Forester Job Description

What is the job description of a Forester? What are the duties and responsibilities of a Forester? What does a Forester do?

Job description of a Forester

Foresters are responsible for managing forests and woodlands and oversee activities such as timber production, conservation and recreation. Foresters manage the land quality of forests and parks. They monitor forestry and conservation activities. Ensure activities are compliant with government regulations.

This Forester job description example includes the list of most important Forester duties and responsibilities as shown below. It can be modified to fit the specific Forester profile you're trying to fill as a recruiter or job seeker.

Forester Duties and Responsibilities

Forester job description should contain a variety of functions and roles including:

  • Manage forest lands, natural resources, rangelands, and parks.
  • Decide best and most efficient way to remove fallen timber.
  • Design ways to manage forests that minimally impact environment and preserve land.
  • Participate in forest-fire fighting techniques and advise those on suppression methods.
  • Negotiate land-use contracts to harvest timber.
  • Draw up plans to regenerate forested lands.
  • Supervise tree harvests.
  • Monitor the progress of different forests.
  • Assess damage to trees and forest lands caused by fires and logging activities.
  • Measure how quickly potential fires will spread.
  • Determine a fire’s impact on a region’s environment.
  • Communicate with firefighters and other forest workers.
  • Devise methods to keep forests free from disease, pestilence, and wildfires.
  • Direct the preparation of sites on which trees will be planted.
  • Advise on the type, number, and placement of trees to be planted.
  • Decide which trees to be harvested after they reach a certain height.
  • Supervise forest and conservation workers and technicians.
  • Evaluate data on forest and soil quality.
  • Utilize different tools such as clinometers to measure the heights of trees, diameter tapes to measure a tree’s circumference, and increment borers and bark gauges to measure the growth of trees so that timber volumes can be computed and growth rates estimated.

Forester Requirements / Skills / Qualifications

Forester job description should include these common skills and qualifications:

  • A degree in Forestry or in a related field, such as environmental science.
  • Love of nature
  • Critical thinking skills
  • Excellent judgment and decision making skills
  • Good time management skills
  • Excellent problem solving skills
  • Social Perceptiveness

As a hiring manager, recruiting an ideal Forester starts with crafting a good job description. Use this Forester job description template to save yourself time and help you attract the most qualified candidates. Feel free to revise it to meet your specific needs.

Job seekers interviewing for the role of a Forester may also reference it in preparation for the interview.