND an associate degree or higher in forestry or closely related field.

In addition to the above experience and/or education, applicants must also demonstrate:

• Knowledge of dendrology, plant ID, and forest measurements sufficient to collect forest inventory, regeneration data and native plant community data.
• Knowledge of forest economics, mensuration, and harvest systems sufficient to design, appraise, administer, and scale timber sales.
• Knowledge offorest ecology and silviculture techniques sufficient to prescribe reforestation, tree release, and stand improvement activities.
• Knowledge of multi-use forestry concepts sufficient to conduct and evaluate management activities that benefit wildlife species, ecosystem health, recreational opportunities, and wood marketing and utilization.
• Planning skills sufficient to organize short projects, prioritize tasks, make recommendations on the direction of a project, provide leadership on small teams, and exercise limited discretion.
• Computer skills sufficient to keep records, analyze data, write reports, and communicate and collaborate with partners and colleagues using various applications (e.g., Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, SharePoint, Adobe, ArcPro).
• Human relation skills sufficient to deal appropriately with supervisors, coworkers, special interest groups, loggers, and the general public in a variety of situations.
• Ability to use GIS, aerial photography, and surveys, for mapping and data collection.
• Ability to earn and maintain National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) basic wildland firefighter (FFT2) qualification within six months of hire.
• Ability to communicate orally and in written form sufficient to clearly convey information on forest management practices and policy to the general public, special interest groups, and other department employees.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher, accredited by the Society of American Foresters. OR Three (3) or more years of work experience in forestry.
• Knowledge of Division of Forestry policies and procedures sufficient to implement assigned tasks safely and within legal and ethical guidelines.
• NWCG qualified as a Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1), Incident Commander Type 5 (ICT5), Faller Type 2 (FAL2), Tracked Vehicle Operator (TVOP), or Engine Operator (ENOP).

Additional Requirements

This position requires an unrestricted Class D Driver’s license with a clear driving record. Per DNR Fleet Policy, only those 18 years of age or older with a valid driver’s license may operate equipment and vehicles on behalf of the Agency.

Applicants must have the ability to meet the physical requirements and work in the environmental conditions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodations.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g. H1B status).

It is policy of the Department of Natural Resources that all candidates submit to a background check prior to employment. The background check may consist of the following components:

• Conflict of Interest Review
• Criminal History Check
• Education Verification
• Employment Reference / Records Check
• License / Certification Verification

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is an Equal Opportunity employer/educator committed to the principles of diversity. We prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or membership in a local commission as defined by law. As an affirmative action employer, we actively seek and encourage applications from women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and individuals with protected veteran status.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to all qualified applicants with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability who needs assistance or cannot access the online job application system, please contact the job information line at 651-259-3637 or email [e-mail] . Please indicate what assistance is needed.