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City Forester

City Of Elkhart

Job Location:

Elkhart, KS - USA

Yearly Salary: USD 75000 - 75000

Posted: 29 September 2026 (3 days ago)

Application Deadline: 27 December 2026

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

CITY OF ELKHART JOB DESCRIPTION

DEPARTMENT	Buildings & Grounds	POSITION	City Forester
DIVISION	Forestry	STATUS	Full-time
CATEGORY	Salaried Up to $75000	FLSA	Exempt
REPORTS TO	Buildings & Grounds Department Head	DATE	2026

JOB SUMMARY	Functions as head of the forestry division responsible for the maintenance of street trees City nursery and trees on other City properties.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES	Oversees and schedules subordinate personnel. Establishes work priorities. Develops and implements departmental procedures. Must be able to identify common trees and shrubs for inventory and work orders. Maintains and updates City tree inventory using databases GIS and GPS equipment. Oversees tree planting projects on City properties. Responds to inquiries from City residents concerning street trees and other forestry responsibilities. Responsible for the inspection maintenance and removal of all Trees owned in any percentage by the City including but not limited to Street Trees. Plants and transplants trees shrubs and other plant material. Sits on the Elkhart Tree Board as a non-voting member. Enforces the Tree Board ordinance including approval of blanket permits and all work requested under tree care permits. Must be available 24 hours a day seven (7) days a week to assess and/or remove fallen trees and limbs from streets and properties.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES	Assists the department with snow removal from downtown streets and parking lots. May be assigned to assist in Public Buildings & Grounds. Maintains equipment and tools. Performs other duties as assigned and required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE	Bachelor of Science in Forestry or a closely related field. ISA Certified Arborist credential or willingness to obtain one within your probationary period. ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) or willingness to obtain one within your probationary period. PREFERRED A Class A Commercial Drivers License or the ability to obtain one if required. ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional credential. ISA Board Certified Master Arborist credential. Society of American Foresters Certified Urban and Community Forester credential. Indiana Commercial Pesticide Applicator license (Right-of-Way category or similar).

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES	Good verbal and written communication skills. Ability to lead and manage a diverse group of tree care workers. Ability to select and order materials tools and other supplies. Knowledge of occupational hazards safety precautions and practices used in the tree care industry. Knowledge of high voltage electrical power lines. Spanish language skills preferred.

PHYSICAL MENTAL AND VISUAL SKILLS	Solves practical problems with a variety of variables and limited standardization. Ability to perform arithmetic calculations involving fractions decimals and percentages. Ability to carry out detailed written and verbal instructions independently. Body agility is emphasized using feet legs hands arms and body. Maintain body equilibrium to prevent falling the amount of and kind of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary maintenance of body equilibrium. Vision requirements (with or without correction): clear vision at arms length and distances up to 100 feet. Excellent depth perception and ability to observe up or down to the right and left while eyes are fixed on a given point.

WORKING CONDITIONS	Works indoors and outdoors year-round. Temperature extremes are: summer 95 degrees and winter -10 degrees. There is exposure to dirt dust snow rain and noise equipment movement and vibrations hazardous chemicals and electrical shock. Work is performed in a 40 hour workweek.

POST OFFER TESTING REQUIRED	The City of Elkhart is a Drug Free Workplace. Therefore successfully passing a post offer drug screen is required (random drug testing may be conducted after employment). Background checks producing acceptable BMV and criminal history reports required.

POLICY STATEMENT	The incumbent is required to possess the knowledge skills and abilities and the physical mental and visual skills described in this job description to perform the principal duties responsibilities and essential job functions. This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the incumbent. Principal duties and responsibilities are intended to describe those functions that are essential to the performance of this job and other duties and responsibilities include those that are considered incidental or secondary to the overall purpose of this job. This job description does not state or imply that the above are the only duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Employee holding this position will be required to perform any other job-related duties as requested by the Mayor. All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with a disability.