Forestry Policy Lead; Environmental Planner

Forestry Policy Lead (Environmental Planner
5)

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Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

Description

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen The Department of Ecology is hiring a Forestry Policy Lead (Environmental Planner
5) within the Water Quality Program.

Location:

• Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA.
• Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

Schedule

• This position is eligible for telework and flexible schedule options.
• A minimum of one day per week is required in the office.
• A minimum of one day per week is required in the field.
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline

• Apply by January 11, 2026
• This position will remain open until filled. The agency reserves the right to make a hire at any time after application review begins. Applications received after the date above may not be considered.

Duties

In this role, you will collaborate with other state and federal agencies in policy development, planning efforts, rule proposals, and development of guidance for implementing regulations that protect our state’s lakes, rivers, and streams. You will serve as the program planning advisor on all forestry issues for the Water Quality Program. Responsibilities include acting as the program expert for applying water quality standards in forestry management and state forest activities, representing the agency at the Forest and Fish Policy committee, evaluating the Department of Natural Resources implementation of forest practices rules, and providing legislative support on these topics.

You will lead Ecology's forestry team in providing technical guidance for our forestry field personnel and advising on potential enforcement actions when necessary. This is your opportunity to advise the Department of Ecology on important forestry topics regarding the department’s rules, authority, policy, and strategic positions to protect water quality in the state.

What You Will Do

• Represent Ecology on committees to evaluate and recommend refinements to the state’s forest practices rules.
• Initiate and coordinate Ecology’s responsibilities under Washington’s Forests and Fish Agreement.
• Participate in periodic evaluations of the forest practices program, including reviews of scientific studies that assess effectiveness of forest practices rules.
• Represent the agency as the forestry policy advisor and provides testimony to the Forest Practices Board in that capacity.
• Provide technical and policy direction and advice to the Director, Water Quality Program Manager, and Ecology’s board representative.
• Serve as agency representative in interagency and intra-agency negotiations on technical issues.
• Coordinate internally, with Department of Natural Resources and other agencies on all forestry policy issues.
• Provide legislative support on forestry issues including analysis of legislation, completing fiscal notes, providing testimony when necessary.

Qualifications

For detailed information on how we calculate experience, please visit our Recruitment website.

Required Qualifications

Eleven (11) years of experience and/or education as described below:

• Experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, and/or program development, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related experience.
• Education involving a major study in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related field.

Examples Of How To Qualify

• 11 years of experience.
• 10 years of experience AND 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits.
• 9 years of experience AND 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (Associate’s degree).
• 8 years of experience AND 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits.
• 7 years of experience AND a Bachelor’s degree.
• 5 years of experience AND a Master’s degree or above.
• 2 years of experience as an Environmental Planner 4, at the Department of Ecology.

Special…