Director, Private Lands Reforestation

ABOUT US 

American Forests is a national non-profit organization committed to creating healthy and resilient forests from cities to large landscapes, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water, and wildlife. We advance our mission through forestry innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building. We envision a world in which the significant environmental, societal, and economic benefits of forests are fully realized and equitably available to all people. Established in 1875, American Forests is the oldest national non-profit conservation organization in the U.S. working to restoring urban forests and forested landscapes for nearly 150 years.  

American Forests is proud to be a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible (DEIA) workplace. These are our shared values. We welcome individuals who bring a variety of backgrounds and experiences to be a part of our team to help make a difference individually and collectively as we work toward achieving our mission. We are committed to fostering an environment that is welcoming and respectful and provides opportunities for advancement and professional growth for every team member.  

POSITION SUMMARY 

American Forests recently received a USFS grant to support the participation of underserved private forest landowners in emerging markets for resilient reforestation, or reforestation that is resilient to future climate changes and disturbances as well as future market and economic conditions. We are working to deliver the following outcomes:

• Provide underserved private landowners with the technical and financial resources needed for implementing resilient reforestation projects.
• Create new opportunities for underserved private landowners, to access new income streams and deploy climate-informed reforestation practices well suited to emerging markets for climate mitigation and resilience.
• Engage with and provide technical assistance to underserved private landowners, about resilient reforestation and emerging markets for joint climate mitigation and adaptation.
• Implement high-integrity resilient reforestation projects yielding biodiversity, water, climate, and cultural benefits.

To advance this work, American Forests is looking for a Director, Private Lands Reforestation to lead the development of program offerings for underserved private landowners across the western US, build effective partnerships with consulting foresters, resource conservation districts, state agencies, and other technical assistance parties; develop and deliver educational and outreach materials to efficiently engage underserved landowners and design and oversee implementation of high-quality reforestation projects. 

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES 

Responsibilities will include but are not limited to: 

Reforestation Project Design and Implementation (50%) 

• Work with landowners and consulting foresters to plan and design tree planting projects, project budgeting, placing seedling orders, selecting and supervising contractors, overseeing planting, ongoing maintenance, and forest inventory. 
• Collaborate with American Forests staff and partners to develop an adaptable Resilient Reforestation Plan template – or reforestation plan documentation – that supports the design of resilient reforestation projects that meet ecological, social, and economic needs and translates to carbon market project documentation.
• Work individually and with external partners and internal American Forests experts to build out reforestation project guides and scenarios for western US states to understand regional and state-specific reforestation requirements, best practices and restrictions.
• Manage reforestation plan development in consultation with private underserved landowners, project partners, consulting foresters, and other American Forests staff.
• Oversee and support implementation of forest stand inventories and assessments.
• Support staff and consulting foresters to coordinate reforestation project implementation including seedling orders, planting contractors, and other implementation work as needed. 
• Conduct initial project due diligence including site evaluations and project assessments. 
• Work with American Forests staff and external technical carbon developer partners to complete carbon project feasibility assessments modeling forest growth and suitability for carbon project methodologies.
• Other related work as needed.

Landowner Outreach and Engagement (35%) 

• Build partnerships with groups and entities that serve private landowners including resource conservation districts (RCDs), state agencies, municipalities, university extension specialists, and consulting foresters to support landowner education and engagement around resilient reforestation market opportunities.
• Develop an outreach strategy to engage underserved private landowners, specifically veterans, limited resource producers, beginning forest landowners (<10 years), and landowners living in high poverty areas.
• Develop clear and compelling outreach materials detailing resilient reforestation opportunities, carbon market opportunities, and principles of climate-resilient reforestation, among other topics.
• Conduct direct outreach to underserved private landowners to evaluate opportunities for nature-based carbon projects in specific geographies and landscapes in the western US (OR, WA, CA, MT, NM)
• Represent American Forests at conferences, workshops, presentations, and gatherings targeted at consulting foresters, private landowners, and reforestation.
• Actively track and maintain records of landowner outreach, education, and engagement in line with reporting and metrics goals.

Program Administration (15%) 

• Support program fundraising with grant writing and participation in other fundraising efforts as appropriate.
• Work with administration and operation staff to track and manage program finances. 
• Develop and manage budgets in partnership with American Forests’ program and finance departments.
• Other duties as assigned.