Community Forestry Planner
Green Infrastructure Center Inc.
Salary: $60,000 – $70,000
Closing Date: Until filled
Position: Community Urban Forest Planners for VA, SC, RI (CUFP)*
Start Date: Between August – September 2023 Positions open until filled.
Come grow with GIC and create resilient, green cities and towns! Make a difference for our climate, wildlife, social equity and access to nature for all.
The nonprofit Green Infrastructure Center is seeking community urban planners and foresters to work directly with cities and towns to launch tree planting plans and campaigns. There are positions in VA, SC and RI and applicant must be located or willing to relocate to one of those states (locations flexible in-state).
About: Founded in 2006, the nonprofit Green Infrastructure Center Inc. is a leading designer of landscape conservation modeling and creating community strategies for healthy landscapes that are green, clean and accessible. Green Infrastructure includes intact forests, urban tree canopy, wetlands, springs, parks and rivers and soils that provide clean water, air quality, wildlife habitat, recreation and food. The GIC’s mission is helping communities realize that nature is also “green infrastructure” to address climate change, urban heat islands, improved public health, and increased social and economic equity. GIC’s clients include federal, regional, state and local government agencies, land trusts and conservation groups. The GIC’s staff consists of planners, geographers, landscape architects, foresters and natural resource experts. GIC is dedicated to growing the field of green infrastructure planning and shares knowledge through workshops, courses, webinars and publications.
GIC is expanding its office in VA and opening new locations in SC, RI, and beyond. Working in partnership with state urban and community forestry agencies, GIC will adopt 4 new cities every year in each state and deliver technical support for canopy mapping, tree planting campaigns, ordinance development and urban forest master planning, emergency forest planning and community training for green jobs. GIC’s capacity support project will expand community assistance to support underserved communities; greatly enhancing state urban forestry program delivery and support. This position supports GIC’s Senior Forester and works with the Community Urban Forester to help communities create tree planting plans and campaigns. To learn more about such work, see GIC’s guide to community planting campaigns here: http://www.gicinc.org/tree_planning_campaigns.htm
Position Responsibilities and Overview:
The CUFP uses canopy and plantable areas maps created by GIC’s GIS team to help communities plan to restore urban forests and build resiliency. They work with local governments, state agencies, land trusts and community groups to help them recognize the location and values of urban forests. They assist the public at workshops to learn about their urban canopy and help communities establish goals for the urban forest and to create urban forestry master plans. They also review codes and ordinances to determine improvements needed to better support tree planting and care. They assist with creating map graphics for reports or slide shows. The position requires coordinating work flows amongst multiple city projects. Most importantly, this position involves extensive community engagement and requires competency in public speaking, and strong communications skills to lead community discussions, tree planting events or workshops. Also includes organizing tree planting events alongside the community urban forester, assisting with planting trees, and helping cities establish master plans for urban forests.
Requirements:
Degrees and Experience: Bachelor of Planning with a focus on environmental planning and two to three years’ experience in one or more of the following fields: planning, forestry, horticulture, or landscape ecology or landscape architecture. A Master’s degree in urban planning is preferred, but not required. Experience may be substituted for master’s degree, but applicants should be familiar with urban and environmental planning, and have worked or have experience with environmental plans (e.g. watershed plans, urban forest master plants, site planning). AICP certification is desired, but not required and may be sought within the first two years of employment at GIC. GIC will support the obtaining of licensure.
Required Skills: Basic skills in MS office suite required (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
Desired Skills: Urban planning, tree planting and care (if no tree planting experience, we will train).
Communications: Strong oral communication for teaching about trees at workshops, leading community discussions and working with laypersons and community members to establish goals and plans. Applicant must be comfortable leading volunteers in tree planting events (with assistance from GIC’s Community Forester).
Logistical: Work location within state is flexible but position requires travel to cities, to planting sites and hosting workshops, two or more times per week to sites within state. Travel is planned in advance and is fully covered. Some overnight travel is required. Position offers diverse experiences with no week exactly the same – ideal for people who like challenges and change! Position is part of a team of two people (in-state) supported by GIC’s science and planning team out of VA (whose staff will also travel to and work with the state-based team).
Physical: This position requires physical activity to hike over rough terrain, plant trees (saplings and 1-2” caliper trees) and working upright for 8 hours at a time. Employee should be able to lift 40 pounds.
Compensation: Salary Range: $60,000 to $70,000 based on experience and level of education. This is a full time 40 hour week; salaried position. Benefits include paid leave for six federal holidays plus accrued leave @14 hours per month, and health care (reimbursement for a health plan for individual @ $550/month). GIC’s retirement plan is offered after first year of employment. This position follows state labor laws. This position is intended to be permanent, subject to continued grant funding supporting the position. GIC is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from diverse social, ethnic and racial backgrounds.
Supervisor: This position reports to the GIC’s Executive Director and Senior Community Forester.
Job Location: Employee must live within VA, SC or RI (or relocate) and be able to travel 2-3 days per week (many trips can be day-trips). Flex hours are allowed as long as 40 hours work per week are completed. Includes some weekend work for planting events, but subsequent weekdays can be taken as compensatory leave. GIC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on any basis.
Interested applications should submit their resume, work experience, work samples, three professional references, and indicate state applying for (SC, VA or RI) to: Green Infrastructure Center Inc., Attn: CUFP Job, 320 Valley St. Scottsville VA 24590 or by email to: gicjobs@gicinc.org No calls please.
Contact: Karen Firehock, Firehock@gicinc.org
