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45-4011.00 - Forest and Conservation Workers
45-4011.00 - Forest and Conservation Workers
Under supervision, perform manual labor necessary to develop, maintain, or protect areas such as forests, forested areas, woodlands, wetlands, and rangelands through such activities as raising and transporting seedlings; combating insects, pests, and diseases harmful to plant life; and building structures to control water, erosion, and leaching of soil. Includes forester aides, seedling pullers, tree planters, and gatherers of nontimber forestry products such as pine straw.
Key Facts

Bright Outlook
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
14,000
Estimate
Forecasted Employment
14,600
Estimate
Change in Employment
600.0
Estimate
Change in Employment %
+4.2%
Estimate
Tasks

Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
- Check equipment to ensure that it is operating properly.
- Confer with other workers to discuss issues, such as safety, cutting heights, or work needs.
Supplemental
- Fight forest fires or perform prescribed burning tasks under the direction of fire suppression officers or forestry technicians.
- Perform fire protection or suppression duties, such as constructing fire breaks or disposing of brush.
- Select or cut trees according to markings or sizes, types, or grades.
- Identify diseased or undesirable trees and remove them, using power saws or hand saws.
- Spray or inject vegetation with insecticides to kill insects or to protect against disease or with herbicides to reduce competing vegetation.
- Drag cut trees from cutting areas and load trees onto trucks.
- Thin or space trees, using power thinning saws.
- Maintain tallies of trees examined and counted during tree marking or measuring efforts.
- Gather, package, or deliver forest products to buyers.
- Erect signs or fences, using posthole diggers, shovels, or other hand tools.
- Prune or shear tree tops or limbs to control growth, increase density, or improve shape.
- Select tree seedlings, prepare the ground, or plant the trees in reforestation areas, using manual planting tools.
- Provide assistance to forest survey crews by clearing site-lines, holding measuring tools, or setting stakes.
- Explain or enforce regulations regarding camping, vehicle use, fires, use of buildings, or sanitation.
- Operate skidders, bulldozers, or other prime movers to pull a variety of scarification or site preparation equipment over areas to be regenerated.
- Examine and grade trees according to standard charts and staple color-coded grade tags to limbs.
- Maintain campsites or recreational areas, replenishing firewood or other supplies and cleaning kitchens or restrooms.
- Sow or harvest cover crops, such as alfalfa.
- Sort tree seedlings, discarding substandard seedlings, according to standard charts or verbal instructions.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge

Knowledge
The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools

Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology

Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications

Licensing

Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs

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