State Lands Forest Technician / Forester – State Lands Specialist

About the role

The State Lands Forest Tech/Forester positions support the Georgia Forestry Commission’s State Lands Program, managing public forest lands, coordinating timber sales, and ensuring sustainable forest practices across state and federal properties.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and update timber harvest plans, conduct timber cruising, and manage timber sale transactions.
• Write and maintain forest management plans, supervise reforestation, prescribed burns, and herbicide treatments.
• Coordinate with U.S. Forest Service, state agencies, and other partners to meet forest management objectives.
• Assist law‑enforcement investigations of timber theft through data collection and stump‑cruise analysis.
• Operate UAVs, GPS/ArcGIS tools, and farm equipment for field data collection and property maintenance.

Required profile

• Associate’s degree in forestry or related field with 3 years experience for Tech role.
• Bachelor’s degree in forestry (SAF‑accredited) for Forester roles.
• Knowledge of timber markets, best management practices, and forest ecology.
• Willingness to travel overnight in‑state and occasional out‑of‑state.

Required skills

• GIS/ArcGIS and GPS field mapping.
• Word and Excel proficiency.
• Operation of UAVs, farm tractors, and cutter/bush hog equipment.
• Timber cruising and timber sale administration.