Natural Resources Professional - Forester

Requisition Id15939

Requisition Id15939

We are seeking a Natural Resources Professional who will focus on conducting activities assigned to the ORNL Natural Resources Management Team (NRMT) by U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) throughout the Oak Ridge Reservation. The successful candidate for this position will act as the subject matter expert in forest management and in wildland fire management. Tasks may include timber management, forest inventory, wildfire planning, habitat restoration and reforestation, detection and control of exotic forest insects and plants.

More information about NRMT can be found atnerp.ornl.gov. This position resides in the Natural Resources Management Team in the Environmental Protection Services Division, Environment, Safety, Health and Quality Directorate, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

• Develop burn plans with requestors and annually submit to the Federal Manager for approval.
• Maintain and regularly update contact lists for burn notifications and make such notifications prior to all controlled burns.
• Perform as liaison and technical point of contact for Tennessee Division of Forestry (TDF) during wildfire events requiring their mutual aid and function as Technical Point of Contact for landowner services contracts with TDF.
• Prepare and update pre-fire plans for wildland management units with maps that include fuel types, topographic features, access, cultural asset locations, protected natural resources, contaminated areas, and potential hazards.

• Prepare, update, and implement approved management/stewardship plans for ORR forest resources.
• Monitor forest threats such as southern pine beetle, emerald ash borer, oak wilt, gypsy moth, hemlock wooly adelgid and thousand-canker disease of walnut. Prepare and implement integrated pest management plans to address how to deal with active threats.
• Provide information on forest health and related issues to general Laboratory population as appropriate.
• Provide forester assistance to Federal Manager and Real Estate Officers, etc. (timber valuations/salvage, urban interface issues, historic forest management data). Identify salvageable timber associated with DOE projects or natural events.
• Monitor timber harvesting operations for compliance with DOE timber sale contracts.
• Provide consultation, mapping and technical guidance on site forest resources as appropriate.
• Coordinate with other ORNL Natural Resources Management Program subject matter experts (ecologists, wildlife manager, entomologist) and other on-site experts working toward maintaining a successful integrated natural resources management program for the ORR.
• Deliver ORNL's mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace - in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

• A BS degree in forest resource management, or other related environmental field from a college or university accredited by the Society of American Foresters, with a curriculum that includes dendrology, forest measurements, silviculture, and forest management.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in professional forestry, wildlife, natural resources, or any other related work (This is not a research position).
• Experience in wildland fire management including burn plan development, fire weather, hazard analysis including WUI assessments, public notifications and interaction, the conduct of controlled fire and response to wildfire (There are no actual fire-fighting responsibilities associated with this position).
• Experience in timber sale preparation/administration, harvest oversight, including current forestry BMPs.

• Expertise in GPS use and data collection, GIS Mapping (ArcGIS preferred) and data curation/sharing. Photointerpretation/GIS analysis skills and boundary demarcation are helpful.
• Experience with safe forest pesticide applications and efficacy assessment. A TN Pesticide Certification would be helpful.
• Working knowledge of dendrology and silviculture. Familiarity with forest ecology, TN ecoregions, plant communities, flora, and plant identification are helpful.
• Experience in habitat restoration, particularly invasive plant control through mechanical and chemical methods.
• Competency in assessing hazard trees and impact targets.
• Familiarity with forest road and trail construction and maintenance practices.
• Awareness of current regional forest health threats and management approaches. Familiarity with management and treatment of hemlock wooly adelgid (HWA) and southern pine beetle (SPB).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory.
• Ability to function well in a…