Careers and Jobs
The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, this mission has brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. We strive to live up to our promise of “caring for the land and serving people.”
And the views? Well, they're just a perk of the job.
Located 50 miles east of Portland, Oregon, Mt. Hood National Forest covers 1.1 million acres, stretching from the Columbia River Gorge to the Mount Jefferson Wilderness. The Forest is known for its namesake, Mt. Hood, the tallest mountain in the state. Mt. Hood National Forest offers a range of outdoor recreation opportunities, including hiking, skiing, and camping. The Forest provides critical water resources for the region and is known for its robust fisheries program. Staff have the pleasure of working at one of four duty locations: Sandy, Zigzag, Dufur, and Parkdale.
All vacancy announcements are posted at USAJobs.gov.
Hiring Resources
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2026 / 2027 Winter Seasonal Hiring
The Mt. Hood National Forest is recruiting for four seasonal snow ranger positions to maintain sno-park facilities, fire lookout rentals, and winter recreation trails. The temporary seasonal positions will open for application on USAJobs.gov September 25 through October 5.
Positions are slated to start sometime between early November and late December 2026. Work will continue through April or May 2027.
| Job Announcement # | Position | Duty Location |
|---|---|---|
| 27-TMPWSRT-NAT-3FS042-5DH | GS-0462-05 | Forestry Technician (Recreation, Timber, Range) | Parkdale, OR Zigzag, OR |
Snow Ranger Primary Duties
- Patrolling sno-parks and winter trails to educate visitors and enforce applicable regulations; shoveling snow from walkways and bathroom facilities
- Cleaning toilets, installing signage on kiosks, and maintaining sno-park facilities
- Installing trail junction signs, difficulty ratings, and reassurance markers
- Maintaining winter fire lookout recreation rentals
- Conducting trail maintenance on skis, snowmobiles, or snowshoes
- Weekend work will be required. Five 8-hour days will be the most likely schedule.
Qualified candidates must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-4 grade level; OR a bachelor's degree or 4 years of successfully completed education above high school (120 semester/180 quarter hours) with major study in forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position, or that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources, outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science (no more than 6 semester hours in mathematics is creditable); OR combinations of successfully completed post-high school education (in excess of the first 60 semester/90 quarter hours) and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.
Forest Service Careers
Established in 1905, the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is the nation’s foremost federal forestry organization. The Forest Service offers a wide variety of career opportunities that span communities nationwide. Learn more!
Careers in Fire
The Pacific Northwest and Alaska Regions have more than 1,500 fire positions spread across the National Forests of Alaska, Oregon and Washington. These positions range from Fire Management Officer to Fuels Specialist to Fire Forestry Technician.