What are the responsibilities and job description for the 2025 Seasonal Forestry Assistant (ALB Ground Survey) West Boylston position at DCR - Urban Parks & Recreation?
Seasonal Forestry Assistant - ALB Ground Survey
Massachusetts Cooperative Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program
Department of Conservation & Recreation, Bureau of Forest Fire Control & Forestry, Forest Health Program
03/30/25 thru 11/1/25
7:30am-4:00pm, Monday-Friday
The Department of Conservation and Recreation seeks applicants for the position of Forestry Assistant within the Massachusetts Cooperative Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program.
About the Department of Conservation and Recreation:
The Department of Conservation and Recreation manages one of the largest and most diverse state parks systems in the nation and protects and enhances natural resources and outdoor recreational opportunities throughout Massachusetts. DCR is a dynamic agency and is one of the largest park systems in the nation. The DCR system includes over 450,000 acres of parks, forests, water supply protection lands, beaches, lakes, ponds, playgrounds, swimming pools, skating rinks, trails and parkways.
About Conservation and Resource Stewardship:
DCR places are special. It starts with the conservation and stewardship of our Commonwealth’s unique and significant landscapes. Outdoor recreation invites all to experience these resources and see what makes Massachusetts special. It is the purpose of the Conservation and Resource Stewardship team to ensure these lands are available for future generations. It is our passion to create a sense of place at DCR that will foster a culture of stewardship.
About the Bureau of Forest Fire Control & Forestry:
The Bureau of Forest Fire Control & Forestry offers programs to promote, protect and enhance healthy and diverse wooded and urban forests throughout our Commonwealth including grant opportunities for urban forestry and volunteer fire assistance, staff assistance to municipalities for fire control, consulting forestry and forest stewardship for private lands, oversight of forest health issues including insect and disease control and storm related response, regulatory guidance on timber harvests as well as forest management and timber sales on state lands.
About the Forest Health Program:
The Forest Health Program is responsible for monitoring and assessing factors that influence the health of Massachusetts’ state forests. Forest Health staff utilize multiple survey and trapping protocols to research insects and diseases impacting forest conditions and work in cooperation with state, federal, and municipal agencies to detect, manage, and treat biotic and abiotic factors that negatively impact Massachusetts’ state forests.
About the Massachusetts Cooperative Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program:
The Massachusetts Cooperative Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program (Program) is a cross collaborative cooperative program where DCR Forest Health staff work directly alongside United States Department of Agriculture (UDSA) Animal Plant and Health Inspection Services (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) staff to eradicate Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) from Massachusetts. All Program staff report to the same operational headquarters and work together in mixed agency teams to eradicate ALB from the Massachusetts ALB Regulated Area (i.e. Worcester, Boylston, West Boylston, Shrewsbury, and parts of Holden and Auburn).
ABOUT THE POSITION:
Working in teams of USDA and DCR staff, Forestry Assistants perform on the ground survey of host trees and host material for signs and symptoms of ALB infestation. Teams survey in all types of terrain; in wooded areas, swamps, and residential, commercial, and landscaped areas.
Over the course of the season, Forestry Assistant’s will; hone their tree ID skills, become experienced in identifying damage to trees caused by a wide variety of biotic and abiotic factors, build upon their ability to read New England forests and landscapes, gain invaluable interpersonal experience working in mixed agency teams, become proficient in collecting and entering data using Esri ArcGIS Field Maps, and strengthen their communication skills through interacting with the public and stakeholders to carry out ALB host tree surveys.
DETAILED STATEMENT OF SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES:
- Identify ALB host trees to species, measure DBH”, collect and enter data using Esri ArcGIS Field Maps
- Inspect host trees for signs and symptoms of ALB infestation
- Work outdoors over all terrain types
- Interact with the public and stakeholders to conduct host tree inspections
- Cooperate with federal, state, and municipal authorities during emergencies and natural disasters such as forest fires, wind or ice storms, and insect infestations
- Other duties as assigned
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Critical thinking skills
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written)
- Prior field work experience
- Knowledge of ALB lifecycle
- Familiarity with New England landscape and forest types
- Ability to identify all genera of ALB host trees
- Knowledge of regional invasive forest insects/pests/pathogens, their threats and associated damage
- Experience using field data collection systems; such as, Esri applications (i.e. Collector, Field Maps, Survey123), GPS devices (i.e. Garmin, Trimble)
- Ability to use a map and compass
BENEFITS OF JOINING THE ALB TEAM:
- Learn to identify regional native and landscaped trees in all seasons
- Gain invaluable communication skills engaging with the public and stakeholders
- Union representation, Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers & Scientists (MOSES) Unit 9
- Eligible for union recalls rights to position next season
- Paid personal time off; as well as, accrued sick time and vacation time
- Paid holidays
- Health insurance available, effective 1st of next month of the hire date
- Experience working in a state agency with diverse career opportunities
- Pension and optional enrollment in Massachusetts Deferred Compensation 457 SMART Plan
A cover letter and resume must be submitted as part of the application process.
- Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed.
Comprehensive Benefits
When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.
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