AIM Field Technician

The Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition (ENLC) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the advancement of environmental conservation through projects, research, education, and partnerships throughout the arid and semi-arid West.

ENLC is hiring four (4) field technicians to work in the Elko District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This project is funded through a cooperative agreement between the Elko District BLM and ENLC. Each field technician will be part of a three-person crew, consisting of one other field technician and a crew lead. Crews are responsible for collecting post-fire vegetation and soils data in burned areas using BLM Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) Strategy protocols within their Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR) program. The technician and crew will be based out of the Elko BLM Office and will work throughout the district. Much of the work will take place in remote locations in variable weather conditions. This position runs from late April or early May through September or into October 2024.

BLM’s ESR AIM Program plays a pivotal role in supporting critical BLM initiatives, including surveying and collecting data in burned areas using established protocols to assess recovery of post-fire landscapes and to determine effective restoration and rehabilitation techniques. Through these efforts, this program makes a meaningful impact on the environment, maintaining the health of our native landscapes on public lands. 

The AIM Field Technician will encounter a variety of opportunities for professional development, including exposure to a spectrum of ecological monitoring protocols, day-to-day challenges of working in a post-fire backcountry setting, and the ability to effectively support the success of a mission-driven non-profit organization. This exciting role contributes to ENLC’s significant positive impacts within the fields of environmental research, education, and conservation.

FIELD TECHNICIAN DUTIES:  

• Field technicians’ primary responsibility will be to collect post-fire vegetation and soils data in burned areas on public lands managed by the BLM.
• Field duties include utilizing the protocols laid out in the BLM’s national AIM program. This includes correctly identifying plants to species, collecting data for vegetation composition, vegetation height, canopy gap, ground cover, and distribution of nonnative/invasive plant species using GPS devices and mapping software, taking photo points, and managing data after returning from the field.
• Hike up to 10 miles a day to remote plot locations in varied terrain and topography and in a myriad of conditions including extreme heat, cold, rain, sleet, and even snow while carrying a pack with field equipment.
• Follow QA/QC protocols to ensure high quality vegetation data is collected and submitted into BLM reports and databases.
• Identification of Great Basin flora.
• Ability to follow safety protocols such as safely operating vehicles and equipment on rough two-track roads and providing and wearing closed-toed shoes and long pants for all field work.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Qualified applicants should have a Bachelor’s degree in biology, botany, range conservation, or a related field, and have an interest in invasive plant management, biological sciences, natural resources, botany, GIS, rangeland management, or general plant taxonomy and the ability to follow directions and safety protocols in a backcountry setting. Applicants must be experienced with 4WD vehicles and should have a clean driving record for the past three (3) years. Applicants must be 21 years or older and pass a federal background check. Preference is given to applicants with experience in plant identification.

WAGE AND BENEFITS: $18.50/hour plus $40 per diem when camping. Benefits include a $200 monthly health insurance allowance and a weekly $75 housing allowance, and eligibility to Pro Deals, such as Outdoor ProLink. Housing for this position is not provided, though due to the 8-on, 6-off schedule, most crews travel during their off days.

SCHEDULE: This is a full-time seasonal position that runs from late April or early May through September 2024, with a schedule of eight 10-hour days on (80-hour work period), followed by 6 days off. This schedule increases efficiency by reducing drive times to and from our office. While in the field, the crew will truck camp in remote locations. Crews will spend 1 night each Sunday mid-hitch back in town to clean up and resupply.

ABOUT THE ELKO, NV AREA: The Elko District BLM encompasses 12.5 million acres and has topography typical of the Great Basin with broad valleys separated by mountain ranges. Nestled in the valley of the Ruby Mountains, it is only a 20-minute drive into one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the state. Often described as the Swiss Alps of Nevada, the Ruby Mountains’ steep peaks rise nearly 5,000 feet above the valley below, capped by Ruby Dome at over 10,000 feet. The drive to the top of the infamous Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway is less than an hour from Elko, where the hikes range from half days to multi-day thru-hikes on the Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail, highlighting jagged peaks and stunning alpine lakes. In the wintertime, the Rubies boast 200+ inches of cold smoke snow each year; seducing snowshoers, snowmobilers, yurt hikers, and powder-hungry backcountry and heli-skiers alike. North of Elko, the Jarbidge Wilderness beckons to climbers and canyoneers, and can be found chock-full of wildflowers in the spring and summer months.

The city of Elko (population 21,000) is located along the I-80 corridor and is approximately 230 miles west of Salk Lake City, UT and 290 miles east of Reno, NV. Full of rich Nevada history, local attractions include the annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering and the well-known Basque Festival. The Humboldt River cuts through Elko’s city center, and hot springs are located right outside the city. Elko was ranked in the top 62% best cities to live in the world in 2022.