More than 390 days after Gov. Kevin Stitt removed Mark Goeller in the wake of the March 2025 wildfires, Oklahoma still does not have a permanent state forester. This week, the State Forester position resurfaced at the top of the State of Oklahoma careers page, listing duties, experience requirements, and pay up to $112,459. Agency officials say the forestry division is keeping daily operations going while the hiring process crawls forward.
2 News Oklahoma first spotted the posting on the state’s job portal and noted the salary range and experience requirements, which include three years of forestry-related work and seven years of supervisory experience. An Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry spokesperson told the station the listing was not actually new but had been “refreshed,” a process the agency says kicks in when a vacancy goes unfilled for 30 days. The spokesperson said interviews have been held, but no candidate has been named. The official State job posting lays out a mix of field, administrative, and supervisory responsibilities and again lists compensation up to $112,459; see the State of Oklahoma site for the full rundown.
Why the vacancy matters
The state forester oversees wildfire prevention, suppression coordination, and forest health programs that touch both private and public lands across Oklahoma. Earlier this year, the Oklahoma Wildland Fire Working Group issued a 15‑point report urging creation of a formal statewide fire response plan and recommending that Oklahoma Forestry Services lead those planning efforts, according to The Journal Record. That report ties its urgency directly to the March 2025 fires, which burned hundreds of thousands of acres and destroyed hundreds of homes, underscoring why permanent leadership at the division is a front‑burner issue heading into the next fire season.
What the governor said
Gov. Stitt publicly criticized Oklahoma Forestry Services’ handling of the March 2025 fires and, in April 2025, floated dismantling the division altogether as a way to save money, saying “Let’s just get rid of the whole thing,” according to reporting by KGOU. Those comments came before Goeller’s departure and drew sharp pushback from lawmakers and local fire chiefs, who warned that the agency is central to any coordinated wildfire response across the state.
Where hiring stands now
The official posting, which spells out qualifications and supervisory experience, remains live on the State of Oklahoma jobs site. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry also lists the opening on its own careers page and provides the agency’s headquarters information. Agency spokespeople have told local reporters that interviews have been conducted, but no appointment has been announced, and the division maintains it is staffed to handle day‑to‑day operations. Interested applicants are directed to review the full job description and apply through the state’s employment portal.
Until a permanent director is in place, Forestry Services leaders say routine work continues and local volunteer departments remain a critical first line of defense. Lawmakers and fire chiefs say the eventual hire, along with any decision on the working group’s recommendations, will shape how Oklahoma prepares for and fights wildfires in the seasons ahead.
