Area Forester-southern Rivers District

**Title**: Area Forester-Southern Rivers District

**State Role Title**: Natural Resource Specialist III

**Hiring Range**: Starting at $41,655.00+ DOE with state benefits

**Pay Band**: 4

**Agency**: Department of Forestry

**Location**:Central Office Lunenburg

**Recruitment Type**: General Public - G

**Job Duties**
- The Virginia Department of Forestry is seeking to hire an Area Forester for our Southern Rivers District in the Central Region. Area Foresters spend most of their time outside providing professional forestry advice and assistance to private landowners. This position reports to the District Forester and implements the agency's forest management program at the local level.
Duties include, but are not limited to:

- Providing professional forest management advice to forest landowners through technical assistance and forest management plan development
- Administering state and federal cost-share programs to support forest management projects
- Assessing and addressing forest health concerns
- Establishing and managing riparian buffers to protect streams, waterbodies, and wetlands
- Educating the general public and organizations of the benefits of trees and forests
- Preventing and suppressing wildland fires, including enforcing Virginia's fire laws
- Inspecting logging jobs for compliance with Virginia's Silvicultural Water Quality Law

Location: This Area Forester will be focused on providing services in Lunenburg County. This position is part of the Southern Rivers District, covering Campbell, Charlotte, Halifax, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Pittsylvania, and Prince Edward Counties, including the Cities of Danville and Lynchburg.

This position is classified as having a home-based duty location, however there is a designated DOF office located in Victoria that can be used as needed. A take home state-owned vehicle, laptop, smartphone, and mobile printer will be provided.
- **Minimum Qualifications**

Demonstrated knowledge of silviculture, forest measurements, wildfire suppression, prescribed burning, watershed protection, and forest health; experience in technical or professional natural resources work; ability to work independently; excellent organizational skills; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with personnel from various state and federal agencies, local planners, cooperators, and the public; public speaking skills and experience; demonstrated excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills; valid driver’s license; ability to negotiate different types of forested terrain on foot; ability to travel around the state and stay overnight on occasion; and experience with and ability to use a PC and Microsoft Office software required.

**Additional Considerations**

Experience in technical or professional natural resource management work; experience using Geographic Information Sytems, GPS units, and digital mapping tools

**Special Instructions**

**Contact Information**

Name: Kristina Clore

Phone: 434-529-7244

Note**: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.

Each agency within the Commonwealth of Virginia is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and maintaining a competent and diverse work force. **Equal Opportunity Employer