Forest ranger

Forest rangers are responsible for the protection and conservation of natural resources, particularly in regards to forests and woodlands.

The duties of a forest ranger include, but are not limited to:

• Monitoring wildlife populations and forest conditions to ensure that they remain healthy
• Conducting fire hazard assessments to determine whether fire danger is high enough to warrant closing public lands to visitors or putting them on alert for possible evacuations
• Conducting search and rescue operations in response to emergencies such as earthquakes, floods, or fires
• Inspecting logging operations to ensure that they are conducted in accordance with regulations designed to protect the environment
• Supervising the harvesting of timber, usually on federal land, to ensure that it is conducted in an environmentally responsible manner
• Performing routine maintenance on equipment used in their work, including chainsaws, bulldozers, and other machinery
• Educating the public about environmental conservation issues and forest management practices
• Conducting research on plant life in an effort to understand how it might be affected by changes in climate or terrain conditions
• Participating in forest fire prevention activities such as planning and conducting controlled burns and patrolling fire lines during wildland fires

Forest rangers work in all types of weather conditions and terrain, from hot deserts to cold mountains. They may work in remote areas that are accessible only by foot, horse, or four-wheel drive vehicle.

Forest rangers typically work a 40-hour week, but they may be required to work overtime, weekends, and holidays. They also may be on call 24 hours a day in case of forest fires. The work can be physically demanding, and forest rangers must be in good physical condition.

The following job titles also refer to forest ranger:

woodland ranger
forest rangers
forestry officer
woodland officer

Most forest rangers have at least a high school diploma or equivalent. Some forest rangers choose to earn an associate or bachelor’s degree in forestry, natural resources or another closely related field. These programs typically include courses in ecology, silviculture, wildlife management, forestry management and other forestry-related subjects.

Forest rangers receive most of their training through the completion of their education. They also receive on-the-job training in the form of a period of shadowing a more experienced forest ranger. This training period allows the new employee to learn about the specific needs of the forest and the duties of the position.

A valid driver’s license may be required for this role.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Forest ranger is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to forest ranger.

hunter
passenger fare controller
tree surgeon
farm manager
emergency response worker

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of forest ranger. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of forest ranger with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

forestry inspector
aeronautical information specialist
environmental technician
groundwater monitoring technician
incinerator operator

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of forest ranger.

• Health, safety and hygiene legislation: The set of health, safety and hygiene standards and items of legislation applicable in a specific sector.
• Environmental legislation: The environmental policies and legislation applicable in a certain domain.
• Forest conservation: Understand forest conservation: the practice of planting and maintaining forested areas.
• Pollution prevention: The processes used to prevent pollution: precautions to pollution of the environment, procedures to counter pollution and associated equipment, and possible measures to protect the environment.
• Tree preservation and conservation: Environmental requirements for tree preservation and conservation.

These skills are necessary for the role of forest ranger.

• Develop forestry strategies: Build up forestry policies in order to enhance their sustainable management and to improve communication linked to forestry operations. These plans are meant to tackle issues regarding correlated environmental and societal changes.
• Monitor forest health: Monitor forest health to make sure all necessary actions are taken by the forestry workers team.
• Enforce park rules: Enforce environmental laws and rules related to forest management. Forest rangers enforce local, state and national regulations as applied to forest usage and wildlife conservation. They perform safety inspections on campsites and investigate complaints.
• Oversee the use of the land within the park: Supervise the development of the land, such as camping sites or places of interest. Oversee the management of natural lands of different types.
• Promote environmental awareness: Calculate the carbon footprint of business processes and other practices in order to promote sustainability and to raise awareness for the environmental impact.
• Write work-related reports: Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
• Assist forest visitors: Answer questions from campers, hikers and tourists. Provide directions.
• Perform search and rescue missions: Assist in fighting natural and civic disasters, such as forest fires, floods and road accidents. Conduct search-and-rescue missions.
• Perform safety inspections: Inspect the park or part of the park. Note and report problems like blocked trails and risks like overflowing rivers.
• Make decisions regarding forestry management: Decide on issues regarding various aspects concerning the management of natural resources such as forests and woodland areas.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of forest ranger. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Business management principles: Principles governing business management methods such as strategy planning, methods of efficient production, people and resources coordination.
• Botany: The taxonomy or classification of plant life, phylogeny and evolution, anatomy and morphology, and physiology.
• Animal hunting: The techniques, procedures and legislations concerning the hunting of animals such as wildlife and birds for the purpose of gaining food and animal products, recreation, trade and wildlife management.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of forest ranger. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Communicate with customers: Respond to and communicate with customers in the most efficient and appropriate manner to enable them to access the desired products or services, or any other help they may require.
• Use a computer: Utilise computer equipment or digital devices to facilitate quality control, data management, and communication. Follow instructions given by a computer programme, create computer files or documents.
• Work independently in forestry services: Perform tasks individually in forestry services by taking decisions without help. Handle tasks and tackle with issues or problems without any outside assistance.
• Provide first aid: Administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation or first aid in order to provide help to a sick or injured person until they receive more complete medical treatment.
• Speak different languages: Master foreign languages to be able to communicate in one or more foreign languages.
• Carry out routine maintenance of wood cutting machinery: Inspect, clean, service and maintain the power unit in accordance with manufacturer requirements and industry guidelines. Inspect components within the power unit and maintain cutting systems in accordance with manufacturer recommendations by using appropriate tools to replace damaged, missing or worn components. Report appropriately on any defects. Carry out routine operator maintenance by performing pre-start checks and setting the machine for the use of reassemble chainsaws and cutting systems to their functional or operational standards.
• Care for the wildlife: Care for the wildlife, trees and plants of the forest and maintain it.
• Provide first aid to animals: Administer emergency treatment to prevent deterioration of the condition, suffering and pain until veterinary assistance can be sought. Basic emergency treatment needs to be done by non-veterinarians prior to first-aid provided by a veterinarian. Non-veterinarians providing emergency treatment are expected to seek treatment by a veterinarian as soon as possible.
• Maintain plant soil nutrition: Manage and support overall soil nutrition. Practice sustainable gardening techniques and integrated pest management in gardens both outdoor and indoor.
• Maintain trails: Check trails and clear away brush from trails and roads when necessary. Inspect campsites and prepare the area for visitors.
• Communicate with others who are significant to service users: Actively involve others who are significant to service users, communicating with them appropriately and taking their roles into account.
• Conserve forests: Strive to conserve and restore forest structures, biodiversity and ecological functions.
• Maintain plant health: Manage and support overall plant health. Practice sustainable gardening techniques and integrated pest management in gardens both outdoor and indoor.
• Educate the public about wildlife: Speak with groups of adults and children to teach them how to enjoy the forest without harming it or themselves. Speak in schools or with specific youth groups if called upon. Develop and teach programs related to nature conservation.
• Build business relationships: Establish a positive, long-term relationship between organisations and interested third parties such as suppliers, distributors, shareholders and other stakeholders in order to inform them of the organisation and its objectives.
• Report pollution incidents: Examine the extent of the damage and consequences when an incident causes pollution, and report it to the relevant institution following pollution reporting procedures.
• Assist tree identification: Assist in the development and improvement of techniques for measuring and identifying trees. Obtain and use various sources of information to accurately identify and name trees, use tree characteristics to aid identification, identify tree species in all seasons.
• Analyse tree population: Collect information on tree populations in the forest. Look out for disease and insect destruction, mortality, and fire hazards.
• Manage forest fires: Protect life, property and resources by preventing forest fires. Detect, control, restrict and suppress fires when they occur. Integrate knowledge of fire regimes, the effects of fire and the values at risk, the required level of forest protection, and costs of fire-related activities.

6210 – Forestry and related workers

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References

1. Forest ranger – ESCO
2. Forest Ranger Job Description – Betterteam
3. Forest Ranger Job Description: Salary, Duties, & More – Climb the Ladder
4. Featured image: By © Vyacheslav Argenberg / http://www.vascoplanet.com/, CC BY 4.0