Agricultural Careers Forester

1. Agricultural Careers Forester By: Dr. Frank Flanders and Trisha Rae Stephens Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office Georgia Department of Education June 2005 START

2. Job Duties & Responsibilities • A forester may purchase timber from private landowners. • They take inventory of the type, amount, and location of standing timber on the property. • They appraise the timber's worth, negotiate the purchase, and draw up a contract. • They subcontract with loggers for tree removal and assist with road layout. • They maintain close contact with the loggers and the landowner. They ensure that work meets landowner's requirements and government environmental regulations. • They consider the economics of the purchase and the environmental impact on natural resources and wildlife habitats. • They supervise the planting and growing of new trees and advise workers and monitor seedlings.

3. Job Duties & Responsibilities (con’t) • They prepare and manage short- and long-term plans to manage public forests, parks and forest resources. • They inspect forests and nurseries. • They plan and implement conservation projects. • They direct the suppression of forest fires. • They conduct public education programs on forest care and conservation. • They consult to various parties, including private landowners, firefighters, or government agencies. • They design campgrounds and recreation sites. • They work with private landowners to protect and manage forestland outside the public domain. • They use a variety of complex measuring, imaging, and computer tools to perform their jobs. • They write environmental reports and recommendations. • They research new ways to use wood or wood by-products.

4. Qualities and Skills • Able to work in extreme weather conditions • Able to walk long distances through rough terrain • Foresters may be exposed to hazardous equipment when working with loggers and may encounter dangerous situations from reptiles and wild animals

5. Salary The median wage for foresters is $25.07 per hour or $4,346 per month for a full-time worker. Half of all foresters earn between $20.56 and $29.52 per hour, or between $3,564 and $5,117 per month. Nationally, the median wage for foresters is $3,890 per month ($22.47 per hour). Half of all foresters earn between $3,030 and $4,740 per month ($17.47 and $27.35 per hour). Wages vary based on the forester's education level.

6. Work Environment • Foresters often work outdoors in the field and also work indoors in offices. • They may be involved with fire situations • They may spend time at fair grounds and other exhibits and educational settings • They may be guest speakers in schools • They may spend long hours personally inspecting the timber on clients land. • Some foresters manage large tracts of timber from remote sites

7. Becoming a Forester • In high school, advanced courses in mathematics and English. • Take courses in biology, chemistry, and physics, as well as, agriculture classes such as forestry, dendrology and forest management.

8. Career Resources Society of American Foresters 5400 Grosvenor Lane Bethesda, MD 20814-2198 Internet: http://www.safnet.org/ American Forest & Paper Association 1111 Nineteenth Street, NW Suite 800 Washington, DC  20036 Internet: http://www.afandpa.org/