Within the Department of Natural Resources, positions execute a full range of seedling management activities in a production nursery setting, including growing, harvesting, and shipping tree seedlings. Positions perform assignments in various agricultural and horticultural disciplines necessary for the production and storage of vigorous seedling trees. They have a direct responsibility for helping provide plants that will maintain healthy and productive forest landscapes and eco-systems.

Directs and participates in a variety of general nursery labor involving use of established repetitive procedures;

Checks and oversees the process of sorting, counting, and culling seedlings; checks bundles for accuracy of count and sort; places seedlings in bags/boxes, and transfers to cold storage;

Loads and unloads seedling bags/boxes in and out of refrigerated warehouse; operates pallet jacks, hand trucks, and other loading and moving equipment used in warehouse activities;

Places seedling stock in proper storage locations; loads and unloads truck shipments;

Engages in greenhouse operations work such as filling blocks, sowing, hand thinning, weeding, moving seedling blocks from one area to another;

Engages in field work including, counting seedling trees and inventory plots, hoeing and hand weeding seedling beds, feeding seedlings into mechanical planters, moving irrigation pipe;

Uses hand, farm and garden tools; operates light trucks and farm equipment;
Maintains buildings, grounds, and equipment in orderly condition – sweeps floors, dumps garbage cans, wash seedling blocks, cleans greenhouses and facilities;

Performs other work as required.

Ability to: maintain effective working relationships while meeting production standards; perform close, tedious, repetitive work requiring good manual dexterity; perform physical labor, use hand, farm, and garden tools safely and efficiently.

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.

Positions typically require a high school diploma or GED certificate and physical ability to do the required work.

Equivalent experience/education.

Possession of a valid driver's license may be required.

Title change (formerly Forest Nursery Leadwoman), general revision: 9-7-73
Revised definition, minimum qualifications, and general revision: 1-24-75
Revised definition, minimum qualifications, code change (formerly 9407) and general revision: 2-12-82
Revised new class code: (formerly 94110) effective July 1, 2007.
Base range salary adjustment adopted 6/30/2017, effective 7/1/2017.
Base range salary adjustment adopted 6/13/2019, effective 7/1/2019.

Revised Legal Requirements; effective June 6, 2024, due to adopted legislative action.

Added class series concept, revised typical work, knowledge and abilities, legal requirements, desirable qualifications and base range increase from 33 to 36; adopted June 23, 2025, effective July 1, 2025.

Revised desirable qualifications; effective July 27, 2025, due to adopted legislative action.