Forestry Technologist (Full Time)
About the role
The Municipality of North Cowichan (population 30,000) is located in the beautiful Cowichan Valley on Southern Vancouver Island, between Nanaimo and Victoria. Our communities of Chemainus, Crofton, Maple Bay and the South End, including University Village, are home to a multitude of artistic, cultural and outdoor recreational activities. The Municipality provides a stable and varied work environment, competitive pay and benefits.
We invite applications from candidates with the proven skills, qualifications and abilities for the position of Forestry Technologiston a Full-Time basis. If you are self-motivated, looking to take on a new challenge where you can make a difference, enjoy both responsibility and accountability with one of British Columbia's most inclusive and environmentally conscious municipalities, we look forward to receiving your application!
This position is responsible for the coordination, technical administration, and operational delivery of a wide range of forestry related activities, including planning and conducting silviculture work, maintaining program records and data, and supporting implementation of the silviculture program.. The role includes regular patrols and safety inspections of municipal infrastructure and signage within the Municipal Forest Reserve, frequent interaction with the public to provide information and address inquiries and safety concerns, and responsibility for monitoring, inspecting, and coordinating forest trail activities, including mountain biking and hiking trails, to support safe conditions and effective collaboration with trail user groups. The position also coordinates and implements FireSmart activities, including providing information and advice during home assessments, supporting community education, and assisting with fuel mitigation initiatives to reduce wildfire risk.
This position reports directly to the Manager, Parks and Forestry. The Director, Parks and Recreation retains the title and authority of Municipal Forester and provides oversight of all professional forestry activities to ensure alignment with municipal objectives and regulatory requirements.
Core responsibilities for this position include:
- Planning, coordinating, monitoring, and implementing North Cowichan Forestry department silviculture program.
- Patrol and monitor the Municipal Forest Reserve for road infrastructure, security and user safety issues.
- Oversee and monitor silviculture contractors to ensure compliance, quality and safety standards are met
- Collect and record silviculture related information and input into Municipal computer systems.
- Produce and complete silviculture reports for planning, database management and audits.
- Review, monitor, inspect, and collect data on hiking and mountain biking trails within the Municipal Forest Reserve to support safe trail conditions, track maintenance needs, and contribute to effective coordination with trail user groups.
- Establishing and maintaining positive relations with all staff groups, community groups and the general public;
- Preparing, maintaining, and updating budget documents, records, reports and statistics;
- Keep inventories and monitor forestry equipment;
- Enforcing rules and regulations when necessary and performing any other duties or tasks as required; and
- Performing other work on an as-needed basis.
Deployment to other duties may be required from time to time.
Required Skills, Qualifications, and Abilities:
- Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry or Forest Resource Technical Diploma or equivalent.
- Registered with Forest Professions BC as a Registered Forest Technologist (RFT) or Registered Professional Forester (RPF) in good standing or;
- Enrolled, or eligible for immediate enrollment, with Forest Professionals BC as a forest professional in training (TFT, ASTFT, FIT, ASFIT), for the purpose of obtaining an RFT or RPF designation.
- A minimum of four (4) years related leadership experience in all phases of coastal forestry management, including harvesting, road building and maintenance, silviculture surveys and activities, wildfire management and fire protection.
- Demonstrated commitment to safe work practices and compliance with applicable safety procedures.
- Ability to meet the physical demands of forestry field work, including working on uneven terrain in all weather conditions, both independently and collaboratively.
- Experience in project and/or contract management related to silviculture, harvesting and road building.
- Experience with recreational mountain biking and hiking trail maintenance,development and inspection.
- Preference may be given to applicants with Standard First Aid, S100, wildlife awareness training, Danger Tree Assessor Certificate, FPBC Silviculture Accredited Surveyor (SAS) designation, Local Fire Representative Certificate, or other applicable training.
- Capable of assessing hazards and recommending appropriate treatments for live and dead trees in both urban and forested environments.
- Possession and maintenance of a valid Class 5 B.C. Driver's License; a satisfactory current driver's abstract will be required.
- Knowledge of and commitment to WorkSafe BC, Ministry of Health and Technical Safety BC regulations and safety procedures and other related regulatory requirements as related to forestry operations.
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Experience with the Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), ArcGIS, Adobe, Phoenix Connect and other computer applications is an asset.
- Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with other staff, , the general public, user groups, volunteers and program participants.
- Ability to maintain, prepare and update budget documents, reports and other materials related to operations.
- Ability to communicate well verbally, non-verbally and in writing.
- Ability to work with minimal to no supervision, have good attention to detail and ability to plan and meet tight deadlines while managing multiple projects.
The position may be physically demanding; candidate must be able to successfully perform all duties associated with the position. A medical certificate attesting to suitability for this position may be required. This is a unionized position (CUPE Local 358) and the collective agreement may be viewed on our website.
Candidates being considered will be required to undergo a comprehensive evaluation of skills, qualifications, and abilities. The successful candidate will be required to undergo a police information check and vulnerable sector check.
Not the right fit? Search for Forestry Technologist jobs in North Cowichan, BC
About Municipality of North Cowichan
North Cowichan is the largest municipality within the Cowichan Valley Regional District, located on beautiful Vancouver Island.
As an organization we support multiple unique communities: Crofton, Chemainus, Maple Bay, and a large suburb outside the City of Duncan dubbed “South End.”
We employ approximately 450 staff (including 150 paid on call firefighters) across multiple worksites including Cowichan Aquatic Centre, Fuller Lake Arena, RCMP Detachment, four fire halls, the Municipal Hall, and the Operations and Public Works Yards.
North Cowichan provides a wide range of diverse programs and services to residents, while also delivering meaningful and rewarding career opportunities for our employees.
Join a collaborative team with great people, a supportive environment, and a collective goal of providing the best possible services to our residents.
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Forestry Technologist (Full Time)
About the role
The Municipality of North Cowichan (population 30,000) is located in the beautiful Cowichan Valley on Southern Vancouver Island, between Nanaimo and Victoria. Our communities of Chemainus, Crofton, Maple Bay and the South End, including University Village, are home to a multitude of artistic, cultural and outdoor recreational activities. The Municipality provides a stable and varied work environment, competitive pay and benefits.
We invite applications from candidates with the proven skills, qualifications and abilities for the position of Forestry Technologiston a Full-Time basis. If you are self-motivated, looking to take on a new challenge where you can make a difference, enjoy both responsibility and accountability with one of British Columbia's most inclusive and environmentally conscious municipalities, we look forward to receiving your application!
This position is responsible for the coordination, technical administration, and operational delivery of a wide range of forestry related activities, including planning and conducting silviculture work, maintaining program records and data, and supporting implementation of the silviculture program.. The role includes regular patrols and safety inspections of municipal infrastructure and signage within the Municipal Forest Reserve, frequent interaction with the public to provide information and address inquiries and safety concerns, and responsibility for monitoring, inspecting, and coordinating forest trail activities, including mountain biking and hiking trails, to support safe conditions and effective collaboration with trail user groups. The position also coordinates and implements FireSmart activities, including providing information and advice during home assessments, supporting community education, and assisting with fuel mitigation initiatives to reduce wildfire risk.
This position reports directly to the Manager, Parks and Forestry. The Director, Parks and Recreation retains the title and authority of Municipal Forester and provides oversight of all professional forestry activities to ensure alignment with municipal objectives and regulatory requirements.
Core responsibilities for this position include:
- Planning, coordinating, monitoring, and implementing North Cowichan Forestry department silviculture program.
- Patrol and monitor the Municipal Forest Reserve for road infrastructure, security and user safety issues.
- Oversee and monitor silviculture contractors to ensure compliance, quality and safety standards are met
- Collect and record silviculture related information and input into Municipal computer systems.
- Produce and complete silviculture reports for planning, database management and audits.
- Review, monitor, inspect, and collect data on hiking and mountain biking trails within the Municipal Forest Reserve to support safe trail conditions, track maintenance needs, and contribute to effective coordination with trail user groups.
- Establishing and maintaining positive relations with all staff groups, community groups and the general public;
- Preparing, maintaining, and updating budget documents, records, reports and statistics;
- Keep inventories and monitor forestry equipment;
- Enforcing rules and regulations when necessary and performing any other duties or tasks as required; and
- Performing other work on an as-needed basis.
Deployment to other duties may be required from time to time.
Required Skills, Qualifications, and Abilities:
- Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry or Forest Resource Technical Diploma or equivalent.
- Registered with Forest Professions BC as a Registered Forest Technologist (RFT) or Registered Professional Forester (RPF) in good standing or;
- Enrolled, or eligible for immediate enrollment, with Forest Professionals BC as a forest professional in training (TFT, ASTFT, FIT, ASFIT), for the purpose of obtaining an RFT or RPF designation.
- A minimum of four (4) years related leadership experience in all phases of coastal forestry management, including harvesting, road building and maintenance, silviculture surveys and activities, wildfire management and fire protection.
- Demonstrated commitment to safe work practices and compliance with applicable safety procedures.
- Ability to meet the physical demands of forestry field work, including working on uneven terrain in all weather conditions, both independently and collaboratively.
- Experience in project and/or contract management related to silviculture, harvesting and road building.
- Experience with recreational mountain biking and hiking trail maintenance,development and inspection.
- Preference may be given to applicants with Standard First Aid, S100, wildlife awareness training, Danger Tree Assessor Certificate, FPBC Silviculture Accredited Surveyor (SAS) designation, Local Fire Representative Certificate, or other applicable training.
- Capable of assessing hazards and recommending appropriate treatments for live and dead trees in both urban and forested environments.
- Possession and maintenance of a valid Class 5 B.C. Driver's License; a satisfactory current driver's abstract will be required.
- Knowledge of and commitment to WorkSafe BC, Ministry of Health and Technical Safety BC regulations and safety procedures and other related regulatory requirements as related to forestry operations.
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Experience with the Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), ArcGIS, Adobe, Phoenix Connect and other computer applications is an asset.
- Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with other staff, , the general public, user groups, volunteers and program participants.
- Ability to maintain, prepare and update budget documents, reports and other materials related to operations.
- Ability to communicate well verbally, non-verbally and in writing.
- Ability to work with minimal to no supervision, have good attention to detail and ability to plan and meet tight deadlines while managing multiple projects.
The position may be physically demanding; candidate must be able to successfully perform all duties associated with the position. A medical certificate attesting to suitability for this position may be required. This is a unionized position (CUPE Local 358) and the collective agreement may be viewed on our website.
Candidates being considered will be required to undergo a comprehensive evaluation of skills, qualifications, and abilities. The successful candidate will be required to undergo a police information check and vulnerable sector check.
Not the right fit? Search for Forestry Technologist jobs in North Cowichan, BC
About Municipality of North Cowichan
North Cowichan is the largest municipality within the Cowichan Valley Regional District, located on beautiful Vancouver Island.
As an organization we support multiple unique communities: Crofton, Chemainus, Maple Bay, and a large suburb outside the City of Duncan dubbed “South End.”
We employ approximately 450 staff (including 150 paid on call firefighters) across multiple worksites including Cowichan Aquatic Centre, Fuller Lake Arena, RCMP Detachment, four fire halls, the Municipal Hall, and the Operations and Public Works Yards.
North Cowichan provides a wide range of diverse programs and services to residents, while also delivering meaningful and rewarding career opportunities for our employees.
Join a collaborative team with great people, a supportive environment, and a collective goal of providing the best possible services to our residents.