As a trainee in the Department of Revenue, Special Programs Division, performs entrance-level professional assignments, in support of timber tax collections, audit, and compliance.

Under direct supervision performs on-site field audits of timber harvest units to verify information reported on timber tax returns such as logging conditions, road building problems, volume and grade of timber harvested, and other factors which affect tax liability; makes corrections as required and submits report to supervising forester for review and inclusion in auditor's final report to the taxpayer;

Learns to perform tax discovery investigations in the field of unreported timber harvest and estimates volume harvested, taxable value and estimated tax due;

In a training capacity: inspects State and Federal timber sales in the field, gathering appraisal information required for the stumpage valuation program; makes recommendations on the suitability of each sale for inclusion in the stumpage valuation data base; (NOTE: within the Valuations unit, the incumbent also conducts basic research on market data in support of the timber valuation program);

Assists other foresters in check scaling logs in support of the scaling compliance program;

Provides information and assistance to taxpayers in the preparation of tax returns;

Assists other foresters in cruising and appraising timber;

Performs other duties as required.

Knowledge of: professional principles, practices and concepts of forestry, particularly in the areas of forest engineering, timber harvesting, timber sales, timber marketing and timber appraisal.

Ability to: communicate effectively with taxpayers; operate a four-wheel-drive vehicle, shortwave radio and personal computer.

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.

A Bachelor's degree in forest management, forest engineering, forest economics or forest science and one year of professional experience in timber sales administration, timber tax administration, forest practices enforcement, forest inventory and appraisal, logging engineering, log scaling or timber marketing.

Additional qualifying experience will substitute, two years, of experience for one year of education.

Note: Employees must possess a valid State of Washington driver's license within 30 days of appointment.

Equivalent education/experience.

New class: 3-14-89
Class code change (formerly 6125): 7-1-91
Revise definition, minimum qualifications: 4-21-00
Revised new class code: (formerly 95300) effective July 1, 2007

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