Becoming a Forest and Wildlife Conservation Technician in Minnesota

Careers in forestry include forest and conservation technician work. These technicians are responsible for a number of duties in the management of forests, including:

• Measuring trees and other types of data in forests
• Recording and analyzing forest data
• Using special software programs
• Determining trees that need to be removed or where seedlings should be planted
• Supervising forest and conservation workers

This is a job that allows you to do both scientific and outdoor, physical work. Across the country, careers in forest technology are declining or only slowly growing. Minnesota is an exception to this trend, with a growing number of jobs available for qualified technicians.

How to Qualify to Become a Forest and Conservation Technician

Minnesota has no official education, training or certification requirements for forestry technicians. However, most employers require that you complete a two-year associate’s degree program in a related field. This program will provide you with the basic skills and knowledge needed to do the work. You may also receive some training on the job from more experienced technicians or from supervising foresters.

Forest Technology Programs in Minnesota

Minnesota is home to a lot of forested land and has a bigger need for qualified, educated forestry workers than many other states. You have a few options for earning an associate’s degree in forestry technology:

• Leech Lake Tribal College, Cass Lake. This tribal school offers an associate’s degree in forest ecology. It includes classroom work and basic forest knowledge and also technical and field skills. Graduates are prepared to work as forestry technicians or to transfer credits to a university and a four-year degree program.
• Vermillion Community College, Ely. Vermillion also offers an associate’s degree. The program is Natural Resource Technology – Forestry/Wildlife. It includes instruction and training in a range of field skills, including forest fire fighting, wildlife management and forest products. This program is accredited by the Society of American Foresters.
• Northwest Technical College, Bemidji. At Northwest you can complete a shorter program, a 32-credit diploma program in forest technology. This program takes just a year to complete. With the diploma you may need a little additional training on the job, but it is intended to prepare you to begin working immediately as a forest and conservation technician.

Minnesota Salaries and Outlook for Forest Technicians

The average annual salary for forest and conservation technicians in Minnesota is $44,430. The average hourly salary is $21.36. The top earners in this field can make more than $60,000 per year. These are workers who have additional skills, such as forest fire fighting, more experience on the job and leadership roles supervising forest workers.

Across the country there is a decline in forest-related jobsaccording to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, in Minnesota there is strong growth. The number of jobs for forestry technicians is expected to grow more than five percent between 2016 and 2026.

Working in Minnesota as a Forestry Technician

Forest and conservation technicians work out in the field, but they also sometimes work in labs and offices. Expect to spend some days walking through the woods, collecting information, and other days working inside analyzing data. You can also expect to supervise forest and conservation workers who do much of the physical work, including removing trees and clearing trails.

Major employers for forestry technicians are the federal and state government, local and municipal governments and private companies. Government agencies need technicians to help manage the resources in national, state and urban woodlands. Private owners of tree farms, orchards and timber companies also need qualified forest workers. If you’re willing to earn a degree and enjoy working outdoors in the woods, you should be able to land a great job working in forest technology in Minnesota.