Regional Forester

Regional Forester – NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP)

NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enriches the environment and protects public health for all New Yorkers by providing high‑quality drinking water, managing wastewater and stormwater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees and a 2,000 square‑mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the City.

The Bureau of Water Supply seeks to hire an Associate Project Manager II for a position with the Forestry Section, Natural Resources Division within the Source Water Protection Directorate, located in Kingston, New York. Under the direction of the Forestry Program Manager, the Associate Project Manager II will serve as Regional Forester and primarily manage watershed forest management in the Catskill Region, including the basins of the Ashokan and Schoharie reservoirs.

• Prioritize forest treatments that manage forest vegetation in a manner consistent with the NYC Watershed Forest Management Plan.
• Be responsible for forest management in the assigned region and supervise other foresters to achieve regional goals.
• Assist in programmatic review and develop updates to the Watershed Forest Management Plan consistent with the goals and requirements of the City’s Filtration Avoidance Determination (FAD).
• Design and implement forest inventories and other assessments to inform comprehensive forest management planning and project implementation.
• Design and manage effective forest management projects that implement treatments through timber sale contracts, DEP staff use, or inter‑governmental agreements.
• Oversee contractor performance during forest management projects for quality of work, water‑protection goals, and health and safety compliance.
• Shepherd regulatory submissions and reviews through internal and external processes to ensure compliance and timely delivery of project plans.
• Develop contracts and purchase orders; review and process invoices, contractor approvals, and vendor insurance for City‑funded contracts.
• Prepare and submit written reports, annual reports, and evaluation reports pursuant to specific deliverables and requirements of the FAD.
• Communicate and collaborate with local watershed stakeholders, program partners, and federal/state agencies to support program goals.

Physical Activities
:
Walking to and from inspection sites; climbing and descending ladders or stairs; standing for extended periods; bending, stretching, stooping; communicating orally; walking in damp, moldy, dark, dusty, smoky, or noisy areas; working outdoors in all kinds of weather.

Special Working Conditions
:
May be required to work shifts including nights, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

• Strong computer skills, including word processing and spreadsheets.
• Experience with Microsoft Office products.
• Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), ESRI GIS software, GPS software, hardware, data collection, and processing.
• A bachelor’s degree in forest ecology, forestry, forest science, restoration ecology, natural resources management, or a directly related field, or a master’s degree in the same disciplines and two years of full‑time experience in a relevant field.
• Experience preparing and implementing silvicultural prescriptions, preferably in Northeastern forests.
• Experience in timber harvest layout and administration, including use of forestry Best Management Practices.
• Effective communication with loggers, consultants, regulators, town boards, landowners, abutters, and other parties potentially involved with timber harvests.
• Knowledge of forest ecology, invasive species biology and control, dendrology, forest types, stand dynamics, and silviculture of northeastern forests, forest inventory data collection and processing.
• Experience in Best Management Practices to protect water quality and environmental health and safety practices in forestry operations.
• Ability to navigate effectively in the woods.
• Ability to work alone outdoors.
• Ability to traverse rough terrain in remote…