Green Job Series: Careers in Sustainable Forestry [Fourth Installment]

This installment of The Daily Leap's green job series profiles science technician occupations in sustainable forestry.

Science Technician Occupations

Biological technicians, environmental science technicians, and forest and conservation technicians typically assist and are supervised by conservation scientists, environmental scientists and specialists, soil and plant scientists, foresters, and wildlife biologists.

Job Duties

Biological technicians may set up, maintain, and clean laboratory instruments and equipment, such as microscopes, scales, and test tubes. They gather and prepare plant, water, and soil samples for laboratory analysis to test for pollution levels, diseases, and other factors that help determine the overall health level of the forest. Biological technicians may work in laboratories or outdoors, collecting samples and taking measurements.

Environmental science and protection technicians often work on teams with scientists and other technicians, to solve problems related to environmental degradation and public health. They may assist with inspections of forest lands, to ensure that environmental regulations are being followed. They also set up equipment to monitor pollution levels; collect samples of air, soil, water, and other materials for laboratory analysis; and prepare charts and reports that summarize test results.

Forest and conservation technicians work to improve the quality of forests and other natural resources. They assist with a variety of tasks, including gathering data on water and soil quality, assessing fire hazards, selecting and marking trees to be cut, tracking wildlife, and monitoring the activities of loggers and other forest users. Forest and conservation technicians may also supervise forest and conservation workers.

Education and Training

Biological technicians and environmental science and protection technicians typically have an associate's degree or comparable postsecondary training. Novice technicians are often trained on the job by more-experienced technicians. Technicians may receive their training at a technical or community college.

Forest and conservation technicians typically need an associate's degree in forestry or a related field. Employers look for technicians who have a degree that is accredited by the Society of American Foresters. Many technical and community colleges offer programs in forestry technology or a related field. Some states have licensing and registration programs for forest and conservation technicians. These programs usually have requirements for education and work experience.

Earnings

The table that follows shows wages for selected science technician occupations in May 2012. The wages shown are median annual wages for the United States as a whole; wages vary by employer and location.

Occupation	Median annual wage
Biological technicians	$39,750
Environmental science and protection technicians	$41,240
Forest and conservation technicians	$33,920

For more detailed information on science technician occupations in sustainable forestry, follow the Occupational Outlook Handbook link.

Green Job Series: Careers in Sustainable Forestry [Third Installment]

Scientists have an important role in sustainable forestry. They monitor the overall health of forests, as well as study and analyze specific aspects of living things, such as tree and other plant life and wildlife. Scientists also advise other forest workers on how to maintain a forest ecosystem and improve its productivity.

This installment of The Daily Leap's green job series profiles selected science occupations in sustainable forestry.

Science Occupations

Many types of science occupations, including conservation scientists, foresters, environmental scientists and specialists, soil and plant scientists, and wildlife biologists, are involved in sustainable forestry.

Job Duties

Conservation scientists work with forest owners, managers, and government agencies to devise ways to use and improve land, while safeguarding the environment and controlling erosion. They help landowners by preparing land use plans to meet conservation objectives and determine the most appropriate use for a particular forest site.

Foresters have a wide range of duties, and their responsibilities vary depending on their employer. Some primary duties of foresters include drawing up plans to regenerate forested lands, monitoring the progress of those lands, and supervising tree harvests. Foresters also create plans and do inspections to protect forests from disease, harmful insects, and damaging wildfires.

Foresters may choose and direct the preparation of sites on which trees will be planted. They advise on the type, number, and placement of trees. To ensure sustainability in a specific location, foresters may compare the growth with the decline of various species and the size of trees, and use that information to determine which trees should be harvested and sold to mills. Their volunteer or outreach work may include educating teachers and students about problems facing forest lands.

Environmental scientists and specialists may reclaim lands and bodies of water that have been contaminated by pollution, for example, or assess the risks of logging or other forest activities. They recommend ways to minimize the environmental impact of these activities.

Soil and plant scientists research soil, plants, and other forest products. Soil scientists examine the composition of soil as it relates to plant or tree growth and investigate effects of alternative soil treatment practices on tree productivity. They develop methods of conserving and managing soil. Plant scientists strive to improve timber yields, and they advise foresters and other sustainable forestry workers about techniques that could enhance production efforts.

Wildlife biologists work closely with public officials to develop wildlife management and conservation plans. These plans help ensure that wildlife species are protected from threats and that animal populations remain at sustainable levels.

Education and Training

Scientists need a bachelor's or higher degree. Conservation scientists typically need a degree in natural resource management or a related science field, such as agricultural science, soil and plant science, or environmental science. Soil and plant scientists generally have a degree in soil science, chemistry, geology, or a related field. Wildlife biologists need a degree in biology or zoology, and environmental scientists need a natural science or in environmental science degree. Although graduate work is not generally required, many scientists also have a master's degree or a Ph.D. Some wildlife biologists have a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree.

Foresters enter the occupation with at least a bachelor's degree in forestry, forest resource management, or a related field. Sixteen states sponsor some type of credentialing process for foresters. Some states require licensing, others have laws requiring registration, and a few have a voluntary registration process. Licensing and registration usually requires that an applicant have a 4-year degree in forestry and several years of forestry work experience. Licensure requirements may also include passing a written exam.

Earnings

The table that follows shows wages for selected science occupations in May 2012. The wages shown are median annual wages for the United States as a whole; wages vary by employer and location.

Occupation	Median annual wage
Conservation scientists	$61,100
Foresters	$55,950
Environmental scientists and specialists, including health	$63,570
Soil and plant scientists	$58,740
Zoologists and wildlife biologists	$57,710

For more detailed information on science occupations in sustainable forestry, follow the Occupational Outlook Handbook link.

Next week's final sustainable forestry series installment: Science Technician Occupations.

Green Job Series: Careers in Sustainable Forestry [Second Installment]

Fires have an important role in forest ecology. In some extreme forest conditions, small fires turn into large, catastrophic fires that cause significant damage to the forest. However, some species of trees release seeds and spur new growth only in the presence of fires. Managing forest fires is an important part of sustainable forestry.

This installment of The Daily Leap's green job series profiles selected fire protection and prevention occupations in sustainable forestry.

Fire Protection and Prevention Occupations

Workers in these occupations typically spend most of their time outdoors, sometimes under potentially dangerous conditions. They use a variety of tools and equipment in their work. Fire protection and prevention workers must be physically fit, because their jobs are physically demanding and may involve walking long distances through heavily forested areas and wetlands.

Job Duties

Forest firefighters use heavy equipment, hand tools, and water hoses to control forest fires. They also create fire breaks (gaps in vegetation that slow or stop the progress of a fire) to deprive fires of fuel. Some elite forest firefighters, known as smoke jumpers, parachute from planes to reach areas that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Forest firefighters are expected to respond to forest fires during all hours of the day and night and may spend several consecutive days or weeks fighting a fire. Many forest firefighters work on a seasonal basis, generally from early spring to late summer.

Forest firefighters sometimes assist foresters with conducting controlled burns, in which fires are intentionally set to clear underbrush and manage the growth of plants and trees in the forest.

Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists inspect forests for fire hazards. They look for problems that pose a wildfire risk and recommend ways to reduce fire hazards. They patrol forest areas, to ensure compliance with fire regulations, and report fire conditions to a central command center. Most forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists work for state and local governments.

Education and Training

Forest firefighters need to be at least 18 years old and need a high school diploma or equivalent. They are required to pass a physical fitness test, and they receive most of their training on the job. Firefighters who plan and oversee controlled burns must complete additional training and become certified as a burn boss.

Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists have at least a high school diploma; however, some positions require that workers have an associate's or bachelor's degree. Work experience in firefighting or fire suppression also may be necessary.

Earnings

The table that follows shows wages for selected forest fire protection and prevention occupations in May 2012. The wages shown are median annual wages for the United States as a whole; wages vary by employer and location.

Occupation	Median annual wage
Forest firefighters	$45,250
Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists	$35,780

For more detailed information on fire protection and prevention occupations in sustainable forestry, follow the Occupational Outlook Handbook link.

Tomorrow's sustainable forestry series installment: Science Occupations.

Green Job Series: Careers in Sustainable Forestry [First Installment]

Trees provide many of the products, including lumber, paper, and cloth, that we need in a modern economy. Sustainable forestry ensures that forests are used in the most effective way and trees are protected against the harmful effects of pollution, fires, pests, and diseases, and they are not overharvested in a manner that does not allow regrowth and regeneration.

Jobs that are involved in this balance of fulfilling consumer needs and preserving the forest environment relate to careers in sustainable forestry. This installment of The Daily Leap's green job series profiles selected forest conservation and logging occupations in sustainable forestry.

Forest Conservation and Logging Occupations

Forest and conservation workers and loggers who practice sustainable forestry cultivate and harvest thousands of acres of timber each year in environmentally friendly ways. Conservation and logging work is physically demanding, and logging jobs can be hazardous. Workers spend nearly all of their time outdoors, sometimes in poor weather and often in isolated areas. Loggers work in teams, with each worker specializing in a certain task.

Job Duties

Forest and conservation workers help to develop, maintain, and protect forests. Under the supervision of foresters and forest and conservation technicians, forest and conservation workers help to sustain and develop forests by doing tasks, such as planting seedlings or removing diseased trees. They may spray trees and seedlings with insecticides and fungicides, to control insects and weed growth.

Forest and conservation workers may work on tree farms, where they plant, cultivate, and harvest different types of trees. Workers who are employed by state and local governments clear brush and debris from trails, roadsides, and camping areas. Forest and conservation workers who have a fire protection background may help prevent fires by constructing fire breaks or assisting with controlled burns.

Fallers cut down trees with hand-held power chain saws and mobile felling machines. They ensure that the tree is cut safely, so that it falls in the direction desired to avoid hitting other workers or landing on equipment.

Logging equipment operators use tree harvesters to fell trees, shear tree limbs, and cut the trees into desired lengths. They drive tractors and operate self-propelled machines, called skidders or forwarders, which drag or transport logs to a loading area.

Log graders and scalers inspect logs for defects and measure the logs to determine their volume. They estimate the value of the logs or pulpwood (logs that are ground up for paper products). These workers often use handheld data collection devices to enter data about trees.

Other logging workers include buckers, who trim the tops and branches of felled trees and buck (cut) the logs into specific lengths; choke setters, who fasten chokers (steel cables or chains) around logs to be dragged by tractors or forwarded by a cable-yarding system; and rigging slingers and chasers, who set up and dismantle cables and guy wires of the yarding system. In addition, log sorters, markers, movers, and chippers sort, mark, and move logs based on species, size, and ownership, and they tend machines that chip up logs.

Education and Training

Forest and conservation workers typically need a high school diploma before they begin working. They generally get on-the-job training by helping more experienced workers. Most logging workers have a high school diploma. They get on-the-job training, to become familiar with forest environments and to learn how to operate logging machinery.

Many states have training programs for logging workers, which may include technical instruction or field training in areas such as best management practices, environmental compliance, and reforestation. Safety is a vital part of a logging worker’s instruction. Tree fallers require more skill and experience than do workers in other logging occupations, so fallers typically work under the direct supervision of more-experienced logging workers.

Earnings

The table that follows shows wages for selected logging occupations in the forestry and logging subsector in May 2012. The wages shown are median annual wages for the United States as a whole; wages vary by employer and location.

Occupation	Median annual wage
Forest and conservation workers	$24,340
Fallers	$35,250
Logging equipment operators	$33,380
Log graders and scalers	$32,880
Logging workers, all other	$34,260

For more detailed information on forest conservation and logging occupations in sustainable forestry, follow the Occupational Outlook Handbook link.

Next week's sustainable forestry installment: Fire Protection and Prevention Occupations.