Snohomish CD Forest Resource Planner Position

wadistricts; Snohomish, Northern (WA, KY); Hybrid; USD 67,000 - 88,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Paid holidays

Retirement plan

Job summary

Snohomish Conservation District seeks a Forestry Resource Planner to deliver technical assistance, develop stewardship plans, and implement agroforestry projects for landowners in Snohomish County and Camano Island.

The role collaborates with staff across divisions, manages multiple projects, and supports grant-funded work with partners and volunteers. Strong communication and organizational skills are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in forestry or related field is required.
• Experience with forest resource planning and landowner programs is preferred.
• Knowledge of NRCS guidelines and forest stewardship concepts is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical assistance to forest landowners including site visits and plan development.
• Prepare forest stewardship plans for NIPF landowners aligned with state/federal guidelines.
• Lead wildfire risk reduction efforts and defensible space planning around homes.

Skills

Forestry planning

Technical assistance

Project management

Partnership building

Grant management

Community outreach

Education

Bachelor's degree in forestry

Tools

GIS / ArcGIS

Forest inventory software

Microsoft Office

Job description

Snohomish CD Forest Resource Planner Position

Position Description

Forest Resource Planner delivers natural resource planning services to landowners throughout Snohomish County and Camano Island, working alongside the Forestry Department Manager. This role provides forestry and agroforestry technical assistance, planning, and implementation support to landowners, partners, and other community members. This role requires a self-driven individual who can manage multiple projects at once while strengthening partnerships internally and externally. This position is part of the Habitat, Floodplains, and Forests Division, and is a highly collaborative role with project managers, planners, educators and outreach staff, working to protect and restore the natural resources that sustain our communities.

Essential Tasks
These are illustrations of the various types of work performed. The omission of specific duties does not exclude them if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

• Provide technical assistance to forest landowners. Activities include conducting site visits, diagnosing and providing assessments of resource conditions, identifying management priorities, preparing project area maps, and developing practice-related prescriptions.
• Prepare forest stewardship plans for Non- Industrial Private Forest (NIPF) landowners. Activities include conducting forest natural resource inventories, evaluating compiled data, and assembling and presenting data. Forest stewardship plans prepared meet the requirements set forth by Washington State Integrated Forest Management Plan Guidelines & Template, NRCS CAP106, NRCS National Forestry Manual Part 536 Subpart B.
• Provide wildfire risk reduction technical assistance, including conducting home risk assessments and creating defensible space around homes. This may involve providing technical direction to a crew in brush management and operating a wood chipper to reduce fuels.
• Support landowners with preparing and submitting cost-share applications and implementing funded practices. Activities include preparing forest health management cost-share applications and Job Sheets associated with local, state and federal programs; supporting landowners with obtaining contractor estimates and permits; and providing ongoing technical assistance during and after the contract award process as needed.
• Support landowners with accessing and enrolling in Open Space Taxation programs such as the Designated Forest Land Program and locally administered “current use” programs such as the Public Benefit Rating System programs of Island County.
• Lead the implementation of forestry and agroforestry practices on forestlands and farms within Snohomish County and Camano Island. Implementation may include the development of planting and thinning plans, developing landowner agreements, completing cultural resource consultation processes, procuring plants and project materials, and providing technical direction and participating in the work of labor crews (including volunteer or intern crews and professional field crews) to support on-site logistics of plant deliveries, planting days, planting maintenance or site preparation, and thinning projects.
• Manage grants, including developing project plans, directing project teams, tracking budgets and deliverables, coordinating with funders and partners, procuring labor and materials, overseeing contractors and cost-share implementation, and managing vegetation maintenance and monitoring activities.
• Assist SCD programs in securing funding, including project development, grant writing, and landowner outreach.
• Support the Habitat, Floodplains, and Forests Division with regular project monitoring of SCD habitat restoration, forestry, urban forestry, and agroforestry project sites.
• Promote strong integration, both internally across SCD programs and externally with outside partners, to expand natural resource stewardship and impact.
• Participate in outreach, media and education events, such as workshops, fairs, Forestry Field Days, by presenting and sharing information related to forest health and stewardship, writing fact sheets and articles, assisting with development of publications such as landowner testimonials, and developing communications materials to market Program services.
• Assist with the Conservation District’s Annual Plant Sale.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Compensation

Terms: Regular full-time position (40hrs/week), with benefits.
Bargaining Unit: AFSCME Local 3300
Hiring Range: Resource Planner, Range 8. Full salary range for this classification is $66,768–$88,046 (Steps 1–15). The expected hiring range for this position is $66,768–$81,370 (Steps 1–11), depending on qualifications and experience.
Job Classification and Range: Resource Planner, Range 8
Base Schedule: Full-time, 40 hours per week (five 8-hour days). Employees work a consistent daily schedule with established start and end times, set in coordination with their supervisor — start times between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m. and end times between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. Alternate schedules, such as four 10-hour days, may be approved in advance based on operational needs, with start and end times adjusted accordingly. Occasional evening and weekend work is required.

The District offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes:

• Medical, including vision, insurance coverage through Washington State PEBB. The District matches employee dependent’s medical premiums at 80%.
• Dental insurance coverage through Washington State PEBB for full-time employees. The District matches employee dependent’s dental premiums at 100%.
• A monthly contribution to a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) plan through Voluntary Employees Beneficiary Association (VEBA) for employees who opt to waive District medical insurance coverage.
• Life Insurance through Washington State Health Care Authority (WSHCA), with coverage paid by the District.
• Long Term Care coverage through the WA Cares Fund, with premiums paid by the District.
• Long Term Disability through WSHCA.
• Additional voluntary supplemental insurance opportunities are also available.
• Annual (vacation) leave accrued at a beginning rate of 9.33 hours per month; sick leave accrued at 8 hours per month; and 12 scheduled paid holidays each year and 1 personal day.
• Employer-contributed retirement program through the State of Washington Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) and the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP).
• All employees are covered by standard State and Federal programs, including WA Paid Family Medical Leave, Unemployment Insurance, Workers’ Compensation, Social Security, and Medicare.
• Terms of compensation and benefits are set by the Board of Supervisors and may be amended at any time.