Natural Resources Manager (Wildland Fire & Forestry Focus)
Natural Resources Managers play a key leadership role in protecting and sustaining forests, water, wildlife, and public lands—and that includes managing wildfire risk and response. In forestry and wildland fire settings, they help plan and coordinate strategies to reduce fire hazards, improve forest health, and guide recovery after fires occur.
A Day in the Job
A Natural Resources Manager working in wildland fire may split their time between office work, meetings, and field visits. They might start the day reviewing fire risk assessments, fuel reduction plans, or reports from recent prescribed burns or wildfire incidents. A key part of the job is coordination—meeting with fire managers, forestry staff, and partner agencies to plan projects like prescribed fire, fuels mitigation, or post-fire restoration.
They may also visit field sites to check on ongoing work such as thinning projects, controlled burns, or watershed recovery efforts after a wildfire. Back in the office, they analyze data, manage budgets, and help develop long-term wildfire resilience strategies.
Work Takes Place
Skills
Career Categories
Protecting the Natural World Investigating the Environment
Potential Employers
Federal Agencies
State Forestry and Fire Agencies
Conservation Nonprofits
