Forestry in alaska (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kenai: how much, houses, construction)

[TheKezarWoodsman]

Well, im figuring why not with this post, as ive asked it everywhere else. I plan(wish) to get involved in a forestry career, for either the public or private sector, and was wondering what the industry is like up in alaska (regarding everything beyond the south-east islandy area. Prefably around anchorage/fairbanks to be on the road.

[RayinAK]

I will let others chime on this subject, but the forestry business in Alaska, as far as I know, is pretty much non-existing. There are a couple of very small operations taking place around Fairbanks, but it relates to a very small scale lumber business, and firewood sales.

[TheKezarWoodsman]

That part i did understand, but forestry can also encompass management of the lands (employs many in maine in parts where logging isnt allowed), park/forest ranger/govt jobs, ect.

[Dakster]

Every once in a while I see either the Feds or the State hiring. I doubt the state jobs are going to open up until our budget problems are resolved. Even so, most of the Fed jobs I see are typically very low paying jobs in that area. Not that I want to discourage you from looking at it are applying.


What exactly do you want to do though? There are many things that I could read into I want to get involved in a forestry career, private or public sector... From logging to preserving the Forest. To dealing with the ecology surrounding the forest. Just erad an article in ADN that the Yellow Cedar tree up here could be endangered.

Next question would be, what are your qualifications?

[TheKezarWoodsman]

At the moment i am looking at a future career in forestry, as i have an idea on the kind of areas i would like to live. I would perfer to work with sustainable logging or perserving (both actually go very hand-in-hand, with being a park/forest ranger a close second. I would have very little desire in fire-fighting.


Reason i am asking is as stated above, i either want to go to montana, idaho, maine, or alaska (any bufoon can figure out their similarities) and i would most perfer a career in forestry.

Also if y'all want trolls i can play one... And an idea for a post would be "where in alaska can i see 100+ degree temps every day"

[Alaskan Mutt]

Logging in Alaska is just a fraction of what it used to be. If you want to work in the sustainable logging industry you might check out Washington or Oregon. However I just heard a long time logging company in the area is shutting down due to lack of trees to cut.

[TheKezarWoodsman]

any news on the prospects for public sector then? i would assume tribes, businesses, the state, ect would be hiring people to manage their forested lands (as is common here). i know some states have "forest growth" or other similar land incentives where a landowner can hire a forester to help him/her manage the land, and as long as they leave it mostly alone they get charged lower taxes.

As well, what if i was to "open up" the area to anywhere on the road system, the panhandle, or (maybe) even off the road system (assuming said town(/s) would have basic 24/7 emergency care.

[TheKezarWoodsman]

Secondly, i hear alot about alaska having a high cost of living, which is more than understandable, my only question is how high? how much money must someone make to live comfortably (not luxuriously, but not struggling).

alot of the jobs im finding online seem to be in the low 40k, up to 80k. The jobs that are lower seem to mostly include housing.

[jabogitlu]

I'm not sure that many of the towns off the road system would have someone working there involved in forestry. Maybe some state or federal level jobs that travel to some those places, as part of their duties. Probably would be based in Anchorage or Juneau. The exception might be federal level park rangers working some place like McCarthy/Wrangell-St. Elias, Kenai Fjords, etc.

The state is going through some very tough fiscal times, so I'm pretty positive that all nonessential hiring is frozen. Seems like what you'd be most likely to find up here would be federal, if you find anything.

For the general town on the road system (e.g., I live in Soldotna), I'd think that $50k-$70k is a somewhat comfortable gross salary, depending on your other benefits and deductions. $40k isn't necessarily all that easy to live on here, taking into consideration your winter gear for yourself and your car, potentially high cost of heating, fairly high housing costs, high transportation costs into and out of Alaska, etc. Off the road system, I really have no idea, but I'd think you'd need a higher salary to compensate for more flying, increased costs of freight, much higher food costs, etc..

[arctichomesteader]

The USFS hires on the Tongass and Chugach. Some are timber positions but most aren't. Most available jobs are temporary summer jobs. Most permanent employees worked seasonally for a while. They usually offer housing at very cheap rates for the temp workers in bunkhouses which helps with the cost of living but you still have to pay to get there and then go home after the season. Alaska is pretty high on many people's desired places to work/live so they are very competitive. I'll tell you a little secret if you want to get anywhere with a forest service or federal natural resource field job in general: find the most undesirable, middle of nowhere place no one really wants to live and apply for jobs there. Use those to get the resume built up to get a job where you want one. You'll still get 100 non-hired results for every job offer but you won't get anywhere as an inexperienced applicant trying to get a first job in SE Alaska with the USFS or Yellowstone National Park with the NPS but you might in Blackduck, MN or similar locales few people are interested in.


Obviously the NPS and BLM hire as well in AK. Forget about BIA jobs if you aren't native. Forget the private sector there for forestry.


It is rather curious that a state with so much spruce timber available in its backyard imports most of its construction materials. Alaska's economy really hasn't gotten too well developed beyond the raw resource extraction stage.