Main Purpose of Job
This position serves as a GIS Forester at Chesapeake Forest and Pocomoke State Forest andprovides technical and professional support in the areas of forest management, GeographicalInformation Systems (GIS), recreation management, and forest protection.. This is a criticaland highly skilled position responsible for managing a complex integrated geospatial (GIS)database management system utilized in the development of annual forest work plans todirect on-going sustainable forest management activities on two State Forests. This positionis also responsible for running highly sophisticated modeling software to verify sustainableharvesting levels consistent with third-part forestry certification standards. Position is alsoresponsible for implementing daily field operations of the Chesapeake Forest and PocomokeState Forest, including timber sale preparation for revenue generation, inventory work for thedevelopment of the annual work plan/long-range management plan, maintaining updatedboundary shape files, managing recreational uses, and boundary reconciliation andmaintenance, and geo-referencing boundary lines to new GIS reference points. Position isessential for achieving requirements of Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and ForestStewardship Council (FSC) third-party sustainable forestry certification. Position requireshighly specialized knowledge of GIS software (ArcGIS Pro), forest modelingsoftware (Remsoft), operation of GPS and field data recorders, and ability to integrate thisinformation into the Chesapeake Forest data management system. Requirements includequerying the database to develop alternative management strategies and the production ofspecialized forest management maps used in the Public Review process. In addition, thisposition is responsible for managing and updating the Hunt Club lease portion of thedatabase, along with tracking lease payments from about 250 Clubs. The duties described above are critical for maintaining a sustainable forest land base withinour State Forest system. This directly supports the Departmental mission of securing asustainable future for our environment, society, and economy by preserving, protecting,restoring and enhancing the State’s natural resources while supporting the goal of inspiringMarylanders to live in harmony with nature and to protect the Chesapeake Bay.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education: A Bachelor of Science degree in forestry from a school of forestry accredited by the Society of American Foresters.
Experience: None.
Notes:
1. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Master of Science degree approved by the State Board of Foresters for the required Bachelor’s degree.
2. The education requirement is pursuant to Business Occupations and Professions Article, Sections 7-206 and 7-304 of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
3. Candidates may substitute Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in the natural resources management and biological sciences classifications or natural resources management and biological sciences specialty codes in the forestry field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required education.
DESIRED OR PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
1. Training and/or experience in forest data collection and analysis.
2. Training and/or experience in GIS use.
LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS
Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Candidates appointed to positions in this classification will be subject to assignment in any county of the State. Upon permanent appointment, the employee will be required to reside in the county or region to which they are assigned.
2. Employees in this classification are subject to call-in and, therefore, are required to submit a telephone number where they can be reached in case of forest fire emergencies.
SELECTION PROCESS
Please make sure you provide sufficient information on your application to show that you meet the qualifications for this recruitment. All information concerning your qualifications must be submitted by the closing date. We will not consider information submitted after this date. Successful candidates may be ranked as Best Qualified, Better Qualified, or Qualified and placed on the employment (eligible) list for at least one year. For education obtained outside the, a copy of the equivalent American education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service must be provided prior to hire.
EXAMINATION PROCESS
Your application is part of the examination process. The examination will consist of a rating of your education, training, and experience related to the requirements of this position. The rating will be based on the information provided on your application. Therefore, it is important you provide all the experience and education related to this position completely and accurately.