State Forester-Assistant Commissioner of Forestry

About the Department

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry is seeking an experienced and dedicated State Forester to lead the agency's forestry programs and help protect, manage, and promote Louisiana's valuable forest resources.

If you are passionate about forestry management and public service, we encourage you to apply. 

The State Forester provides statewide executive leadership and direction for all forest interests and all matters pertaining to forestry within the jurisdiction of the State, establishes the agency's annual goals, objectives, and priorities, and serves by operation of law as the Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Forestry within the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. The function of work, the reason the position exists, and its duties and special requirements are mandated by law through La. R.S. 3:4276, La. R.S. 3:4275, and La. R.S. 36:627, in furtherance of the constitutional directive that forestry be practiced in the State under the Louisiana Forestry Commission (La. Const. art. IX, § 8).

Why Join the State of Louisiana? 

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance options
• Participation in the Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System (LASERS)
• Generous paid holidays
• Earn annual and sick leave
• Paid parental leave (for eligible employees)
• Life insurance options
• Deferred compensation (457(b)) retirement savings plan
• Flexible spending and health savings account options
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

To learn more about the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, visit www.ldaf.la.gov.

Position Duties

• Education: Graduate of an accredited school of forestry. 
• Experience: At least four (4) years of forestry experience in the South.

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Established written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated senior leadership experience in forestry, fire management, ecosystem management, and forest products.
• Strong administrative capabilities to strategically and effectively guide, supervise, and develop staff in a complex organization.
• Proven record of working collaboratively with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders and public bodies.

Minimum Qualifications

•Appointed and employed by the Louisiana Forestry Commission, which controls the tenure of the office.
•Serves as the statutory Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Forestry; selected as provided by law and with the consent of the Louisiana Senate. 
•Salary fixed by the Commissioner of Agriculture at $150,000 with state-allowed benefits.  Final compensation will be based on experience, skills, and qualifications.

Other Qualifications

ALLOCATION OF TIME (FUNCTIONS OF WORK):

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

1. Executive Direction and Strategic Planning

• Have direction of all forest interests and all matters pertaining to forestry within the jurisdiction of the State.   (La. R.S. 3:4276(1))
• Determine annual goals, objectives, and priorities, and conduct annual reviews per established department protocol.   (La. R.S. 3:4276(2))

2. Wildfire Detection, Suppression, and Prevention

• Serve as lead department liaison responsible for the detection and rapid suppression of all forest wildfires in the State, including all state-owned and private forest lands and non-forested open areas threatening forest lands.  (La. R.S. 3:4276(3))
• Work with state cooperators that may offer assistance during wildfire suppression efforts.  (La. R.S. 3:4276(4))
• Take such action as is authorized by law to prevent and extinguish forest fires.  (La. R.S. 3:4276(5))
• Serve as lead department liaison responsible for wildfire prevention education and training.  (La. R.S. 3:4276(11))

3. Law Enforcement and Forest Protection

• Enforce laws pertaining to forest woodlands and recommend prosecutions for violations.  (La. R.S. 3:4276(6))
• Appoint and commission forestry officers — POST-certified — to enforce the laws, rules, and regulations protecting interests relating to forest woodlands.  (La. R.S. 3:4274.1)

4. Compliance Monitoring and Forest Practices

• Serve as lead department liaison responsible for compliance monitoring related to adherence to forest practices mandated by law and to voluntary best management practices (BMPs) for forestry as established by the State of Louisiana.  (La. R.S. 3:4276(13))
• Establish an ongoing monitoring protocol that is stable, consistently implemented, and reported to stakeholders and the public on a biennial basis.  (La. R.S. 3:4276(14))

5. Resource Management and Landowner Assistance

• Cooperate with and encourage private timber owners in planning for the protection, management, and replacement of forests, and aid them in forming protective associations.  (La. R.S. 3:4276(8))
• Direct landowner assistance to encourage reforestation and sustainable land management and make recommendations based on an understanding of landowner objectives.  (La. R.S. 3:4276(15))
• Administer the Forest Productivity Program, which provides reforestation assistance.  (La. R.S. 3:4276(16))

6. Forest Inventory and Data

• Serve as the state liaison for forest inventory and maintain statistically reliable forest inventory data that is publicly accessible, if appropriated in the budget.  (La. R.S. 3:4276(12))

7. Education and Public Outreach

• Act as lead department liaison to educate and train industry professionals and the public on matters vital to the long-term stability and sustainability of Louisiana's forests, and lead and support programs on the economic, social, and recreational benefits of healthy, working forest ecosystems.  (La. R.S. 3:4276(7))

8. Training, Workforce Development, and Wellness

• Provide wildfire suppression training to Office of Forestry employees to National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) standards.   (La. R.S. 3:4276(9))
• Provide certified burner training.   (La. R.S. 3:4276(10))
• Establish a training program to train volunteer firefighters regarding proper wildland firefighting practices and procedures.  (La. R.S. 3:4276(18))
• Establish an educational training program to address post-traumatic stress and to provide emotional support for wildland firefighters in coping with the stress of their jobs.  (La. R.S. 3:4276(17))

9. Departmental Administration

• Serve as the Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Forestry, exercising the powers and authority of the office subject to the overall direction and control of the Commissioner of Agriculture.   (La. R.S. 36:627(A), (D))

10. Federal and Interstate Cooperation

• Cooperate with the government of the United States and its bureaus, services, and agencies in accordance with federal statutes and regulations (including the U.S. Forest Service, Region 8, and Kisatchie National Forest).  (La. R.S. 3:4274(A)(5))
• Represents Louisiana within the Southern Group of State Foresters and the National Association of State Foresters.

HOW TO APPLY:  
To apply for this vacancy, click on the “Apply” link above and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the Information section of the Current Job Opportunities page. In addition, please complete the following: 

• Attach current resume to applicant profile
• Official proof of a forestry degree from an accredited institution, to be sent directly from the university to LDAF Human Resources Manager, Kimberly Guy-Buckley at [email protected]. 
• Attach verifiable documentation of qualifying professional experience
• List of three to five professional references

For further information about this vacancy, contact:
Kimberly Guy-Buckley- HR Manager 
Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry
5825 Florida Blvd., Suite 1001
Baton Rouge, LA 70806 
[email protected]

Benefits

Benefits for unclassified employees are determined by the individual hiring authority.

Supplemental Questions

Required Question

Agency Information

EmployerState of LouisianaAddress 1201 N 3rd St

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70802 Phone(866) 783-5462
Website http://agency.governmentjobs.com/louisiana/default.cfm