Forestry technician
The forestry technician is a key link in the chain of professions ensuring good forestry management in France.
He works in the field, often in harsh climatic conditions, and is very versatile, drawing on sound knowledge of the forest environment and silvicultural techniques The forestry technician is in fact another kind of forest manager.
The forestry technician monitors and manages the forest. He decides which trees to fell, which plots to replant, which species, when and how to clear the undergrowth, and so on.
The forestry technician, your forest management assistant
The forestry technician takes charge of several tasks:
- He draws up the ‘PSG’ forest management plan, which considers the forest’s history, ecological factors (soil, vegetation, climate), forecasted felling work and the silvicultural work planned for the year.
- He organizes wood sales, most notably at auctions. He oversees the marking of the trees to be felled, then draws up the data sheets that will be presented at the sale and that indicate volumes and the terms and timeframes of operations.
- He oversees logging operations.
- He ensures compliance with the regulations.
- He helps implement the forestry policy.
- He is also qualified to produce the completion-of-work certificate, which must faithfully reflect the work actually done.
To fulfil his role as a forest manager, he may be required to supervise a small team on the ground, for example during pruning, felling or reforestation work.
In France, forestry technicians may work in the private or public sector.
In the private sector, the forestry technician’s job is to develop and exploit the forest for a profit. He thus organizes felling and wood sales to sawmills. He also manages plantation work and silvicultural operations. He also offers valuable advice on how to generate value from forest estates. His forestry management skills are of great value to forestry managers.
The forestry technician is a local operator, based close to the forests in his charge.
The forestry technician may hold a professional baccalaureate or an advanced technical diploma (BTS), or be a qualified forestry engineer. He may be freelance or work for a company or forestry cooperative, or for a forestry consultant.
