Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Forestry Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Staff and members raise concerns about shortage of certified urban foresters
Summary
Pierre Arbor Board participants described statewide challenges recruiting and retaining qualified urban foresters due to degree-based certification requirements, stagnant pay without a tiered system, and reliance on federal funding for programs.
Board members and staff reviewed statewide difficulties hiring and retaining urban/community foresters, connecting those problems to certification requirements and compensation structures. Lokesh, a staff participant, explained that urban community foresters must meet certification standards that often require an undergraduate or master's degree in forestry, which reduces the pool of eligible candidates.
Lokesh and others also said the state lacks a tiered pay system for foresters, leaving salaries relatively stagnant regardless of experience and making retention difficult amid high living costs; they said many forestry programs rely heavily on federal funding, which creates uncertainty if federal priorities or budgets change. The board did not record any new staffing hires or program funding decisions at the meeting.
