Job Description
Who We Are:
The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) seeks to protect, preserve, and enhance Massachusetts' environmental resources and create a clean energy future for all residents. Through the stewardship of open spaces, the protection of environmental resources, and the advancement of clean energy, EEA works tirelessly to make Massachusetts a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family. Our commitment to environmental justice ensures that every resident, regardless of background or location, can live in a safe, clean environment and shares equally in the benefits of the clean energy transition.
Who We Are as an Employer:
At EEA, we create meaningful, inclusive opportunities that empower our employees to make a real difference in shaping the environmental future of Massachusetts. We foster a workplace culture where diversity is valued, innovation is encouraged, and collaboration thrives. Our employees play a vital role in advancing sustainability, environmental justice, and clean energy solutions, ensuring a positive and lasting impact on Massachusetts and its residents.
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The Department of Conservation and Recreation's mission is to protect, promote and enhance our commonwealth of natural, cultural and recreational resources for the wellbeing of all. The DCR is steward to one of the largest and most diverse state parks systems in the nation which includes more than 450,000 acres of parks, forests, water supply protection lands, beaches, lakes, ponds, playgrounds, swimming pools, skating rinks, trails, golf courses and parkways. DCR strives to be an exemplary leader in conservation and recreation. DCR's staff is passionate, dedicated, and continuously employs best practices that are informed by expertise, and creates a sense of place through carrying out the mission.
In addition, DCR has conservation programs that enhance and protect natural resources throughout the Commonwealth. Private lands play a key role in sustaining clean water, protecting our soil, providing wildlife habitat and producing quality timber resources. The Service Forestry program helps protect the natural resources of the Commonwealth by providing technical expertise, services and programs and regulatory oversite to all the forest landowners (state, private, municipal) in the state.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation seeks applicants for the position of Private Forest Land Director, Regional Planner IV. Work location - 40 Cold Storage Drive, Amherst, MA.
The Private Forest Lands Coordinator is responsible for the planning, implementation, and coordination of regulatory, educational publications and programs, and forest policy on the 2.4 million acres of private and municipal forest land in the Commonwealth and has the primary responsibility of program guidelines and implementation of the business and private landowner incentive portion of Forests as Climate Solutions Initiative which expands the breadth and scope of the former position. The purpose of this work is to provide technical assistance and outreach through direct contacts or publications to private landowners on sound forest management strategies and financial assistance opportunities.
This is accomplished in part through direct development of programs and policy, developing relationships with program constituents, overseeing policies and procedures, developing performance measures, gathering landowner data and metrics for outreach plans, providing fiscal oversight, managing multiple funding accounts, preparing reports to the Federal Government on program performance, collaborating with the Forest Bureau's Planner on the five year review of the state's Forest Action Plan, coordinating all grant making activities, conducting events and training programs, as well as presenting at local, state and national trainings, conferences and event on behalf of the Commonwealth. The Private Forest Lands Coordinator is the statewide private and municipal forestland spokesperson for DCR and is responsible for implementing the private lands incentive programs as a part of the Forests as Climate Solutions initiative.
- Provides direct supervision of the Bureau's service forestry staff including program direction, the development of performance measures, staff meetings, staff evaluations, program guidelines, and goals setting.
- Supervise program guidelines and implementation of the business and private landowner incentive portion of Forests as Climate Solutions Initiative.
- Direct the development of programs and policy, including technical planning aspects of MGL Ch132 and MGL Ch61 regulations, and the evaluation and updating of these regulations.
- Administer grant funded programs from USDA through the review and development of technical programmatic aspects and ensure contract requirements are met, including fiscal oversight and the management of multiple funding accounts.
- Serve as liaison to the state forestry committee, USDA technical steering committee, and other municipal and regional environmental groups.
- Provide recommendations to municipalities through the Forests as Climate Solutions ForestsWork program for climate planning and forest cutting regulations, including technical assistance to conservation commissions on forest management planning.
- Provide guidance and supervision to program staff in data management functions of the Ch132 database, the Ch61 database, and the monitoring and evaluation of climate and land management programs, to improve the efficiency of data systems for environmental land management programs.
- Oversee policies and procedures for review of the technical aspects of MGL Ch132, MGL Ch61, MEPA, NHESP, MGL Ch131 proposed legislation and regulations on land management and environmental protection issues.
- Review RFRs, landscape level management plans, and monitoring reports to assess compliance with agency and program goals.
- Confer with municipal, state and federal government agencies such as NRCS and USFS, and others to gather land use management data, monitoring, and program coordination.
- Respond to inquiries from agency staff and others to fulfill public record requests, reports and other information concerning forest land management programs.
- Serves as the statewide private and municipal forest land spokesperson for DCR as a part of the Forests as Climate Solutions initiative.
13. Administers capital funded planning projects, such ForestsWork and Forests as Climate Solutions, by reviewing technical aspects of environmental land management, landowner decision making, and agency priorities for long-range planning analysis.
14. Works with staff on capital budgets for private lands forestry programs and policy discussion on climate and carbon regarding forest land in the Commonwealth.
15. Prepares and/or reviews scientific reports, studies and analytical data associated with state and federal grants and programs.
16. Conducts formal investigations into regulatory violations including fact finding and license hearings.
17. Identifies and correct shortfalls in technical research and development in forest management techniques and best management practices to conserve soils and wetland resources on all forest land in the Commonwealth.
18. Plans, supervises and coordinates technology transfer to landowners, foresters, service forestry staff, and other Bureau programs and natural resource professionals.
19. Works with the Deputy Director of Forest Stewardship on forest policy, regulatory changes, MOU's and MOA's.
Qualifications
First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.
MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must have at least (A) five years of full-time, or equivalent part-time technical or professional experience in urban or regional planning, environmental planning, transportation planning or land use planning, and (B) of which at least three years must have been in a professional capacity, and (C) of which at least one year must have been in a supervisory capacity, or (D) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below.
Substitutions:
I. A Bachelor's degree with a major in urban or regional planning, environmental planning, urban studies, architecture, landscape architecture, civil, environmental, or transportation engineering or environmental sciences may be substituted for two years d the required (A) experience.
II. A Graduate degree with a major in urban or regional planning, environmental planning, urban studies, architecture, landscape architecture, civil, environmental, or transportation engineering or environmental sciences may be substituted for three years of the required (A) experience and one year of the required (B) experience.
Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis on the proportion of the requirements actually completed.
NOTE: Educational substitutions will only be permitted for a maximum of three years of the required experience. Substitutions will only be permitted for a maximum of one year of the required (B) experience. No substitution will be permitted for the required (C) experience.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Based on assignment, possession of a current and valid Massachusetts Class D Motor Vehicle Operator's License.
Comprehensive Benefits
When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.
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An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.