Vegetation Monitoring Field Technicians

Job Title: Vegetation Monitoring Field Technician

Organization: American Conservation Experience (ACE)

Program: Emerging Professionals Internship Corps (EPIC)

Summary:

ACE EPIC is seeking several Vegetation Monitoring Field Technicians to support the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) 2019 Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) program efforts. Each technician will work on a field team comprised of three individuals (one Team Leader, one Soil Technician, and one Vegetation Technician) and collect data according to standardized methodologies and protocols. Technicians will receive formal training on the AIM protocol prior to the start of the field season.

This opportunity is intended for enthusiastic professionals with a background in botany, biology, conservation, ecology, natural resource management, or a closely related field. Field work, frequent travel, and camping will be required for this position.

The AIM data is used by BLM resource specialists and land managers across the Western United States to help inform decisions regarding adaptive range management techniques, Greater Sage-Grouse habitat protection, oil and gas reclamation and other land management issues and strategies. For more information about the BLM's multiple use mission and the AIM strategy, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LciTBPG2-Ss&feature=youtube

ACE'S Mission: American Conservation Experience (ACE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing rewarding environmental service opportunities that harness the idealism and energy of a volunteer labor force to help restore America's public lands. ACE is grounded in the philosophy that cooperative labor on meaningful conservation projects fosters cross-cultural understanding and operates on the belief that challenging volunteer service unites people of all backgrounds in common cause.

EPIC Program: ACE EPIC Internships and Fellowships program provide recent graduates with focused, hands-on opportunities to work alongside and under the guidance of agency mentors and to apply their knowledge of resource management on actual projects and programs as they develop and emerge as the next generation of resource and land managers. ACE EPIC operates in coalition with partners such as the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and other conservation focused groups to place interns within the operating structure of these organizations.

Number of positions: 7-10

Locations: Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado

Start Date: April/May 2019 (TBD)

End Date: August/September 2019 (TBD)

Contract Length: approximately 16 weeks

Compensation: $1,200-$1,600 paid bi-weekly (DOE)

Benefits: health insurance (TBD), company vehicle, and camping per diem (TBD)

Position Description:

This is a field based position with approximately 100% of the work taking place in an outdoor environment where the climate, weather and terrain can be demanding. Field teams will be expected to work 8-10 hour days and will be required to camp for extended periods while in the field. In general, field teams will be "on hitch" for 8 days and then be off for 6 consecutive days.

Please note that this position will require the flexibility to work an irregular schedule and extended hours. Hitch schedules may be subject to change; however, bi-weekly time sheet totals will not exceed 80 hours.

Field work duties include:

• Collecting vegetation data using line-point intercept and species inventory methods
• Measuring shrub density, foliar cover, canopy gap and vegetation heights
• Identifying and describing soil horizons
• Using GPS to navigate to off-trail sampling sites
• Driving 4x4 vehicles in a backcountry setting
• Electronic data collection using a tablet and Microsoft database systems

Project Locations

Location assignments are as follows:

• Hassayampa Field Office, Phoenix, AZ
• Tucson Field Office, San Pedro Riparian Conservation Area and Las Cienegas National Conservation Area
• Safford Field Office, Safford, AZ
• New Castle Field Office, New Castle, WY
• Buffalo Field Office, Buffalo, WY
• Kemmerer Field Office, Kemmerer, WY
• Twin Falls District Office, Twin Falls, ID
• Boise District Office, Boise, ID
• Little Snake Field Office, Craig, CO

Additional travel and project sites may be required. Please indicate your field office preference (if any) in your cover letter. Location preference will be given to early applicants.

Qualifications:

Applicants should have degree in ecology, botany, range science, wildlife biology, natural resource management, biology, conservation biology, or related field and a minimum of 1 year experience identifying plants in the field.

Technical Requirements:

• Experience identifying plants in the field using a dichotomous key
• Experience conducting plant surveys using various monitoring protocols
• Ability to read, interpret and navigate using a GPS unit and topographic maps
• Ability to use electronic tablets to record and manage data
• Ability to safely operate 4x4 vehicles on rough, unpaved road conditions
• Ability and willingness to undergo a criminal background check is required
• Must have a valid driver's license, clean driving record with ability to provide required documentation; Driving record checks will be completed during on-boarding process. (Must be 21+ and cleared by ACE to drive ACE/Agency vehicles)

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to work alone or in a small group with minimal supervision
• Must be able to communicate clearly with team members, resource professionals and the general public

• Familiarity with Leave No Trace principles, attention to field safety, and an overall intuitive nature for working in an outdoor setting
• Basic tool, equipment and vehicle maintenance knowledge
• Willingness and flexibility to work an irregular schedule with multiple days of travel
• Must be able and willing to maintain good physical condition (i.e. capable of hiking up to 3 miles and lifting up to 50 lbs.)
• Individuals must be willing to represent ACE in a professional, positive and enthusiastic manner.
• ACE reserves the right to require drug testing.

*Position may change or close at any time*

To Apply: Please submit a thoughtful resume and cover letter along with 3 professional references using the APPLY NOW section, located on the upper right hand corner of the position listing on our website.

NOTE: Early consideration will be given as applications are received.  If you have any questions regarding this position, please feel free to contact Katelyn Jordan, BLM AIM Program Coordinator, at kjordan@usaconservation.org or 385-377-4116.

Current Openings for Vegetation Monitoring Field Technicians Jobs at American Conservation Experience - EPIC