SENIOR FORESTER - 42003200

Florida; United States; On-site; USD 56,000 - 67,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Boot Allotment

Annual Uniform Allotment

Job summary

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Forest Service, is seeking a Senior Forester to oversee forestry programs, provide technical assistance to landowners, and coordinate emergency wildfire response. This role requires SAF-accredited forestry degrees and multiple years of related experience.

Responsibilities include urban and rural forestry services, environmental planning support, and public education through workshops and outreach.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree with a major in Forestry or related field from an SAF-accredited college/university and two years of forestry or natural resource experience; or
• A master’s degree with a major in Forestry or related field from an SAF-accredited college/university and one year of forestry or natural resource experience.
• Foreign degrees must include SAF-equivalency or include two of: Silviculture, Dendrology, Forest Mensuration, Forest Management.

Responsibilities

• Utilizes mass media to inform public about forestry initiatives and conservation efforts.
• Conducts forestry and environmental education workshops for landowners and schools.
• Provides technical assistance to private forest landowners on timber, ecological management, and cost-share programs.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Forestry or related field (SAF accredited)

Master's degree in Forestry or related field (SAF accredited)

Foreign degree equivalency including required forestry courses

Job description

Requisition No: 884073

Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services

Working Title: SENIOR FORESTER - 42003200

Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 42003200

Salary: $56,049.24 - $66,950.00

Posting Closing Date: 09/28/2026

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

SENIOR FORESTER

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES

FLORIDA FOREST SERVICE

*** OPEN COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY***

CONTACT:

Tammy Molitor, [phone]

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• A bachelor’s degree with a major in Forestry or related field from a Society of American Foresters accredited college or university and two (2) years of professional forestry or natural resource experience; or
• A master’s degree with a major in Forestry or a related field from a Society of American Foresters accredited college or university and one (1) year of professional forestry or natural resource experience.
• A bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in Forestry or a related field obtained outside the United States must either: 1) be obtained from a Society of American Foresters accredited college or university in addition to the applicable required experience above; or 2) curriculum must include at least two (2) of the following four (4) courses: Silviculture, Dendrology, Forest Mensuration or Forest Management in addition to the applicable required experience listed above.

NOTE: Applicants will provide an academic equivalency evaluation obtained in the United States showing the required courses.

NOTE: ALL POSITIONS WITHIN THIS CLASS REQUIRE POSSESSION OF A VALID DRIVER LICENSE.

***ATTENTION CANDIDATES***

To be considered for a position with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:

• All fields in the Candidate Profile must be completed (an attached resume is not a substitution for the information required on the candidate profile).
• Work history, duties and responsibilities, hours worked, supervisor, and formal education fields, etc. must be filled out to determine qualifications for this position.
• Responses to Qualifying Questions must be verifiable in the Candidate Profile.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services values
and supports employment of individuals with disabilities. Qualified
individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Occasional to moderate travel required.

Position may respond to emergencies, including natural disasters or other type incidents requiring travel, as needed.

NOTES:

To maintain fairness and integrity, applicants are required to provide honest and authentic responses during all stages of the evaluation and selection process. Applicants must rely on their own personal knowledge, thoughts and impressions. A candidate’s use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to answer qualifying questions or participate in interviews will be taken into consideration when determining qualification for the position.

Successful applicant must pass a background screening, including fingerprinting, as a condition of employment.

JOB DUTIES:

Utilizes mass media systems such as newspapers, radio and television to keep the public informed of developments in traditional forestry, urban forestry and conservation fields. Conducts forest management technical information and education workshops for private forest landowners. Provides local schools with information and assistance pertinent to environmental education through teacher workshops and instruction at environmental education centers.

Provides technical assistance to urban communities and homeowners to best meet their needs including proper tree selection and tree planting procedures, UCF grants, Tree City USA and Champion Tree designation. This also includes analysis of shade tree and ornamental tree insect and disease problems. Provides information on methods of prevention and control.

Provides forest management technical assistance to private forest landowners to achieve the goals of the landowner, including timber revenue, sustained yield, ecological management, wildlife management; provides advice on timber marking and volume estimation and the sale of forest products; provides technical assistance in implementation of federal cost-share programs, site preparation and tree planting procedures, investment analysis, timber stand improvement methods, diagnosis of forest insect and disease outbreaks; prepares Stewardship and other management plans, and other related forest factors.

Provides wildfire and emergency response support as directed. Assists in the development of smoke management, wildfire prevention, prescribed fire, pre-suppression burning plans and hazardous fuels mitigation. Assists in the enforcement of Florida’s open burning laws and regulations.

Provides technical assistance to county commissions, municipalities, and other county and city agencies in the development and implementation of effective environmental studies and practices relating to land use planning, zoning, and development. This includes conservation and environmental planning, recreation, and open space planning, zoning variances relating to vegetation, drafting of ordinance relative to tree protection, landscaping, reclamation and preservation of natural areas, and the establishment of conservation and scenic easements to preserve natural amenities.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

The Following Special Benefits for this Position Include

• Annual Boot Allotment
• Annual Uniform Allotment

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:

• Annual and Sick Leave benefits;
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal holiday each year;
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision and other supplemental insurance options;
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (For more information, please visit www.myfrs.com (http://www.myfrs.com) ;)
• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Tuition waivers;
• And more!

For a complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com .

For an estimate of the total compensation package for this position, please visit the "Total Compensation Estimator Tool" located above under the "Posting Closing Date."

SPECIAL NOTES:

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE. Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements. Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here . All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.