Planning Forester

Location

North England District Office, Bellingham, Northumberland NE48 2HP. The role will be based at this location and there will be scope to consider blended working arrangements once the candidate has settled in.

About the Job

Forestry England is the government department responsible for protecting, expanding and promoting the sustainable management of the Nation’s Forests and increasing their value to society and the environment.

Forest planning is central to enabling the full potential of forest land for timber, biodiversity and people in the present day, and to position it for a resilient future. As a forest planner you will be at the heart of guiding the decisions that will create the future for the nation’s forest estate.

In this role you will work within Forestry England’s North District.  To help you settle in quickly you’ll be provided with training and mentoring and will be working closely with experienced team members.

Background

North England Forest District has a complement of 132 staff who care for 61,000 hectares of forest and 25,000 hectares of open land.  Annual timber production is 550,000 m3 and there is a planting programme in excess of 3 million trees a year. The District has four visitor centres at Grizedale, Whinlatter, Kielder and Hamsterley.  The public forest estate in North England District attracts over one million visits per annum.  The District has 45 SSSIs totalling over 10,000 ha and is a major contributor to local and national biodiversity.

The planning team maintain 56 forest plans to ensure the forest activities have full approval for felling and restocking and that our UKWAS accreditation is maintained.  As forest plans are revised the planner will take the lead in ensuring that the plans are fit for purpose and delivering against the latest policies, legislation and best practice for forest and land management in its widest sense. 

This role embodies the key values of Forestry England:

• We think beyond a lifetime, planning today for a better tomorrow, so our business and our forests are sustainable and fit for the future. 
• We are adventurous, approaching challenges with creativity and adventure, embracing research and innovation to stay relevant.
• We do it together.  We get our best results when we work with others and encourage diverse perspectives, so we make better decisions.

Forestry England aims to be an exemplar of best practice sustainable forest management and all our activities are independently certified to the UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS).

Job Description

The purpose of the job is to develop, consult on and deliver forest plans which maximise natural capital while being commercially sustainable.  Plans will deliver excellence in sustainable forest management for people, nature and the economy and comply with the United Kingdom Forestry Standard (UKFS) and the United Kingdom Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS). 

Key Work Areas

• Operational management: survey work. Plan & manage survey work to ensure that work is delivered within FE’s operational guidance, safety standards and the UK Forestry Standard.
• Forest Planning. Create and maintain forest plans that deliver sustainable forest management for people, nature, and the economy. Maximise the productive capacity for timber whilst restructuring plantations to design in resilience to climate change and habitat priorities.
• Maintain compliance with UK Forest Standard and UK Woodland Assurance Standard.
• Increasing natural capital. Maximise Natural Capital delivery within forest plans, striking a balance with the need to produce timber.  Ensure plans deliver against key objectives including restocking on peat, the ancient woodland & plantation on ancient woodlands (PAWs) programme, the designated site’s objective to achieve 75% favourable status by 2043 and that high value species and habitats are identified so that management choices conserve and enhance these. Improve and enhance heritage features in district.

Person Specification

Essential:

• Proven track record of working in land and/or forest management.
• Ability to think strategically and identify consequences of proposals.
• Able to use GIS systems such as Arc-view or Forester Web.
• IT computer skills.
• Enthusiasm and the ability to work in a team and with partners.
• Strong analytical and communication skills that can take complex topics and distil them down to working strategies.
• HND or degree level qualification (or equivalent) in forestry, environmental management or a related subject or relevant experience that meets the requirement of the role.
• Ability to analyse and solve problems creatively.
• Excellent communication skills in both written and verbal format.

Please clearly demonstrate how the above applies to you throughout your application. Failure to do so will mean that your application is automatically sifted out.

Desirable:

• Understanding of UK forest or land management planning guidelines, regulations and legislation.
• Technical knowledge and understanding in planning and delivery of projects.
• Collecting information to advise landscape planning.

For full job details and how to apply.