Becoming a Forest and Wildlife Conservation Technician in Arizona

If you are interested in working to protect our natural resources, such as forests and water, then you should consider working as a forest and conservation technician in Arizona. You will work with foresters to manage forest resources. Forest technicians are also often the ones who supervise forest and conservation workers. While it is largely known for being the home of the Grand Canyon, Arizona is also a great place to work as a forest technician, because the northern part of the state is covered with forested land.

As a forest and conservation technician, you might count and survey trees, collect data from forests and related areas and analyze it, help to prevent forest fires, help avoid damage to trees and remove trees that are dead or already dying and work to prevent soil erosion.

What’s Required to Become a Forest or Conservation Technician in Arizona?

Currently, there are no statewide requirements to work as a forest and conservation technician in Arizona. You must have a high school diploma or equivalent. Obtaining at least an associate’s degree in forestry or a related field would be beneficial to you to work in this field, especially if you don’t have any training. If you are interested in working your way up to become a forester, a bachelor’s degree is also an option. Licensing or certification for this field is not a requirement in the state.

Forestry Programs in Arizona

Completing an educational program in forestry will provide you with the knowledge you need to begin a career as a forest and conservation technician. Here are a couple of Arizona schools that offer forestry programs:

• East Arizona College. At East Arizona College, students can earn an Associate of Science degree in Forestry. They will learn how to analyze data, identify the relationship between chemical composition and living things, and analyze how life experiences affect the environment. This is a two-year degree program that consists of 64 credit hours, including general education classes, core classes and electives.
• Northern Arizona University. Northern Arizona University allows students to earn a bachelor’s degree in Forestry. This program is made up of 120 credits including upper-level coursework, preprofessional classes, professional courses and electives. Students will learn how to identify and measure land, sampling methods and how to analyze data. In the final year of this program, students can add a certificate or individualized focus, which will count for 12-15 of their credits needed. Concentrations include fire ecology and management, forest health and ecological restoration, international forestry and conservation, human dimensions of forest management and wildlife ecology and management.

Expected Salary and Job Outlook in Arizona

According to the Projections Managing Partnership (PMP), the job growth for forest and conservation technicians is slow, but still growing at a projected rate of four percent between 2016 and 2026. In Arizona, the growth is only 0.8 percent, but 150 new jobs in the field are expected to open annually.

In 2018, the median annual salary of forest technicians in Arizona was $38,270, and the hourly mean was $18.40. That same year, top earners in the state made as much as $53,790.

What to Expect While Working as a Forest and Conservation Technician in Arizona

With the slow growth in this field, if you are interested in working as a forest technician in Arizona, you want to make yourself desirable to potential employers. This includes having job experience, training or formal education.

Most work in this field can be found with federal, local or state governments. You may work on public land, or for private companies. Working in this field will require you to be outdoors for long periods and sometimes in extreme weather conditions. You may also be needed to assist in cleaning up after natural disasters such as tornadoes and fires. In Arizona, the capital city of Phoenix is one of the best places to look for work as a forest technician. You may also consider working in some of the other larger cities such as Flagstaff, Scottsdale and Tucson.