How to Become a Forest Engineer

The job of a forest engineer is to make forested areas workable for human use. Forest engineers help create passable roads for maintenance vehicles, determine the best trees for lumber companies and manage the long term growth of new forests. The steps needed to become a forest engineer require a serious commitment on your part. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Establish a Reputation as a Forest Engineer

1. Pursue a joint degree in forestry management and civil engineering to become a forest engineer. Many universities that offer forestry and engineering classes have coupled the two areas to help future foresters become more marketable. You can also pursue a forestry management degree at a technical college and work nights and weekends on your engineering degree at a university.

2. Take seminars and accelerated courses in biology, chemistry and physics as you gain experience in the forestry field. Forest engineers need to know the life cycle of different tree species as well as the reaction of trees to human development. Your job experience should make these courses a breeze.

3. Seek a mixture of job and academic experience in topography to help land advanced forest engineering positions. You can become a senior engineer or a department head in your company if you know about map making and geographic information systems (GIS).

4. Qualify for state forest engineering positions by taking your state's civil service examination. Every specialist position in state government has a different test and the forest engineer test usually includes questions about state policies on forestry. Most states allow engineers to test every 6 months to a year to stay current on qualifications.

5. Check vacancy positions with lumber wholesalers and other corporations that need forest engineers. These companies utilize a variety of regional forest engineers for a full range of services from developing roads through forests to the logistics of moving lumber to warehouses. These positions are lucrative and in high demand at present.

6. Search for positions with forestry services or corporations that use green harvesting techniques. Many companies that utilize large tracts of forest for lumber have begun to plant new trees for every tree they cut done and other methods that are environmentally sustainable. These positions offer a challenge to engineers like you to find new methods for a centuries old process.

Tips & Warnings

• Tour local forests and parks to get a better feel for what forest engineers accomplish. Forest engineering requires a balance between the forested ecosystem and man made structures like streets or sheds. You can speak with the local forester to learn the process used to engineer a particular forest before you pursue this career.