Habitat Restoration Technician

Summary: American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with Pinnacles National Park is seeking One Member(s) to serve as a Habitat Restoration Member and assist NPS Staff.

For more information about ACE, please visit: www.usaconservation.org.

Start Date: March 1, 2022

End Date: July 29, 2022 *a 22-week minimum commitment is required *

Location: Pinnacles National Park in Paicines, California. Pinnacles National Park is located in California's Central Coast region of the Gabilan Mountain Range east of the Salinas Valley. The surrounding landscape is largely chaparral with areas of oak savannah and grasslands. The position is located at the eastside park headquarters in Paicines, CA. Nearest communities for shopping, doctors, hospitals, and other amenities are Hollister (40 miles, population 34,400), King City (40 miles, population 14,000), Gilroy (65 miles, population 41,400), Salinas (70 miles, population 151,000), and Monterey (90 miles, population 30,000).

Pinnacles National Park is remote. Applicants must have a personal vehicle, as the nearest services are a one-hour drive in any direction. Additionally, there is no cell-phone service in the park.

For more information about the park, please visit https://www.nps.gov/pinn/index.htm.

AmeriCorps: This position may be eligible for a 675-hour AmeriCorps Education Award ($2360) upon successful completion of service hours.

Living Allowance: ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $XXX/week to offset the costs of housing, food, and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

Housing: Housing will not be provided by the park and is the responsibility of the member. A reimbursable relocation allowance is available at a Not-to-exceed amount of XXXX.

Position Description: The ACE Members will directly serve within the Division of Research and Resource Management at Pinnacles National Park. Safety protocols related to COVID-19 will be observed. The members will serve as part of a crew conducting invasive plant treatment and habitat restoration efforts (80%). Additional duties (< 20 %) may include projects on other resource-related projects such as:

• Seed collection
• Planting
• Rare plant surveys
• Vegetation monitoring
• Aquatic resources
• Wildlife resources monitoring
• Physical resources monitoring
• Interpretation-related projects
• GPS mapping
• May use computer software applications (e.g., Access, Excel, Word, ArcGIS etc.) to enter, process, assemble, and summarize data
• Create reports and recommendations from natural resources projects.

Environment: Approximately 90% of this position is made up of physically demanding and mentally taxing projects in the outdoors. Crewmembers must be able to hike up to ten miles per day carrying gear and equipment weighing up to 40 pounds. Field work can, at times, be tedious. Additionally, crewmembers must be willing to mix, load, and apply herbicides with the direct supervision of a licensed applicator for the purposes of vegetation control as a major part of work duties. Duties in the field includes exposure to environmental hazards including extremes of temperature and moisture, rattlesnakes, ticks and biting insects, dense brush including poison oak.

Training: The park and park staff will provide opportunities in leadership development and career exploration within the field of land management. The park will provide training on park resource information, operating procedures, and safety protocols. Core duties will train applicants on GIS, plant identification, and invasive species management including the safe use of herbicides. In addition to regular duties, interns will be given an opportunity to learn from park professionals working in areas such as condors, raptors, bats, invasive wildlife species, entomology, herpetology, cultural and historical resources, interpretation, and maintenance. Interns are often able to observe many species of animals up close and experience many areas of the park not generally visited by the public.

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a hiring authority upon completion of their term of service.

Qualifications:

Required

• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner.
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.

• US Citizen or Permanent Resident
• A valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).

• Willing to undergo and must pass required criminal history checks.
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members must verify that they are fully vaccinated for Covid-19 by the time they start their term or request a medical or religious exemption.
• An interest and ability to serve outdoors in arduous field conditions
• Must be able to hike up to ten miles per day carrying gear and equipment weighing up to 40 pounds
• Must be willing to mix, load, and apply herbicides with the direct supervision of a licensed applicator for the purposes of vegetation control as a major part of work duties.
• Must be willing and able to observe all safety protocols.

Preferred:

• Competitive applicants for this position can hold or be pursuing a minimum of a bachelor's degree and/or have relevant experience in subject areas such as Natural Resources, Environmental Science and other related fields.
• Practical knowledge of a wide range of field restoration skills and invasive plant control techniques.
• Residents of San Benito, Monterey, and southern Santa Clara counties are highly encouraged to apply.
• Bilingual applicants are encouraged and welcome.

To Apply: Please submit your resume, a cover letter demonstrating your interest and experience, and contact information for three professional/academic references to the online application page for this position here: https://usaconservation.applicantpool.com/jobs/. Early consideration will be given as resumes are received. This position may close at any time. If you have any questions regarding this position please feel free to contact ACE EPIC Western Programs Manager, Deanna Stark at 719-822-8178 or dstark@usaconservation.org.

EEO: American Conservation Experience provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, American Conservation Experience complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities.

Current Openings for Habitat Restoration Technician Jobs at American Conservation Experience - EPIC