How to Become a Forest and Wildlife Conservation Worker in Minnesota

If you want a career that will let you spend time outdoors, consider becoming a forest or conservation worker. These forest professionals are part of a team that promotes forest and tree health and protection. Forest workers perform tasks as directed by foresters and forest technicians, such as planting and removal of trees, clearing of debris from paths and spraying plants with insecticides.

Some forest and conservation workers prevent and fight forest fires, while others help complete controlled vegetation burning. Urban forest workers focus on tree health within city settings. Other conservation workers are employed at orchards, monitoring and ensuring the health of fruit trees.

In 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS) reported that 27 percent of forest and conservation workers were employed by state government agencies and 13 percent were employed by local governments. Another 14 percent of forest workers were self-employed. Since forest and conservation workers spend most of their time outdoors, they must be able to handle adverse weather and strenuous exercise.

Becoming a Forest Worker and Beyond

All it takes to get started as a forest or conservation worker is a high school diploma or GED equivalent. Most entry-level jobs offer on-the-job training for new workers. Training in a two-year college horticulture or forestry program is optional but a good idea to help you earn higher pay rates.

With education and experience, forest and conservation workers can advance in their careers to become forest technicians, foresters and conservation scientists. In Minnesota, you can eventually become a conservation officer and work for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Find a Program of Study

Horticulture and forestry programs vary in subject matter and specialty. Here are a couple of college choices for Minnesota students who wish to become forest and conservation workers:

• Hennepin Technical College. In Brooklyn Park, this school offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Urban Forestry. Graduates can take the Minnesota Tree Inspector Certification Test and the ISA Certified Arborist Test. Students are required to complete an arboriculture internship. They also have the option of earning an arboriculture occupational certificate.
• Central Lakes College. The Brainerd branch of this school offers an Associate of Applied Science in Natural Resources Technology. Class size is small, averaging about 20 students. Opportunities for paid internships with local wildlife and conservation agencies are available to students. Graduates of this program can easily transfer to four-year universities.

Forest and Conservation Workers Employment Data

Employment data for forest and conservation workers throughout Minnesota are limited, so it’s helpful to look at the numbers for forest and conservation technicians. In 2016, the Projections Managing Partnership reported that 580 technicians worked in Minnesota. That number of employed forest technicians is expected to rise 5.2 percent by 2026, meaning jobs for forest and conservation technicians show promise in the future.

The median salary for forest and conservation technicians in 2018 was $21.38 per hour, according to the BLS. That’s excellent compared to the national median salary of $13.20 per hour for forest and conservation workers.

Demand for Forest Workers around Minnesota

Forest and conservation technicians were employed at the highest numbers in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Duluth in 2018, suggesting they’d be good places to find work. The highest rate of forest technician employment per 1,000 jobs was found in the northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area that same year. However, forest and conservation technicians who worked in St. Cloud earned the highest median income in the state at $23.13 per hour.

Due to advances in technology, fewer forest and conservation workers will be in demand over time. This means that those with interest in the field may have to relocate to find new work or study further to become forest and conservation technicians, foresters or conservationists.