How to Become a Forest Technician

A forest technician is a scientific professional that performs inventories and assessments of forest conditions. Your role as a forest technician is to survey every tree in your assigned area to determine ongoing health issues. You should become a forest technician if you have an interest in conserving trees for recreational and economical purposes. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Forge a Career as a Forest Technician

1. Pursue a technical college degree in forestry management to start your career as a forest technician. Forestry management programs teach you traditional methods of surveying forested areas along with new software and machinery that help you scout out trouble areas quickly. These programs typically take 3 years because they involve an internship process during the summer.
2. Land an internship with your state's parks and forestry service to learn the ins and outs of forestry. Your time will likely be spent filling out paperwork and performing administrative tasks for a forest technician. You should seek these opportunities at the beginning of the spring semester of college to beat out the competition.
3. Take your state's civil service examination upon graduation to become a forest technician. Forest technicians in park systems and government planning offices need to verify their knowledge of forestry through a standardized test. Even if you pursue other employment, the use of this exam will help you gauge where you stand among other candidates.
4. Search for a position with a lumber company or other private organization in need of a forest technician. Forest technicians in the private sector help scout out commercial forest land to determine the best lumber for a company's particular needs. These positions help you become well established in the field while you earn a good living.
5. Express your concern about excessive development in the nation's forests by working with a non-profit advocacy group. Forest technicians work with conservation groups to assess corporate reports on resource usage and study forest areas to determine the health of resident plants and animals.
6. Research the United States Forestry Service as the pinnacle of a career as a forest technician. This federal office helps protect forested areas in national parks and areas preserved by congressional or presidential mandate. Positions with the Forestry Service are highly competitive and you should consider this after gaining experience elsewhere.

Tips & Warnings

• Expand your knowledge of the science of forestry using evening or weekend courses at a local college. Your degree in forest management needs to be augmented by expert knowledge in growth cycles and chemistry. You should work with your employer to find low cost education solutions to improve your chances at advancement.

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