Volunteers

Volunteers are the heartbeat of the Forest Service. The types of work a volunteer can perform are many and varied; the only tasks a volunteer cannot carry out are those associated with fire, and law enforcement. Your talents and skills are matched with your work preference to obtain a role that satisfies you and best fulfills the mission of the Forest Service/USDA. A variety of jobs are available if you prefer the outdoors or an office environment!

The Colville National Forest is nearly 1.5 million acres in size and encompasses four counties in northeastern Washington: Okanogan, Stevens, Ferry and Pend Oreille. The National Forest is responsible for managing and protecting this area to meet a variety of society's needs for recreation, wilderness, transportation, fish and wildlife habitat, clean water, livestock grazing and timber production. The Forest Service is also responsible for protecting habitats for rare, threatened and endangered wildlife and plant species, protecting historical and archeological resources, protecting forests from wildfire, insects and diseases, and helping the public to better understand and enjoy their natural environment.

The Colville National Forest employs volunteers to serve at its headquarters in Colville and at its four ranger districts at Tonasket, Republic, Three Rivers, and Newport-Sullivan. Here, volunteers can find challenging work and unique educational experiences. Volunteers are important to the work accomplished by the Colville National Forest - nearly 300 individuals perform volunteer work each year in this beautiful area.

Volunteers can work in many disciplines, at all times of the year. Each individual volunteer brings special insights and talents to the job, and the Forest Service benefits from that spirit of volunteerism. Most of all, the Colville National Forest needs volunteers who are enthusiastic, willing to work and who enjoy working outdoors and meeting people.