About the Division of Forestry
Who We Are
The Tennessee Division of Forestry (TDF) was established in 1914 with a focus on wildfire control and reforestation. At the time, Tennessee was about 25% forested, with 7 million acres of forest.
Today, Tennessee's forest cover has doubled. The state now has 14 million acres of forested land, covering about 52% of the state.
Over the years, we have adapted to address new and pressing forestry needs, forming a resilient organization.
TDF employs approximately 400 people across the entire state, led by the State Forester. Leadership for state-wide services and programs is located in Nashville; district- and county-level leadership is distributed throughout the state.
Mission
To protect, conserve, and enhance Tennessee's forest resources by providing management options and services to citizens through leadership and education.
Vision
To be a trusted resource for facilitating decisions that result in productive, resilient, and sustainable forests.
Values
Respect, Trustworthiness, Passion, Dedication, and Reliability
What We Do
The Division of Forestry, housed within the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, serves Tennesseans by stewarding forest resources, equipping landowners to manage their forests to meet their goals, and supporting the forest industry. Day to day, that looks like...
- Forest health monitoring, management & assistance
- Wildfire prevention, mitigation & suppression
- State forest stewardship & management
- Reforestation & conservation solutions
- Urban & community forestry
- Technical & financial landowner assistance
- Forest industry support and workforce development
- Public education & outreach
- Forest inventory, data collection & data analysis
The Division of Forestry offers a range of career opportunities across the entire state, including leadership, supervisor, and individual contributor roles across all 95 Tennessee counties. Positions include...
- Unit Leaders: Oversee key division-wide functions
- Program Specialists: Direct state-wide programs
- District Leaders: Manage forest and fire operations
- Area Foresters: Support forest landowners; lead a team
- State Forest Foresters: Manage state forest operations
- Forest Inventory & Analysis Foresters: Gather, manage, and analyze forestry-related data in the field and office
- Forestry Technicians: Coordinate local fire suppression / prevention efforts and support forest management; may lead a team during fire season
- Forestry Aides: Operate heavy equipment, assist in fire suppression / prevention efforts, and support forest management needs
- Reforestation Technicians: Support wide range of seedling nursery operations; lead a team
- Reforestation Aides: Operate heavy equipment and assist in seedling nursery operations
- Radio System Analysts: Manage state-wide radio system operations, interoperability, and agreements
- Radio Technicians: Support and maintain radio communication systems and equipment
- Fire Resource Coordinators: Dispatch resources to emergencies across the state; maintain training, qualification, and experience documentation for staff
- Prescribed Fire Strike Team: Coordinate, plan, and execute prescribed fire for landowners and agency partners; respond to emergencies
- Administrative Roles: Support operations across the Division
- Seasonal Forest Health & Firefighting Positions: Fulfill seasonal support needs
Use the link below to view open positions on the State Job Board. We list new positions frequently, so if you don't see any forestry roles or don't see positions that interest you right now, check back soon!
