Project Forester (Forester)

  Northwest Natural Resource Group (NNRG) (http://nnrg.org/)

  Seattle, Washington, United States

Position Opening: Project Forester

Background:

The Northwest Natural Resource Group (NNRG) is a conservation and rural economic development non‐profit organization based in Seattle, Washington (see www.nnrg.org).

NNRG’s mission is to use the marketplace to restore forest ecosystems and local economies.

Dedicated to promoting a sustainable, environmentally sound economy in the forestlands and watersheds of the Pacific Northwest, we focus on the smaller woodlands owned and managed by private landowners, smaller forest product companies, governmental agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

Our primary tool to accomplish our mission is Northwest Certified Forestry (NCF), a membership program for public, non-profit, and family forest landowners that provides access to Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certification, forest management assistance, landowner incentives, marketing, and educational workshops. We now have 160 landowner members across 165,000 acres in Washington and Oregon. Through this and other programs, we work to achieve three primary objectives:

1) Provide access to the tools and information that landowners need to sustainably manage their forest;

2) Improve the economics of sustainable forest management so that all landowners can secure the necessary financial resources to steward their land, and consumers can help restore forests with their purchases; and

3) Empower communities to work together and champion the cause of ecological forestry.

Summary of Position:

As the Project Forester, you will be central to NNRG’s efforts to scale up projects that demonstrate ecological forestry around Western Washington. You will collaborate with NNRG’s Staff Forester and the rest of the NNRG team to manage and oversee ecologically-based timber thinning projects, replanting projects, invasive species removal, and other restoration activities. To succeed in this position, it is desirable that you bring knowledge and experience in elements of commercial timber sales, as the revenue from these sales plays a significant role in driving the other restoration activities. Your time will be approximately 50% in the field and 50% in the office. Field work will include timber marking, harvest oversight, reforestation oversight, collection of inventory data, FSC compliance site visits, monitoring, and landowner education. Office work will include landowner communications, permitting, project financial management, forest excise tax preparation, and development of harvest and restoration outreach materials. This is a unique opportunity to have a direct role in shaping the future of forestry in the Pacific Northwest by helping demonstrate how landowners can optimize the ecological and economic potential of their forest.

As NNRG’s ideal candidate, you are:

• Familiar with the concepts involved in planning and executing ecologically-based timber thinning projects to generate income and restore forest structure and diversity;

• A talented communicator, able to listen carefully and respectfully to a wide variety of landowner goals and values and translate those goals into forest management opportunities;

• An experienced project manager who excels at meeting deadlines and project budgets, thrives as a systems thinker, and seeks continuous process improvements;

• Experienced in writing ecologically-based forest stewardship plans;

• Familiar with the application of the Washington Forest Practices Act and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) principles and criteria to on-the-ground forest management decisions;

• Passionate about the role that non-industrial woodland owners can play in restoring forest ecosystems and rural economies in the Pacific Northwest.

In this position, your Primary Responsibilities and Duties will be to:

1. Collaborate with NNRG’s Staff Forester to complete project field work including timber marking, harvest oversight, reforestation oversight, monitoring, and landowner education (approximately 50%);

2. Lead project management and coordination across projects including tracking project deadlines, deliverables, and landowner communications (approximately 25%); and

3. Support project administration including permitting, project financial management, and forest excise tax preparation (approximately 25%). 

Compensation

Hours, Pay, and Location:

This is a full-time salaried position. Given the nature of field work and coordinating with
landowners, work may occur in the evenings or on weekends.

Salary range is $50,000 - $58,000,
depending on experience. Compensation includes competitive vacation and retirement
benefits.

NNRG does not offer an employer-sponsored health plan. You will be expected to
provide your own vehicle; NNRG reimburses for all job-related mileage.

We’re planning for this position to be based out of NNRG’s office in downtown Seattle, although we’re willing to consider remote work arrangements in the central or south Puget Sound areas.

---