About the role
***APPLY BY 9/14/2026***
If you're a Registered Professional Forester who's ever spent time in Jackson Demonstration State Forest, you already know why this posting exists. JDSF is 48,652 acres of redwood-country working forest, one of California's most heavily used state forests for public recreation, and the anchor of the forestry work at CAL FIRE's Mendocino Unit. This role brings an RPF into the middle of it.
As a Forester I with CAL FIRE's Mendocino Unit, you'll step into a rare multi-program forester role that combines administrative work, recreation management on state forest lands, and vegetation management operations across the unit. This position is built for an RPF who wants portfolio breadth in a place where the forestry work is genuinely different, and who's ready to build a career around JDSF, the coastal Mendocino landscape, and the pre-fire mitigation investment shaping the region's fire future.
This role is ideal for a forester who wants variety and a real sense of place. You'll support administrative and program management work within MEU, contribute to recreation management responsibilities on state forest lands, lead vegetation management and fuel treatment operations across the unit, and serve as the RPF anchoring forestry work that spans multiple functions in one of the most distinctive forestry regions in California. Your license, your judgment, and your presence in the field will shape how this multi-program work gets done.
This position is located in Willits, California, and requires a valid California Registered Professional Forester license. The role also requires CAL FIRE Firefighter Academy and Company Officer Academy completion during probation, medical clearance, and respiratory fit testing for SCBA use. Expect field work, administrative responsibilities, and the kind of role variety that's genuinely rare for a Forester I position.
This isn't a standard Forest Practice Inspector role, and it isn't a straight vegetation management role. It's a multi-program Forester I position that combines three functional areas at once, in a unit shaped by redwood country, state forest management, and the coastal-to-inland landscape gradient that makes Mendocino forestry different from anywhere else in California.
Why CAL FIRE?
- State benefits including health, dental, vision, and retirement
- Permanent, full-time career opportunity
- Unusual portfolio breadth across administration, recreation, and vegetation management
- Connection to Jackson Demonstration State Forest, one of California's most well-known state forests
- Growing vegetation management program tied to California's pre-fire mitigation investment
- Redwood country RPF assignment in one of California's most distinctive forestry regions
- Mission driven team culture focused on service, readiness, and environmental stewardship
About Mendocino County
Mendocino County offers a strong mix of coastline, redwood forests, working ranchlands, and small-town character. Stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the inland Coast Range, the area is one of California's most distinctive and beautiful landscapes.
With access to redwood groves, rivers, vineyards, the Pacific coast, and miles of public forest (including the Jackson Demonstration State Forest, which sits within the Mendocino Unit's area of responsibility), Mendocino County is a strong fit for RPFs who value field work, working forest engagement, and a deep connection to place. The region's mix of state forest lands, private timber, and coastal ecosystems makes it one of the most interesting forestry regions in California.
Popular cities and towns include:
- Willits
- Ukiah
- Fort Bragg
- Mendocino
- Point Arena
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