Forest Fire Jobs in Florida (NOW HIRING)

Requisition No: 881063 

Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services

Working Title: FORESTER - 42003361

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 42003361 

Salary:  $51,000.30 - $62,000.12 

Posting Closing Date: 08/18/2026 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

FORESTER

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES

FLORIDA FOREST SERVICE

***OPEN COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY***

CONTACT:

Charley Ferrer, (850) 691-0805

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

A bachelor's (4 years) and/or master's (6 years) degree in Forestry or a related field from a Society of American Foresters accredited college or university; or

Anticipated receipt of a bachelor's and/or master's degree in Forestry or a related field from a Society of American Foresters accredited college or university within six (6) months of the closing date of this advertisement.

NOTE: Applicants in this category will not be appointed until they have acquired and provide final proof of receiving the required degree. 

A bachelor's and/or master's degrees in Forestry or a related field obtained outside the United States must either: 1) be obtained from a Society of American Foresters accredited college or university; or 2) curriculum must include at least two (2) of the following four (4) courses: Silviculture, Dendrology, Forest Mensuration or Forest Management. 

NOTE: Applicants will provide an academic equivalency evaluation obtained in the United States showing the required courses.

NOTE: ALL POSITIONS WITHIN THIS CLASS REQUIRE POSSESSION OF A VALID DRIVER LICENSE.

***ATTENTION CANDIDATES***

To be considered for a position with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:

• All fields in the Candidate Profile must be completed (an attached resume is not a substitution for the information required on the candidate profile).
• Work history, duties and responsibilities, hours worked, supervisor, and formal education fields, etc. must be filled out to determine qualifications for this position.
• Responses to Qualifying Questions must be verifiable in the Candidate Profile.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services values
and supports employment of individuals with disabilities. Qualified
individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Occasional to moderate travel required.

Position may respond to emergencies, including natural disasters or other type incidents requiring travel, as needed.

NOTE:

To maintain fairness and integrity, applicants are required to provide honest and authentic responses during all stages of the evaluation and selection process. Applicants must rely on their own personal knowledge, thoughts, and impressions. A candidate's use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to answer qualifying questions or participate in interviews will be taken into consideration when determining qualification for the position.

Successful applicant must pass a background screening, including fingerprinting, as a condition of employment.

JOB DUTIES:

The incumbent of this position is responsible for a variety of technical forestry, fire and resource management programs on the Pine Log State Forest, Point Washington State Forest and Sandy Creek State Forest located within the Chipola Forestry Center.

Responsible for the technical forestry work on the Point Washington State Forest.  This includes timber marking and volume estimation and the sale of forest products; providing technical assistance in planning for multiple use of the forest and ensuring that multiple use management is practiced; preparing stands for contract tree planting; preparing contracts for harvesting forest products, for tree planting and other contract services.

Provides technical assistance in developing prescribed burn prescriptions and smoke screen plans; evaluates areas to be burned prior to burn and after burn to ensure that sound forest management objectives are met; participates in prescribed burns, secures the necessary training to conduct and participate in prescribed burning. Maintains prescribed burning records and evaluations.

Provides wildfire and emergency response support as directed. Assists in the development of smoke management, wildfire prevention, prescribed fire, pre-suppression burning plans, and hazardous fuels mitigation. Assists in the enforcement of Florida's open burning laws and regulations.

Utilizes mass media systems such as newspaper, radio, television, and public presentations to keep the public informed of developments on the Point Washington State Forest.  Provides local schools with information and conducts periodic field trips for environmental education. Coordinates local volunteer groups to perform work projects on trails and other projects on the State Forest. 

Provides assistance in preparing anticipated budget requests, administering approved funds, and preparing budget status reports. Maintains state forest files, correspondences, time sheet, expense accounts, and other office records.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

The Following Special Benefits for this Position Include

• Annual Uniform Allotment
• Annual Boot Allotment

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck.  The State's total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:

• Annual and Sick Leave benefits;
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal holiday each year;
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision and other supplemental insurance options;
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (For more information, please visit www.myfrs.com;)
• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Tuition waivers;
• And more!

For a complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

For an estimate of the total compensation package for this position, please visit the "Total Compensation Estimator Tool" located above under the "Posting Closing Date."

SPECIAL NOTES:

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS' PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans' Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans' Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans' Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.