How to Become a Forest and Wildlife Conservation Worker in Nebraska

Becoming a forest and conservation worker in Nebraska is easy, and it’s a great way to get started in an outdoors conservation career. These forest professionals work under the supervision of foresters and forest and conservation technicians to protect, preserve and restore forests. They also work to conserve natural resources and protect other natural wildlife settings.

Typically, forest and conservation workers perform tasks such as the planting of trees, trimming and cutting down trees, spraying and injecting insecticides into vegetation and preventing forest fires. Tasks vary depending on the specialty and work settings of each forest worker. For example, some workers spend time managing trees and plants in fruit orchards while others focus on trees and vegetation in urban settings.

Many forest and conservation workers move on to become foresters, forest and conservation technicians or conservation scientists. Forest and conservation workers are generally entry-level employees studying or gaining experience to move to higher career levels.

How to Become a Forest and Conservation Worker

To get started in this field, you need only graduate high school or hold a GED equivalent. Then, you may begin searching for your first job with state and local agencies, forestry organizations and other natural resource organizations. It may be easier to find employment with a basic two-year forestry degree, but it’s not a requirement for landing a job. Most training is offered on the job for this position.

Studying for Your Career in Nebraska

There are some two-year forestry degree options in Nebraska, but most programs of study are offered as four-year bachelor’s degrees, which lead to upper level forestry and conservation careers. Here are a couple forestry training options available in Nebraska:

• Western Nebraska Community College. Located in Scottsbluff, this school offers a two-year Associate of Science in Forestry/Wildlife Management Degree. Students gain an appreciation for nature and learn how to better manage and understand the natural environment. The degree can be transferred to a four-year program at another institution. It totals 61 credits.
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln. At this university, you can earn a four-year bachelor’s degree in Environmental Restoration Science. Students can choose a concentration in Soil Science or Lake and Stream Restoration. There is also a minor in Regional & Community Forestry available. The major requires 120 credit hours, and a 2.0 cumulative GPA is required for graduation.

Forest Worker Salaries and Career Outlook

There isn’t much job growth predicted for Nebraska forest and conservation workers in the future, with the Projections Managing Partnership estimating 0 percent employment growth by 2026. It’s estimated that there are only 10 new job openings per year on average. Therefore, you might consider eventually becoming a forest and conservation technician, with the number of these positions predicted to grow 13.3 percent by 2026. Technicians require more training than forest workers and in turn are paid at a higher rate.

In 2018, Nebraska forest and conservation technicians were paid a median income of $21.87 per hour, which was higher than the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) national median hourly rate of $17.37 for forest technicians. These numbers suggest that forest and conservation workers were paid above national rates in Nebraska as well, though their statistics aren’t provided by the BLS.

Locations for Work in Nebraska

Since the BLS doesn’t provide employment statistics for forest and conservation workers in Nebraska, you can look at those for forest technicians to figure out the best forestry work areas in Nebraska. In 2018, the majority of forest and conservation technicians were employed in the south Nebraska nonmetropolitan area, and the highest paid technicians worked in south Nebraska nonmetropolitan area.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Nebraska is home to over 1.5 million acres of forest land, 92 percent of which is timberland. Forest land in the state has been decreasing since 2010 due to weather events, disease and fire. This means great effort is necessary to restore and preserve the existing forest land. Help protect Nebraska forests by getting started in your career as a forest and conservation worker today.