Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Seeks Professional Foresters
Position Title 
Forester
Position Summary
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is hiring six senior-level professional foresters. These jobs are in Warroad, Wannaska, Sandstone, Hill City, Forest Lake, and Backus or Brainerd.
Find these jobs postings and apply online by going to mn.gov/mmb/careers/search-for-jobs/ and searching keyword, "forestry."
Applications must be submitted for each location a candidate wishes to be considered for and must be submitted online through the State of Minnesota careers website no later than November 29, 2021
A senior-level forester is in the field about half the time suppressing wildfires, setting up and administering timber sales, implementing silvicultural prescriptions, conducting forest inventory, assisting private landowners, and identifying native plant communities. The other half of the time senior foresters are in the office, leading and implementing program work for their jurisdiction which is typically about the size of one to five counties with a dozen or so foresters working in two to four different field stations within the area. Programs that senior foresters lead include the wildfire, timber, silviculture, lands, roads, invasive species, private forest management, forest health, enforcement, and ecological classification programs. Program assignments vary by location and are subject to change. Call the supervisor listed at the bottom of each job posting to find out more about the type of work in each work location.
All MN DNR foresters have to work overtime and on-call hours during fire season which is usually about eight to ten weeks in the spring and four to six in the fall but sometimes fire season can last all summer, too. During fire season foresters have to work evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays and occasionally have to travel and work overnight to assist neighboring areas.
The pay range for a senior level forester is $51,949 to $76,274 per year, plus overtime and on-call compensation. These are union jobs represented by the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE). Health, dental, vision, and life insurance paid vacation, holiday, and sick leave
Minnesota State Retirement System pension and pre-tax retirement account investment opportunities set State of Minnesota jobs apart. Medical insurance for a single employee costs about $40 a month out of pocket and medical insurance for an employee's family is about $250. Compensation beyond an employee's paycheck including insurance, retirement, Medicare and Social Security benefits is worth an additional 30% of an employee's annual salary. For senior level foresters this means annual compensation ranges in value from $67,500, to $99,000.
To qualify for this job an applicant must have a four-year degree in forestry from a university program accredited by the Society of American Foresters (SAF) or be an SAF-certified forester AND have two years' journey-level professional forester experience OR three years' entry-level professional forester experience. Applicants must also possess knowledge of forest management and policies have excellent leadership, organization, and human relations skills the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly the ability to resolve conflicts have an unrestricted driver's license and the ability to become a State-certified Forest Officer.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
The State of Minnesota is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, and veteran-friendly employer. We are committed to providing culturally responsive services to all Minnesotans. The State of Minnesota recognizes that a diverse workforce is essential and strongly encourages qualified women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans to apply. We will make reasonable accommodations 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 careers@state.mn.us. Please indicate what assistance you need.