Forest technicians perform technical functions related to forest management, forest protection, silviculture, harvesting and conservation.

Forest technicians, as they are defined in this profile, work under the supervision of foresters or forest technologists. They may be involved primarily in:

• silviculture, as members of site preparation, tree planting or stand tending crews or as nursery workers, or crew supervisors.
• timber management, as a members of crews as compass persons, regeneration surveyors, timber cruisers or mapping technicians.
• forest protection, performing insect and disease control activities, or as aerial observers, firefighters, helitack or rappel crew members, sector leaders, fire lookout personnel (tower personnel), timekeepers, radio operators, forestry warehouse persons or air tank base assistants.
• forest harvesting, operating equipment, doing pre-harvest or post-harvest assessments, scaling (grading) timber, or laying out cutting blocks or roads.

Duties therefore vary considerably from one position to another but, in general, forest technicians perform the following functions:

• survey forest areas and access roads
• assist land managers with day to day field activities
• conduct forest inventories by counting and measuring trees in plots along a grid to determine the volume of timber in an area
• make detailed drawings of and flag harvest blocks, haul roads and skid trails
• mark trees for harvesting operations
• inspect logs for defects, measure them to determine total volume and estimate the marketable content for use as sawlogs or pulpwood
• keep records of the amount and condition of logs reaching mills
• survey regrowth on cut areas
• inspect trees and collect samples of plants, seeds, foliage, bark and roots to record insect and disease damage
• use aerial photographs, global positioning systems (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS) to map forest areas.

Forest technicians may use (or supervise workers who use) chain saws, clearing saws and manual tools, or chemicals to control weeds and undergrowth. 

Forest technicians work outdoors in all weather conditions, often performing tasks that are strenuous, sometimes on steep, wet or uneven terrain. Lifting requirements vary depending on the nature of the job but, in general, forest technicians routinely lift loads weighing up to 10 kilograms.

Forest technicians may commute daily to work in the woods or may have to be away from home for a week or more at a time. They may stay in small rural communities or in modern camps. When fighting forest fires, they often work twelve to sixteen hour shifts for several days at a time and may be required to lift equipment weighing up to 30 kilograms. Some positions are seasonal.

Forest technicians may acquire the required skills and knowledge of provincial forest legislation and regulations by training on the job or taking related education programs. Computer skills are a definite asset, particularly familiarity with GIS and GPS systems. (Note: Some employers use the title forest technician for technical positions requiring a two year post-secondary diploma or a university degree. For information about diploma and degree programs, see the Forest Technologist and Forester occupational profiles.) In Alberta, the following post-secondary institutions offer certificate programs in forestry:

• Northern Lakes College in Grouard offers a 10 month Forestry and Harvesting Technician certificate program. Applicants must be physically fit and healthy, and have at least English Language Arts 10-1 or 10-2 and Pure or Applied Math 10 or equivalent.
• Portage College in Lac La Biche offers a 39 week Forest Technician certificate program. Applicants must be physically fit and healthy, have at least 60 per cent in English Language Arts 20-1 or 20-2 and Applied or Pure Math 20 or equivalent..

Continuing education programs may be offered on an as needed basis.

For current information about programs, admission requirements and mature student admission policies, please check post-secondary calendars or websites.

Forest technicians are employed by:

• logging companies
• pulp and paper companies
• lumber companies
• forestry consulting firms
• private contracting firms
• provincial governments.

In private companies or consulting firms, forestry technicians may be employed as log scalers, logging supervisors, woodland assistants/technicians, millworkers, stand tending crew members, fire suppression crew members or road engineering assistants.

Experienced forest technicians may advance to supervisory positions or move into related positions in provincial parks, survey crews, vegetation control, reclamation work, the oil and gas industry, woodlot management or forestry equipment operation. (For more information, see the Logging/Forestry Equipment Operator occupational profile). Additional education is required to move into forest technologist or forester positions.

Forest technicians are part of the larger National Occupational Classification 2223: Forestry Technologists and Technicians. In Alberta, 98 per cent of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:

• Public Administration
• Forestry and Logging with Support Activities
• Manufacturing
• Professional, Scientific and Technical Services.

The employment outlook in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

• time of year (for seasonal jobs)
• trends and events affecting overall employment (especially in the industries listed above)
• location in Alberta
• employment turnover (work opportunities generated by people leaving existing positions)
• occupational growth (work opportunities resulting from the creation of new positions that never existed before)
• size of the occupation.

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next ten years.

Starting salaries for forestry technicians vary depending on the type of work performed.

According to the 2009 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans in the Forestry Technologists and Technicians occupational group earned from $19.71 to $55.29 an hour. The average wage was $33.70 an hour.

For more detailed information, see WAGEinfo.

Post-secondary institution calendars and websites (see Educational Requirements above)

EDinfo website: www.alis.alberta.ca/edinfo