# Forest and Conservation Technicians

> Provide technical assistance regarding the conservation of soil, water, forests, or related natural resources. May compile data pertaining to size, content, condition, and other characteristics of forest tracts under the direction of foresters, or train and lead forest workers in forest propagation and fire prevention and suppression. May assist conservation scientists in managing, improving, and protecting rangelands and wildlife habitats.

- **SOC code:** 19-4071.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-4071-00
- **Also known as:** Forest Technician, Forestry Aide, Forestry Technician (Forestry Tech), Resource Technician, Biological Science Aide, Timber Appraiser, Conservation Agent, Conservation Officer
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Thin and space trees and control weeds and undergrowth, using manual tools and chemicals, or supervise workers performing these tasks.
- Keep records of the amount and condition of logs taken to mills.
- Manage forest protection activities, including fire control, fire crew training, and coordination of fire detection and public education programs.
- Monitor activities of logging companies and contractors.
- Perform reforestation or forest renewal, including nursery and silviculture operations, site preparation, seeding and tree planting programs, cone collection, and tree improvement.
- Train and lead forest and conservation workers in seasonal activities, such as planting tree seedlings, putting out forest fires, and maintaining recreational facilities.
- Plan and supervise construction of access routes and forest roads.
- Select and mark trees for thinning or logging, drawing detailed plans that include access roads.
- Supervise forest nursery operations, timber harvesting, land use activities such as livestock grazing, and disease or insect control programs.
- Patrol park or forest areas to protect resources and prevent damage.
- Provide information about, and enforce, regulations, such as those concerning environmental protection, resource utilization, fire safety, and accident prevention.
- Develop and maintain computer databases.

**Emerging tasks** (O*NET):
- Develop contracts related to operations.
- Monitor environmental conditions such as temperature or humidity.
- Operate and manage drone technology for aerial surveys and mapping, wildlife monitoring, and forest health assessments.
- Write reports on forestry or conservation activities.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Public Safety and Security _(knowledge)_
- Active Listening _(essential_skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(essential_skill)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Oral Expression _(ability)_
- Problem Sensitivity _(ability)_
- Information Ordering _(ability)_
- English Language _(knowledge)_
- Written Comprehension _(ability)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(ability)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(ability)_
- Customer and Personal Service _(knowledge)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Excel _(Common Skill)_
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- Geography _(Specialized Skill)_
- Mathematics _(Common Skill)_
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_
- Time Management _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- ESRI ArcGIS software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Facebook _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Access _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- Geographic information system GIS systems _(in demand)_
- Allegro Landmark
- Assisi Compiler

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 25th percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 48th percentile (Moderate) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 6th percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** -3.2% growth (Declining); 3.9k annual openings; 33.8k → 32.7k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $54,310; 31,080 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Anthropic Economic Index** (v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27)) — Anthropic. https://www.anthropic.com/economic-index
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-4071-00_