Forest engineers are responsible for much more than helping decide which trees should be cut down in a forest for lumber. In addition to working with lumber companies to determine the most environmentally-friendly way of harvesting trees and re-planting areas of the forest for future tree growth they also work on planning the most effective safe logical and responsible paths for new passenger and commercial vehicle roads as well as new railways designed to move lumber from the forest to the manufacturing warehouse where it is headed. Additionally forest engineers help to plan structures that are to be erected in areas considered to be forestland. The job of a forest engineer is challenging because they must evaluate several complex factors before making decisions on the best courses of action that will leave the smallest amount of environmental damage as possible. Because making the wrong decision could be devastating to the forest and the surrounding environment it’s essential that a forest engineer is extremely detail oriented committed to the success of a project and aware of all environmental factors in a particular area. According to www.ehow the recommended bachelor’s program for this career is a degree in forestry management. This program is often offered in conjunction with an emphasis in civil engineering. Forest engineers must also be highly knowledgeable about the life cycle of trees and plants and the ease or difficulty of re-foresting areas in very specific climates. The most common employers of forest engineers are state and federal governments lumber companies and companies that specialize in forestry services. According to www.salaryexpert.com the average salary for a forest engineer is $25000 to $45000 per year.
|Education Required:||Bachelor's Degree|
|Tasks:||Draws maps to show topographical features of area.
Helps create and design roads and railways through forested areas.
Monitors lumber companies.
Determines the best way to re-plant trees.
|Also Called:||Forestry Management Engineer
Industrial Forestry Engineer