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Forest and Conservation Workers

SOC 45-4011.00Job Zone 2 · Some Preparation

Under supervision, perform manual labor necessary to develop, maintain, or protect areas such as forests, forested areas, woodlands, wetlands, and rangelands through such activities as raising and transporting seedlings; combating insects, pests, and diseases harmful to plant life; and building structures to control water, erosion, and leaching of soil. Includes forester aides, seedling pullers, tree planters, and similar workers.

Context coveredPublic-land restoration crews, private-forestry operations, conservation corps, seedling nurseries; planting, brush control, prescribed-fire support, trail and erosion-control work.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Hand tools (planting bars, hoedads, hand saws) — use safely under a crew lead's direction on a planting unit.
  2. Personal protective equipment (hardhats, chaps, boots, eye-and-ear) — apply consistently in the woods.
  3. Daily safety briefings (terrain, weather, equipment, wildlife) — participate and apply on the unit.
  4. Standard planting patterns and spacing — execute per the contract or crew lead's call.
  5. Hand-saw and brush-tool work — perform on routine release or trail maintenance.
  6. Seedling handling (storage, transport, watering) — perform per the nursery's protocol.
  7. Daily-task records (acres planted, hours, materials) — maintain accurately for the lead.
  8. Crew communications — relay clearly with the lead and other crews on the radio.
  9. Wildland-fire safety basics (LCES, fuels, escape routes) — recognize and apply on prescribed-fire-support assignments.
  10. Stream-crossing and BMP rules — follow without prompting on assigned units.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Chainsaw work at the bucking and limbing level — operate safely with documented S-212 training.
  2. Brush-saw, weed-whip, and herbicide-application equipment — operate per the applicator's plan.
  3. Tree planting at production pace and quality — perform reliably across a season.
  4. Trail and erosion-control structures — build per design and BMPs.
  5. Prescribed-fire support tasks (firing, holding, mop-up) — execute under a burn boss's direction.
  6. Junior workers and new crews — train on safety, technique, and pace.
  7. Equipment maintenance (saws, vehicles, hand tools) — perform daily and weekly.
  8. Routine GPS-and-compass navigation — execute confidently on unfamiliar units.
  9. Wildlife and TES species protocols — follow per the unit's management plan.
  10. Customer-and-agency interactions — conduct on routine field visits.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Crew-boss leadership — supervise a 6–10-person crew across forestry and conservation contracts.
  2. Sawyer certifications (B and C) — hold and apply on prescribed-fire and restoration units.
  3. Contract execution and quality control — own from layout through acceptance.
  4. Crew safety and incident management — lead with measurable reductions in injuries.
  5. Cross-disciplinary projects (timber, wildlife, recreation) — coordinate with foresters and biologists.
  6. Continuous-improvement projects (planting quality, equipment uptime, fuel use) — lead with measurable outcomes.
  7. Junior crew bosses — mentor on contract management and personnel.
  8. Equipment fleets and shop coordination — manage at task level for the operation.
  9. Customer- and agency-relationship management — own at routine operations level.
  10. Wildland-fire qualifications (FFT1, FAL3, ICT5) — maintain across the season.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Operations leadership for a forestry or conservation contractor — set direction across staff, contracts, and equipment.
  2. Capital decisions (vehicles, equipment, training programs) — author with the owner or board.
  3. Major contracts with USFS, BLM, state, and private timber — own from bid through closeout.
  4. Workforce development and apprenticeship programs — build with conservation corps and tribal partners.
  5. Safety culture and incident-investigation programs — institutionalize across crews.
  6. Industry forums (logger associations, conservation networks) — represent the operation.
  7. Disaster response (fire, storm, insect) — lead at operation level with agencies and partners.
  8. Capital and operating budgets — own with executive sponsorship.
  9. Talent pipelines from rural and tribal communities — build with measurable retention.
  10. Legacy mentorship and field-shaping standards — institutionalize through training and certification.

AI-at-Work Competency Framework

Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

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  1. Emerging
  2. Developing
  3. Proficient
  4. Advanced
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Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework

Sources:Pathsmith™ Durable SkillsPathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
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Show O*NET source anchors44 anchors · skillscrosswalk.com

O*NET enrichment · skillscrosswalk.com

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Source anchors that ground each statement

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RAPIDS apprenticeships
—
O*NET skills
Critical ThinkingMonitoringReading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingJudgment and Decision MakingActive LearningCoordination
Knowledge domains
Public Safety and SecurityEnglish LanguageCustomer and Personal ServiceAdministration and ManagementGeographyBiology
Abilities
Problem SensitivityOral ComprehensionStatic StrengthOral ExpressionTrunk StrengthDynamic StrengthStaminaNear VisionFar VisionMultilimb Coordination
Work styles
DependabilityPerseveranceCooperationStress ToleranceIntegrityCautiousness
Technology
Data base user interface and query softwareGeographic information systemSpreadsheet softwareElectronic mail softwareMap creation softwareOffice suite softwarePresentation softwareProject management softwareOperating system softwareWord processing software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Check equipment to ensure that it is operating properly.
  2. Fight forest fires or perform prescribed burning tasks under the direction of fire suppression officers or forestry technicians.
  3. Perform fire protection or suppression duties, such as constructing fire breaks or disposing of brush.
  4. Confer with other workers to discuss issues, such as safety, cutting heights, or work needs.
CIP education codes
01.060603.050103.051103.0599

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.