VEGETATION & ECOLOGICAL MONITORING
WITH
THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
AND
SOUTHWEST CONSERVATION CORPS
POSITION TITLE: Crew Member
POSITION TYPE: Full-time, temporary, 23 weeks
NUMBER OF POSITIONS: 6
LOCATION: Las Cruces, NM
LIVING STIPEND: $520/week
BENEFITS: Paid training; camping food allowance ($13/day via company credit card); AmeriCorps Education Award of $3,907.50 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. See below. Must be under age 31 upon issue of certificate.
PROGRAM DATES: July 12 – December 17, 2021
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.
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT’S MISSION
The Bureau of Land Management's mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
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 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.
Within all plots, the crew identifies vegetation to species, gathers species cover and composition data using line-point intercept, measures soil surface stability, and describes soil pits. Data are georeferenced using a GPS unit and stored in an ArcGIS geodatabase. Data are entered into a database on site with ruggedized tablets and are further analyzed and synthesized into various reports for future land management planning. The crew may also assist with other public land management projects involving wildlife, range, and forestry.
Crews maintain and track botanical specimens of known and unknown species throughout the field season and keep records updated as needed. The crew member will continuously learn the local flora and build botanical knowledge. The crew member should be passionate about both the soils, botanical, and other natural systems and have a willingness to grow and share that passion and knowledge with the crew lead and fellow crew member(s).
Fieldwork is often in remote areas. Using a government or company vehicle, crews are often required to drive to several different areas of the Field or District Office throughout a four- to eight-day work week (colloquially, “hitch”), camp overnight, share camp meals and chores, hike several miles per day, and return to the office for equipment and data management. Unconventional work hours, including 10 (sometimes 11) hour days, are expected.
We have developed and successfully implemented protocols in precaution against COVID-19 transmission between crew personnel. Protocols address mask-wearing, cleaning, sanitation, on-the-job health reports, and isolation if necessary. Crews will ride in the same vehicle, go grocery shopping, and share camping and sampling equipment. Some remote accommodations for the periodic days of office work are available. Crews may be asked to be flexible and accommodating in using their personal space when the physical BLM office is less available for any reason.
CREW MEMBER’S RESPONSIBILITIES
Assists in all aspects of data collection, management, and quality control. Assists in hitch preparation, transportation of crew in the work vehicle, and equipment maintenance. Continues to learn the local flora and soils from the crew lead and local resources and builds botanical, soils, and landscape knowledge. Takes an active role in their personal and professional development goals throughout the season.
Consistently exercises discretion and judgment. Completes mid-term and end-of-term written evaluations for self and crew lead. Maintains adequate and professional communication and systems of feedback between fellow crew folk. The crew member should be passionate about sound science principles and have curiosity as to how the AIM data might be utilized.
MINIMAL QUALIFICATIONS:
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
PUBLIC LAND CORPS:
The Public Land Corps program provides the opportunity for young people between the ages of 16 and 30 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, GO TO POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT _HERE AND CLICK "NEW APPLICATION" AT BOTTOM.
OR, GO TO: https://sccorps.org/small-teams, and follow the link to the above. Application involves COVER LETTER, RESUME/CV, AT LEAST TWO ACADEMIC OR PROFESSIONAL (NON-PEER) REFERENCES, and SCREENING QUESTIONS. Incomplete applications are given less weight.
SCC offers several Ecological Monitoring crew positions across Colorado and New Mexico, mostly performing the terrestrial AIM methodology. If interested in multiple locations, please mention and rank locations of interest. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
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We anticipate beginning the interview process in mid-April. Apply now for advance consideration. Reach out to Ecological Monitoring Coordinator Talavi Cook at tcook@conservationlegacy.org with questions.
Required Skills Required Experience
REQUIRED:
KNOWLEDGE:
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES:
SKILLS/ABILITIES:
Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer