CREW MEMBER: VEGETATION MONITORING (AIM) WITH THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT AND SOUTHWEST CONSERVATION CORPS
LAS CRUCES DISTRICT OFFICE, NEW MEXICO
POSITION TITLE: Crew Member (Soils Emphasis)
POSITION TYPE: Full-time, temporary, 23 weeks
LOCATION: Las Cruces, NM
SALARY: $400-520/week (AmeriCorps living allowance)
BENEFITS: Paid training; camp rate food allowance; AmeriCorps Education Award of $2,907.50 upon satisfactory completion of term
HIRING BENEFITS: Public Land Corps hiring authority: _eligible to use, for two years upon completion of term, a noncompetitive hiring status for consideration when applying to competitive service positions for a federal agency. _
PROGRAM DATES: July 2019-December 2019
SOUTHWEST CONSERVATION CORPS’S MISSION
It is the mission of the Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) to empower individuals to positively impact their lives, their communities, and the environment. For more information, visit www.sccorps.org.
SOILS CREW MEMBER’S RESPONSIBILITIES
Provides expertise on soils and soils-forming mechanisms that occur on and near plot to help characterize the site. The soils crew member will complete the soil stability protocol and the soil pit characterization the majority of the time. Works closely with the crew lead to discuss and come to consensus of which ecological site or soil series the plot falls on. Maintains specimens and records of unique soils throughout the field office to develop and maintain a unique soil library for the field office. Provides guidance on soil texturing techniques to the crew lead and fellow botany crew member. Assists the crew with vegetation monitoring.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
PROGRAM OVERVIEW:
Participants will manage all aspects of vegetation monitoring using the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Assessment, Inventory, & Monitoring (AIM) methodology. More information on the BLM’s AIM strategy can be found on the AIM website: http://aim.landscapetoolbox.org/. Crews will consist of three individuals, two crew members and one crew lead. Together, they will monitor land health on BLM lands including National Monument lands, vegetation treatments, rangeland allotments, or reference areas using AIM methodology.
Within all plots, vegetation will be identified to species; line-point intercept will be used to gather species cover and composition data; canopy gap and vegetation height will be measured; soil stability will be measured; and soil pit descriptions will be completed. All data will be georeferenced using a GPS unit and stored in an ArcGIS geodatabase. Data are entered into the Database for Inventory, Monitoring, and Assessment (DIMA) on-site with ruggedized tablets and are further analyzed and synthesized into various reports for future land management planning. The crew may also have the opportunity to assist with other public land management projects involving wildlife, range and forestry.
Work will be completed in remote areas on BLM lands. Crews will be required to drive to several different areas of the Field or District Office throughout a four- to eight-day work week (“hitch”), camp overnight, hike several miles a day, and return to the office for equipment and data management.
PUBLIC LAND CORPS:
The Public Land Corps program provides the opportunity for young people between the ages of 16 and 30 (civilian) or 35 (veteran) years to work on conservation projects on public lands. Participants must successfully complete 640 hours that include at least 120 hours on federal lands through the PLC. PLC members are not federal government employees, but those who successfully complete the PLC requirements are then eligible to use, for two years, a noncompetitive hiring status for consideration when applying to competitive service positions. https://www.blm.gov/careers/students-and-grads/public-lands-corps
TO APPLY FROM EXTERNAL POSTINGS:
https://sccorps-openhire.silkroad.com/epostings/index.cfm?fuseaction=app.jobinfo&jobid=1383&source=ONLINE&JobOwner=992385&company_id=16984&version=1&byBusinessUnit=&bycountry=&bystate=&byRegion=&bylocation=&keywords=&byCat=&proximityCountry=&postalCode=&radiusDistance=&isKilometers=&tosearch=no&city=
Required Skills Required Experience
Preferred