Description
Assess, manage, and protect natural resources to support sustainable use and ecosystem health. Conduct field surveys, modeling, and restoration planning; advise landowners and agencies; and develop science-based practices, policies, and plans for soil, water, forests, and wildlife.
- • Implement soil, water, vegetation, or habitat management techniques, such as nutrient management, erosion control, buffers, or filter strips, per resource plans.
- • Advise landowners, producers, and agencies on resource plans, problems, or alternative management solutions.
- • Monitor restoration or infrastructure projects to confirm conformance with design specifications.
- • Visit degraded sites to identify causes of erosion, habitat loss, or water quality issues and determine solutions.
- • Build and maintain working relationships with local, state, federal, or tribal staff and board members.
- • Apply principles of ecology, hydrology, soil science, forestry, fisheries, or geology to meet resource objectives.
- • Use GIS and remote sensing data to develop resource assessments and land use recommendations.
- • Compute design specifications for conservation or restoration practices using survey data, technical guides, or engineering manuals.
- • Serve on interdisciplinary teams to plan, develop, or implement programs for improving habitats, watersheds, or soil and groundwater resources.
- • Facilitate fact-finding or mediation among government units, landowners, and other stakeholders to resolve resource disputes.
- • Revisit project sites to evaluate implemented practices and adaptive management needs.
- • Respond to inquiries on resource regulations or jurisdiction, such as wetlands, waters of the U.S., or protected species.
- • Prepare cost estimates and life-cycle analyses for alternative resource management or restoration practices.
- • Provide technical training and guidance to government agencies and partners on soil, water, habitat, or rangeland management.
- • Analyze investigation results to determine measures needed to restore or maintain resource conditions.
- • Coordinate or deliver technical, financial, or administrative assistance programs to ensure timely support and compliance.
- • Identify or recommend integrated weed and pest management strategies, including cultural controls, resistant varieties, biological agents, or targeted pesticides.
- • Review conservation or restoration easements and provide technical recommendations, including for wetlands and riparian areas.
- • Design and conduct surveys or studies of terrestrial and aquatic land uses to inform corrective action or management plans.
- • Manage field offices, budgets, or staff participation in cooperative ventures and partnerships.
- • Plan resource management practices, such as reforestation, riparian restoration, grazing systems, crop rotation, contour farming, or terracing.
- • Initiate, schedule, or conduct audits and compliance checks of natural resource programs implemented by local entities.
- • Develop water conservation, drought resilience, or water harvesting plans using weather and irrigation information systems and ET data.
- • Review or approve amendments to watershed, forest, or conservation district plans.
- • Develop or conduct environmental studies, including plant trials, wildlife habitat assessments, or water quality impact studies.
- • Enter soil, water, habitat, or climate data into decision-support tools to select appropriate analyses or techniques.
- • Compile or interpret biological and ecological data to classify habitats, wetlands, or sensitive resources and support program design.
- • Review annual reports from counties, conservation districts, or watershed organizations for compliance with reporting requirements.
- • Evaluate grant applications and make funding recommendations for research, restoration, or monitoring projects.
- • Develop resource maps, including soils, habitat, hydrology, or land use, to support planning and permitting.
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
