Requirement Information on How to Become a Forest Ranger

Forest Rangers are responsible for many tasks, including maintaining forests, planting trees and preventing soil erosion.

Becoming a forest ranger with the U.S. Forest Service, or a state agency, requires the right mix of education, experience and commitment to the country's beautiful national forests. Becoming a forest ranger certainly isn't for everyone, given the long hours outdoors, possibly in harsh weather conditions or in isolated wilderness. For individuals who are passionate about the environment and feel at home in the outdoors, becoming a forest ranger could lead to a fulfilling and lifelong career path.

Instructions

1. Make sure that you fulfill the residency requirements prior to pursuing a career as a forest ranger. All rangers who work for the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, or other federal agency must be U.S. citizens. If you are not a citizen of the United States, but are planning to obtain your citizenship, it is important that you begin the process as soon as possible, since the process can be protracted. Individuals who are in the process of obtaining their U.S. citizenship should look into becoming a forest ranger for a state agency. In California, for example, state rangers are only required to be working towards obtaining their citizenship.

2. Determine if your education and experience is a match for a career as a forest ranger. To become a forest ranger for the USFS, applicants are required to have an undergraduate or graduate degree in a field related to a career as a ranger, such as earth science, anthropology, history, park and recreation management, business or public administration, or sociology. Educational requirements vary for becoming a state ranger, though states are generally looking for applicants with at least an associate's degree for entry-level positions--preferably in forestry, natural resources management, forest engineering or environmental engineering.

3. Volunteer at a national or state park in your area to gain on-the-job experience while you pursue your education. Your program adviser at the college or university you attend can help you uncover volunteer or internship opportunities at local parks that hire college students. Volunteer and internship opportunities are most often granted during the summer months, when people visit the parks most frequently. In addition to gaining work experience at parks, experience in backcountry management, museums, law enforcement or firefighting have transferable skills that are well regarded when seeking employment as a forest ranger. Military experience is also a desirable qualification.

4. Maintain your physical fitness by exercising regularly so that you are able to manage the demands of the job. Spending long hours outdoors can be physically taxing and rangers must be able to stay strong while hiking, planting trees and participating in other job-related activities. A mix of cardiovascular and strength training exercises each day will keep your body in good shape. Applicants will often need to pass a medical and fitness examination to ensure that they are healthy, strong and agile enough to manage the demands of working as a forest ranger.

5. Obtain a valid driver's license if you are currently unlicensed. Forest rangers are required to have valid licenses regardless of the agency for which they work.

6. Maintain a clean criminal record. Forest and park rangers are considered law enforcement professionals and often carry firearms. Individuals who have been convicted of a felony will not be eligible to get a job as a ranger.

Tips & Warnings

• Although the essential job requirements of park rangers and forest rangers are the same, the titles are not interchangeable. Park rangers are employed by the National Parks Service, under the Department of the Interior, to monitor national parks. Forest rangers, on the other hand, work in national forests under the U.S. Forest Service, under the Department of Agriculture.

References

• The National Parks Service: Park Rangers
• National FFA: Organization: Forest Ranger
• New York Department of Environmental Conservation: Forest Ranger
• USDA Forest Service: Jobs