Employment of forest and conservation workers is expected to experience little or no change, growing 1 percent from 2010 to 2020. Heightened demand for American timber and wood pellets will help increase demand for forest and conservation workers.
Jobs in private forests will grow with the increasing demand for timber and pellets, but ongoing fiscal crises will likely lessen the number of available positions in state and local governments. Wildfires caused by unpredictable climate conditions may increase the fire suppression activities of forest and conservation workers.
Most employment growth for forest and conservation technicians will be in federally owned forest lands. Recent developments in western forests may result in the conversion of unused roads into forest land, thus creating some new jobs. In addition, increasing pressure on the Forest Service (part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture) to undertake major road repair may result in higher levels of employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition