Forest Ranger II

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION & FORESTRY

MAINE FOREST SERVICE

FOREST RANGER II

Opening Date: August 31 2026

Closing Date: End of the day October 16 2026

Location: Statewide

Position Type: Permanent Full Time/Year-Round

Class Code: 9431

Grade: 22

Salary: $32.24 - $44.04 Per Hour*

*(This includes a $0.85 Availability/Reachability Stipend)

Interested applicants need to submit a Direct Hire Application Cover Letter a detailed Resume* and any additional materials requested within the posting.

*For us to properly determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for any posting you must be sure your resume includes the month and year for any relevant experience listed. Your resume should include the duties and responsibilities associated with each position. Any experience that was not full-time employment should be identified as such.

BRIEF JOB DESCRIPTION: This is investigative and protective services work in the detection prevention pre-suppression and suppression of wildfires and the enforcement of forestry environmental and conservation laws.

TYPICAL DUTIES:

• Patrols and inspects assigned areas observing activities checking recreational areas and wood operations; noting road conditions; posting signs; conducting fire investigations; and issuing fire permits.
• Contacts and advises town fire wardens landowners mill owners social organizations industry government groups and others.
• Trains firefighting personnel attends firefighting training and repairs/checks firefighting equipment.
• Fights fires and supervises firefighting crews.
• Provides wildland fire training to fire departments hotshots schools industry and other groups.
• Inspects logging operations for compliance with the states fire environmental and conservation laws.
• Enforces statutes prosecutes violators writes case reports and testifies in court.

For additional job tasks refer to: (Entry level knowledges skills and/or abilities may be acquired through BUTARENOTLIMITEDTO the following coursework/training and/or experience).

-An Associates Degree which includes 15 hours of natural science (e.g. fire science criminal justice emergency management forestry biology geology oceanography) -OR- an acceptable equivalent two (2) year combination of directly related education training and/or experience.

-Be at least 21 years old by the time of appointment to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy -OR- can be only 20 years old and have completed an associate degree or 60 credit hours of post-secondary education.

-Be able to successfully pass the Maine Criminal Justice AcademysPhysical Fitness Test(PFT) at the Maine Forest Ranger percentile hiring standards or have had passed at those standards in the past two (2) years. (See information below)

-Applicant must have no criminal or extensive motor vehicle record. Proof of age (e.g. legible copy of birth certificate or drivers license) and a copy of your college transcripts / diploma(s) or equivalent MUST accompany your application.

-Have or be able to obtain a valid Maine Class C motor vehicle operators license

-Successful completion of all required training must be met by all employees prior to attaining permanent status in this class.

Be willing to locateanywherewithin the State of Maine.

**Please Note: **

You must submit with the application:

• Proof of age (copy of birth certificate or drivers license).
• A copy of your college transcripts and diploma(s).
• As applicable any copies of Maine Criminal Justice Academy or comparable State and Federal Law Enforcement training program licenses certificates and transcripts.
• A letter/certificate from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy showing yourPhysical Fitness Test (PFT) results (date of test must be within two years of the closing date of this posting).
• Copies of any applicable training certificates licenses military training summaries etc.

Failure To Provide Any Of These Documents Will Result In A Failure To Meet The Minimum Requirements.

TESTING AND EVALUATION PROCESS:

The Forest Ranger selection process is extensive thorough and time consuming. The process is conducted by the Bureau of Human Resources and the Division of Forest Protection. It involves multiple evaluation phases and you must successfully complete each phase to proceed to the next.

Forest Ranger Application Open Period (90 Days): (see above open and closing dates)

Applications that are complete (including required attachments) will only be accepted during this open period.

Applications will be screened by the Bureau of Human Resources and the Division of Forest Protection.

I. Physical Fitness Test:

Each candidate will be required to complete the PFT (physical fitness test) prior to submitting their application. Proof of successful completion is required for applications to be accepted. If it has been longer than 2 years since you have taken the physical fitness test at MCJA you will need to retake the test in order for your fitness test to be current. You can take the physical fitness test at MCJA on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. The link for more information on the test and scheduling it can be found here: PFT physical fitness test will be offered at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro on the following dates during this open application period.

-September 16 2026**

Please call MCJA to schedule an appointment to take the PFT on the date above.

Applicants must bring with them a government issued picture identification such as a drivers license and the $50.00 fee. If paying with cash please bring the correct amount. If paying with check please bring a check for $50.00 made payable to Treasurer State of Maine. Applicants should arrive 30 minutes prior to the start of the test. Anyone arriving after the test has started will be asked to reschedule.

**Special Note: Taking the PT Test at MCJA is preferred and the results are required as part of the submission of application materials. If you need to PT test for this hiring process please make every effort to take the test there.

Understanding however there is only one opportunity to take the test at MCJA during this compressed hiring timeline before this position posting closes the Maine Forest Service will be offering another opportunity to PT test on November 18 2026 for candidates unable to attend the test at MCJA. Details will be provided only to applicants that pass to this evaluation phase.

Physical Fitness Test Hiring Requirements

The following three (3) test items constitute the physical fitness test (PFT) requirements for the Maine Forest Ranger hiring process. Applicants must successfully complete the Push Up and Sit Up tests at the 40th percentile and the 1.5 mile run test at the 50th percentile coinciding with age and gender. This is the entrance percentile level requirement. Upon hiring new employees will be required to pass at the respective 50th and 60th percentiles upon the completion of BLETP and or their probationary period.

1. One Minute Push-Up Test

MALE (40th Percentile)

AGE 20-29: 29

AGE 30-39: 24

AGE 40-49: 18

AGE 50-59: 13

FEMALE (40th Percentile)

AGE 20-29: 15

AGE 30-39: 11

AGE 40-49: 9

AGE 50-59: 3

2. One Minute Sit-up test

MALE (40th Percentile)

AGE 20-29: 38

AGE 30-39: 35

AGE 40-49: 29

AGE 50-59: 24

FEMALE (40th Percentile)

AGE 20-29: 32

AGE 30-39: 25

AGE 40-49: 20

AGE 50-59: 14

3. 1.5-mile run

MALE (50th Percentile)

AGE 20-29: 11:58

AGE 30-39: 12:25

AGE 40-49: 13:11

AGE 50-59: 14:16

FEMALE (50th Percentile)

AGE 20-29: 14:07

AGE 30-39: 14:34

AGE 40-49: 15:24

AGE 50-59: 17:13

Applicants successfully completing the PFT test must include those results in their application packet to be scheduled for the next step of the hiring process consisting of the structured oral board interviews.

II. Structured Oral Board Interviews:

Applicants will be interviewed by a panel of Maine Forest Rangers and assessed in the following categories: Commitment/Independence; Judgment/Logic; Communications Skills; Applied Knowledge; Decision Making/Decisiveness; Tact & Diplomacy; Motivation; Leadership; Problem Solving Ability.

A five-minute presentation to the board is also required during this phase.

Successful applicants of the oral board phase may be offered conditional employment contingent upon passing a pre-polygraph interview polygraph examination background investigation and law enforcement employment psychological examination.

Background Investigations and Automatic Disqualifiers:

Disqualifying conduct / actions include:

• Has been found guilty of murder or any crime classified in Maine Law as a Class A B or C crime (any felony).
• Has been found guilty of any crime classified in Maine Law as a Class D crime (misdemeanor with a maximum term of imprisonment of less than one year).
• Has been found guilty of violating any of the following provisions of the Maine Criminal Code: 1) Chapter 15 (theft); 2) Chapter 19 (falsification in official matters); 3) Chapter 25 (bribery and corrupt practices); or 4) Chapter 45 (drugs).
• Has been found guilty of any crime that is a violation of the domestic abuse provisions of any state or federal statutes.
• Has an extensive record of motor vehicle law violations.
• Has been found guilty of operating-under-the-influence of intoxicating liquor and/or drugs within the 10 years prior to date of hire.
• Has been found guilty of conduct specified in subparagraphs 1 2 3 4 or 5 in another state or jurisdiction.
• Has been adjudicated to have committed a 0.02 violation (liquor violation under 21 years of age) within the 6 years prior to date of application.
• Has ingested or been injected with or used a hallucinogenic drug.
• Has illegally sold scheduled drugs or drugs which require a prescription.
• Has engaged in illegal drug use beyond what is considered as experimentation.
• Is currently abusing drugs or alcohol.
• Falsifies misrepresents or omits information concerning a material fact in the application during any of the tests when interviewed during the background investigation polygraph examination or on the pre-polygraph questionnaire.

III. Chiefs Interview:

Applicants successfully passing all prior phases of the hiring process will be scheduled for an interview with the Divisions Chief. Applicants passing this phase will be placed on the Divisions hiring register maintained at the Natural Resources Service Center. This register will be used to fill vacancies throughout the State and will remain valid for 18 months after its establishment.

IV. New Hire Conditions of Employment:

Newly hired Forest Rangers are required to attend and successfully complete the following;

• Maine Criminal Justice Academys 18-week Basic Law Enforcement Training Program (BLETP)
• Advanced Ranger 12-week School (post school).
• Upon graduation from these academies new Forest Rangers will work under a Field Training Officer for a period of six (6) months (832hrs minimum).
• Complete the PFT at the 50th and 60th percentiles as described above.

Employment during this probationary period is contingent on a new employee passing all of the above requirements. Forest Rangers are required to annually complete and pass physical fitness testing at the previous listed standards and as defined by agency policy.

No matter where you work across Maine state government you find employees who embody our state mottoDirigo or I leadas they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforces health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package including:

• Work-Life Balance Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays12 days of sick leave and3 weeks of vacation leaveannually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
• Health Insurance Coverage The State of Maine pays85%-100%of employee-only premiums ($12213.60-$14369.04 annual value) depending on salary. Use this chart to find thepremium costsfor you and your family including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
• Health Insurance Premium Credit Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information aboutprogram requirements.
• Dental Insurance The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($365.28 annual value).
• Retirement Plan The State of Maine contributesat least 19.76%of payto the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS) on behalf of the employee.
• Gym Membership Reimbursement Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
• Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program. For more information visit theFederal Student Aid office.
• Living Resources Program Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.
• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a childincluding fathers and adoptive parentsreceiveforty-two (42) consecutive calendar days of fully paid parental leave. Additional unpaid leave may also be available under theFamily and Medical Leave Act.
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in aMaineSaves457(b) account through payroll deductions.
• Learn aboutadditional wellness benefitsfor State employees from theOffice of Employee Health and Wellness.

Theres a job and then theres purposeful transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn grow and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role.

As an Equal Opportunity employer Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race color sex sexual orientation or gender identity physical or mental disability religion age ancestry national origin familial status or genetics.

If youre looking for a great next step and want to feel good about what you do wed love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

Thinking about applying

Research shows that people from historically excluded communities tend to apply to jobs only when they check every box in the posting. If youre currently reading this and hesitating to apply for that reason we encourage you to go for it! Let us know how your lived experience and passion set you apart.

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If you are unable to complete the online application please contact the Human Resources representative listed on the job opening you are interested in applying for. They will work with you for an alternative method of submitting.