Reforestation Forester

Mendocino Forest Products Company•Fort Bragg, CA

12d•$72,000 - $84,000•Onsite

About The Position

Mendocino Redwood Company is seeking an experienced Reforestation Forester for its forestry team based in Fort Bragg, California. This exempt position is responsible for planning, coordinating, and overseeing reforestation activities, from site preparation and tree planting through the establishment of free-to-grow stands. The work includes vegetation management, sourcing planting materials, and monitoring reforestation success to support long-term forest productivity and sustainability. The position ensures activities are conducted safely, comply with applicable state and federal laws and regulations, support company financial and operational objectives, and align with company values and Forest Stewardship Council certification requirements. The base salary is $72,000 to $84,000. Final compensation depends on factors such as location, skills, education, and experience. Applications are accepted until the position is filled, but no later than June 2027. The Mendocino Companies own nearly 450,000 acres of FSC-certified redwood and Douglas-fir timberland, are the largest waterborne wood treater in the Western USA and the largest producer of redwood lumber in the world, and collectively provide 950 employees and their families with wages and benefits. The companies also operate a 25-megawatt biomass cogeneration power plant and wood pellet plant.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in forestry or a related field.
California Registered Professional Foresters (RPF) license and California Pest Control Advisors (PCA) license, or ability to qualify for and take the RPF exam and obtain the PCA license within two years of hire.
Valid driver’s license and eligibility to operate a company vehicle under company policy.
Strong knowledge of California Forest Practices and Department of Pesticide Regulation rules.
Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects in a timely manner.
Good leadership and supervisory skills, and ability to maintain positive working relationships with company groups, state agencies, and concerned citizen groups.
Project experience involving planting, burning, pesticide use, pre-commercial thinning, and tree-improvement technology.
Knowledge of or proficiency with Geographic Information Systems, spreadsheets, and database software.
Ability to traverse uneven, steep, rugged terrain for extended distances.
Ability to stand, bend, kneel, climb, and move materials weighing up to 50 pounds.
Ability to work outdoors for extended periods and work additional hours as operational needs require.
Ability to safely use hand tools, forestry equipment, standard office equipment, and data-collection devices.
Vision abilities including close, distance, color, and peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
Manual dexterity to operate forestry tools and equipment, including chainsaws and hand tools.

Responsibilities

Promote a safe working environment, oversee safety programs, and develop Job Safety Analysis procedures for forestry-related hazards.
Develop and implement cost-effective vegetation-management prescriptions for young conifer stands, including safety, planning, budgeting, inspections, monitoring, mapping, permitting, database updates, and experimentation.
Oversee planting and replanting to achieve desired conifer stocking levels and meet California Forest Practice Act and company standards.
Advise area managers and Registered Professional Foresters on site-preparation methods, including broadcast or prescribed burning, brush piling, and soil ripping.
Conduct systematic surveys of planting projects to evaluate treatment efficacy, compare results with financial expectations, assess clone performance, verify stocking-standard compliance, and prescribe additional treatments.
Plan and oversee pre-commercial thinning in overstocked stands, including safety, budgeting, contracting, conformance inspections, database updates, and experimentation.
Continue and expand the company tree-improvement program, including hedge-farm oversight, maintenance and expansion, clone collection and propagation, clone-plant testing, and coordination with outside vendors and partners.
Conduct Federal Worker Protection Safety Standards training for employees and contractors.
Plan and conduct tours and address groups interested in company programs.
Coordinate with the Forestry department to integrate projects and execute them cost-effectively.
Assist the Forestry department with Timber Harvesting Plan preparation as time allows.
Purchase materials and equipment for projects.
Assist with return-on-investment analyses as directed.
Oversee company subcontractors working on tree planting and vegetation-management projects; this role does not directly supervise them.