National
| Median wages (2008) |
$10.98 hourly, $22,850 annual |
| Employment (2006) |
20,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2006-2016) |
Slower than average (3% to 6%)
|
| Projected need (2006-2016) |
9,000 additional employees |
45-4011.00 - Forest and Conservation Workers
Under supervision, perform manual labor necessary to develop, maintain, or protect forest, forested areas, and woodlands through such activities as raising and transporting tree seedlings; combating insects, pests, and diseases harmful to trees; and building erosion and water control structures and leaching of forest soil. Includes forester aides, seedling pullers, and tree planters.
Sample of reported job titles:
Christmas Tree Grower, Tree Planter, Field Laborer, Forestry Support Specialist, Conservation Officer, Geographic Information Systems Coordinator (GIS Coordinator), Reforestation Worker
Tasks
- Check equipment to ensure that it is operating properly.
- Confer with other workers to discuss issues such as safety, cutting heights, and work needs.
- Fight forest fires or perform prescribed burning tasks under the direction of fire suppression officers or forestry technicians.
- Perform fire protection and suppression duties such as constructing fire breaks and disposing of brush.
- Select and cut trees according to markings or sizes, types, and grades.
- Identify diseased or undesirable trees, and remove them, using power saws or hand saws.
- Spray or inject vegetation with insecticides to kill insects and to protect against disease, and with herbicides to reduce competing vegetation.
- Drag cut trees from cutting areas and load trees onto trucks.
- Thin and space trees, using power thinning saws.
- Maintain tallies of trees examined and counted during tree marking and measuring efforts.
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Tools & Technology
Tools used in this occupation:
| Dibblers |
| Forestry saws — Epicormic knives; Pruning saws |
| Mowers — Brush hogs |
| Planters — Planting drills |
| Screwdrivers — Phillips head screwdrivers; Straight screwdrivers |
| Sprayers — Backpack sprayers; Herbicide sprayers |
| Weeders — Weed eaters |
Technology used in this occupation:
| Map creation software — ESRI ArcGIS software; Geographic information system GIS software; Leica Geosystems ERDAS IMAGINE |
| Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel |
| Word processing software — Microsoft Word |
