Natural Areas Planner

Review of applications is ongoing. We reserve the right to make a hiring decision or close this recruitment at any time after 05/19/2026. It is in your best interest to submit materials as soon as possible. The Natural Areas Program is part of DNR’s Recreation and Conservation Division that supports public use and conservation across 3 million acres of state-owned lands, implementing four DNR programs: Recreation, Natural Areas, Natural Heritage, and Conservation Acquisitions. The Natural Areas Program manages 39 natural resources conservation areas (NRCAs) and 58 natural area preserves (NAPs) for the protection and restoration, where necessary, of native ecosystems and rare plants and animals. The program coordinates and promotes educational and research access on natural areas, while offering low-impact recreation in NRCAs. The division’s Natural Heritage Program houses the state’s expertise and data on rare species and rare or high-quality ecological communities, with more than 7,000 data records of species and ecosystems statewide across all ownerships. The division’s Conservation Acquisitions Program secures grants and appropriations for transacting about $40 million in easements or land acquisitions at any given time under a number of state and federal conservation programs. The Recreation Program supports all types of public access to the department’s forested and other lands, including hiking, mountain biking, horse riding, motorcycling, ATV trail riding, camping, boating, and wildlife viewing, among others. The Natural Areas Program planner works with DNR ecologists and land managers statewide to create or update site-specific or programmatic management plans. In partnership with other programs in DNR’s Recreation and Conservation Division, this position assesses planning needs, determines appropriate planning processes and timelines, oversees the work of interdisciplinary project teams, coordinates public involvement and review of draft products, and formulates recommendations to be incorporated into management plans approved by department managers and the Commissioner of Public Lands.