A Forester's Career FAQ
What should you expect to do as a new forester?
There aren't many careers where you do so much with such variation!
Foresters spend considerable time outdoors the first years of their
careers. Typical entry-level responsibilities might include measuring and grading trees,
evaluating insect outbreaks, conducting land surveys, working in an urban park, evaluating
water quality, fighting wildfires, managing prescribed fires, laying out a road system,
planting seedlings, and plan recreational use of forestlands.
Many foresters manage forested property or purchase timber from timbered lands. An industrial
forester may procure timber from private landowners. Doing this entails
contacting local forest owners, quantifying the inventory, and appraising the timber's
worth.
A forester may have to deal with loggers, aid in road layout, and make sure the work meets landowner requirements. He also must deal with state and federal environmental specifications to qualify for types of cost-share practices or maintain appropriate site quality.
Government foresters who work for state and federal governments manage public forests and parks and also work with private landowners to protect and manage forest land outside of the public domain. They may also design campgrounds and recreational areas.
A consulting forester hangs up his own shingle and privately assists people and organizations that need forestry help. These foresters help timber owners manage their forests on a fee basis.
The Department of Labor has a good report on what working conditions you might
expect. The work can be physically demanding and you will work under many weather
conditions and in isolated areas.
See more on what a forester does by reading Be a
Forester - What You Got to Do.
More on Forestry Employment from your About Forestry Guide
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