Deadline: Wed, 08/31/2022 - 12:00pm Employer: US Forest Service Job Field: Forestry Job Type: Full Time Location: Regional/Multiple Location Detail: Olympia, WA, Chico, CA, and Klamath Falls, OR. Job Description: The PNWRS FIA unit is part of a nationwide program which collects, processes, analyzes, evaluates, and publishes comprehensive information on forest and other related renewable resources. Administration for the data collection team is located in Portland, Oregon and field crews are remotely stationed throughout Washington, Oregon and California. Crew leaders work under the direction of a state coordinator and lead a field crew of two to four people. These positions will support sampling field plots located on a systematic grid across all land ownerships and will be almost entirely field based. A wide variety of information is collected in the inventory, including: tree measurements; forest pathogens; understory vegetation composition and structure; stand treatments and disturbances; down woody material measurements; and land ownership. The areas sampled for the Forest Inventory by the PNW Research Station cover a diversity of ecological communities. Crews will use maps, aerial photos, and GPS units to navigate to permanent plot locations. Crews use portable, handheld computers to collect data in the field and then process the data later using laptop computers to address data inconsistencies, anomalies, or errors. The field-season typically runs from mid-March through late November. Each crew travels frequently and independently within their duty station area. Data collection field staff can expect to be in travel status anywhere from 40-80% of the field season. Duration of single trips range from a few days to upwards of a month in less common situations. Lodging while traveling is generally in motel/hotels but car camping and backpacking will be required. In all areas, work conditions are often arduous. Work may be performed in inclement weather (cold, heat, rain, snow) and on rugged, steep, slippery, and/or brushy slopes. Significant amounts of on-trail and off-trail hiking is required. Crew members must carry a 45lb pack daily, with pack weights sometimes exceeding 60lbs. Exposure to hazards such as poisonous plants, wildlife, and stinging/biting insects is common. Additionally, travel by helicopter, stock animal, or boat is occasionally required. Miscellaneous: You can visit the PNW-FIA program team website for more information about the program: https://www.fs.usda.gov/pnw/program/rma/ For more information about the duties and work conditions of this position, please contact: PNW-FIA program coordinators at Sm.fs.pnw_fia_jobs@usda.gov Duty Stations Olympia, WA is the State Capitol of Washington with a population of roughly 55,000. Home to The Evergreen State College, Olympia sits at the base of the Puget Sound, about 1.5 hours south of Seattle and 2 hours north of Portland, OR. This region receives large amounts of rain but has a few months of dry weather in the summer. Local attractions include outstanding recreational opportunities, including a wide array of city parks and nearby Olympic National Park. All amenities of a major city can be found here. The work area consists mainly of the Olympic peninsula from the northwestern community of Neah Bay to Long Beach along the coast, and east to the foothills of the Cascades. The entirety of Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park are located in this duty station, with a large component of industrial timber lands. Chico, CA is a college town home to California State University, Chico, with a population of around 100,000. It is located in California’s central valley, 90 miles north of Sacramento. Daytime highs commonly exceed 100 degrees in the summer. Chico is located in an agricultural region with walnut and almond orchards next to town. It has a large city park that extends into the foothills with hiking and mountain biking trails as well as splendid swimming holes. Chico has a famous farmer’s market and a thriving art and music scene. The work area stems from the coast to the Nevada border (Ft. Bragg in the coastal southwest, north to Southern Humboldt County, then east to Susanville and south to the border of Reno, NV) It includes much of the Mendocino, Plumas and Lassen National Forests, and small portions of the Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers NFs. This duty station includes the rugged and remote Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness and many other small, lesser-known wilderness areas. Klamath Falls, OR is a small town of around 20,000, supporting a population in surrounding Klamath County of around 50,000. Home to The Oregon Institute of Technology, the community sits just on the East side of the Cascades, 70 miles from Medford/Ashland. The local economy is based on forest products and irrigation agriculture from Klamath Lake. Local housing is generally plentiful and comparatively affordable to other locations in the Pacific Northwest. The work area in Klamath Falls covers most of SE Oregon, from Chiloquin in the north to Alturas, CA in the south, and east to the Idaho border. The duty station includes diverse ecosystems ranging from the Cascades, Siskiyou’s, Steens and Warner Mountains, as well as the Klamath Basin and eastern Oregon plateau. *In all duty stations work area boundaries may fluctuate based on annual workload. Travel outside the assigned work area may be required to assist other field crews and meet program objectives. Work sites include forest on industry, private, tribal, state and federal lands. Field staff must be comfortable with remote work environments and off-trail hiking. The dramatic landscapes (though beautiful) can make access challenging. Long work days and long drives are unavoidable. How to Apply: Visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/pnw/program/rma/ · Please use the form to express your interest. · Include a resume tailored for this opportunity to be considered for this position without competition · Send your response electronically to: Sm.fs.pnw_fia_jobs@usda.gov (subject line “Crew Leader” )
