State of Washington Classified Job Specification
FOREST NURSERY TECHNICIAN
Definition
Participate in the work of various phases of nursery operations and the maintenance and care of plants. May lead or supervise crews engaged in planting, lifting, sorting, packing, storing trees for shipment, labelling, weeding, irrigation, spraying, fertilizing, mixing, fumigating, and sterilizing soils.
Typical Work
Maintains inventory and reconciliations of physical inventories using manual or automated systems; operates various material handling machines such as forklift trucks, and pallet jacks; drives trucks, tractors, and other equipment; checks and oversees or supervises the checking of all incoming shipments and goods received; trains nursery leads in warehouse activities; prepares seedling identification tags bearing coded information;
Cares for yards and grounds, and does routine building and greenhouse cleaning and maintenance; maintains fences and roads;
Issues tools; proper use and maintenance for farm tractors, transplanter, lifters, forklifts, flat fillers, seed-sowing equipment, single axle trucks up to two and one-half ton, and other specialized equipment;
Inspects plants for damage, insects, or evidence of common disease; administers prescribed treatment for diseases or pest control;
Develops, locates, installs, maintains and measures basic studies/tests involving the growth and production of nursery seedlings;
Mixes and applies materials and to nursery seedlings and seed beds;
Performs other work as required.
Cares for yards and grounds, and does routine building and greenhouse cleaning and maintenance; maintains fences and roads;
Issues tools; proper use and maintenance for farm tractors, transplanter, lifters, forklifts, flat fillers, seed-sowing equipment, single axle trucks up to two and one-half ton, and other specialized equipment;
Inspects plants for damage, insects, or evidence of common disease; administers prescribed treatment for diseases or pest control;
Develops, locates, installs, maintains and measures basic studies/tests involving the growth and production of nursery seedlings;
Mixes and applies materials and to nursery seedlings and seed beds;
Performs other work as required.
Knowledge and Abilities
Knowledge of: standard nursery practices and proper care of seedling trees; transplanting and thinning procedures; packaging for shipment and storage; proper maintenance and operation practices for tractors, planters, harvesting machines, trucks, forklifts, and other nursery equipment.
Ability to: identify seedlings stock of number and types of trees common to Washington State; maintain a variety of field, greenhouse, and warehouse records; make written reports; operate nursery equipment; maintain effective working relationships while instructing and supervising crews and maintain production standards, and physical ability to do required work.
Ability to: identify seedlings stock of number and types of trees common to Washington State; maintain a variety of field, greenhouse, and warehouse records; make written reports; operate nursery equipment; maintain effective working relationships while instructing and supervising crews and maintain production standards, and physical ability to do required work.
Legal Requirement(s)
There may be instances where individual positions must have additional licenses or certification. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the appropriate licenses/certifications are obtained for each position.
Persons legally authorized to work in the U.S. under federal law, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, are eligible for employment unless prohibited by other state or federal law.
Desirable Qualifications
High School diploma, GED certificate or equivalent education/experience and two years of technical work experience in forest seedling nursery, ornamental plant, tree nursery, crop/vegetable farm, or warehousing; one year of which must be lead type experience.
College training in one of the plant sciences may be substituted year-for-year for required experience.
Lead type experience may not be substituted.
Some positions may require a valid Washington State driver's license.
Equivalent experience/education.
College training in one of the plant sciences may be substituted year-for-year for required experience.
Lead type experience may not be substituted.
Some positions may require a valid Washington State driver's license.
Equivalent experience/education.
Class Specification History
New class Effective January 22, 1974
Revised February 12, 1982 Revises definition and minimum qualifications, deletes distinguishing characteristics, general revision, title change (formerly Forest Nursery Grower) and code change (formerly 9411)
Revised July 15, 1988 Revises minimum qualifications
Revised new class code: (formerly 94140) effective July 1, 2007
Revised Legal Requirements; effective June 6, 2024, due to adopted legislative action.
Revised the definition, typical work, knowledge and abilities, legal requirements and desirable qualifications, adopted June 23, 2025, effective July 1, 2025.
Revised February 12, 1982 Revises definition and minimum qualifications, deletes distinguishing characteristics, general revision, title change (formerly Forest Nursery Grower) and code change (formerly 9411)
Revised July 15, 1988 Revises minimum qualifications
Revised new class code: (formerly 94140) effective July 1, 2007
Revised Legal Requirements; effective June 6, 2024, due to adopted legislative action.
Revised the definition, typical work, knowledge and abilities, legal requirements and desirable qualifications, adopted June 23, 2025, effective July 1, 2025.
