Archaeology Crew Member, Whiskeytown NRA

The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the National Park Service, is recruiting two (2) Archaeology Crew Members to complete Section 106 cultural resource surveys, site recording and monitoring for various projects within Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (WHIS). This work provides numerous professional development opportunities in cultural resource management. Crew Members will gain an expanded professional network as they interact with agency staff, along with benefiting from exposure to NPS processes, procedures, compliance measures and reporting, and technical experience. The project supports NPS initiatives for healthy and productive landscapes and resources.

These are crew-level positions: Crews will receive instruction, guidance and training from GBI crew leads and/or Park Service supervisors. Crew size will be 3 people. Primary responsibilities will include the following:

• Collaborate with Archaeology crew lead and agency staff to support field safety, communication, planning, logistics, quality assurance, field implementation, and reporting efforts;
• Complete field surveys to document, assess and characterize the status of new cultural resources;
• Monitor existing sites and complete site updates and condition assessments;
• Prepare California DPR site records, GIS maps, and photographic records.

This physically demanding work, often in remote locations, will provide Archaeology Crew Members with rewarding exposure to some of California’s backcountry forested landscapes. These positions require extensive hiking with heavy packs on a daily basis, possibly during extreme or inclement weather conditions such as heat or rain. Work schedules, generally four 10-hour days (Monday-Thursday) with 3 days off each week, are subject to change depending on weather and project needs. Camping in primitive campgrounds within the Park will be required to meet project objectives in some of the more remote project survey areas. 

Contract Timeline:

16-week appointment beginning April or May 2024, depending on weather.
Full time; 40 hours per week.

Location:

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (WHIS) is part of the Klamath Network that includes 6 parks: Crater Lake National Park (Crater Lake), Lava Beds National Monument (Lava Beds), Lassen Volcanic National Monument (Lassen), Oregon Caves National Monument and Reserve (Oregon Caves), Redwood National and State Parks (Redwood), and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (Whiskeytown), located throughout northern California and southern Oregon. The parks span a land area of complex topography in the geologically ancient Klamath-Siskiyou Ecoregion in the west (Redwood, Oregon Caves, Whiskeytown), and the younger, volcanic Cascades-Modoc Ecoregion to the east (Crater Lake, Lassen, and Lava Beds). Vegetation of the two subregions ranges from temperate rainforests with enormous, world-record-height trees along the coast at Redwood, to barren shrublands on infertile soils and rock in the sagebrush desert of Lava Beds. Elevation extends from sea level at Redwood to about timberline in Crater Lake and Lassen.

Whiskeytown NRA was directly impacted by the 2018 Carr Fire. Work completed by the archaeology team will help to address the monitoring and recording of cultural resources post-fire and aid in the management of park cultural resources going forward. Read more about Whiskeytown NRA and the Carr Fire here: https://www.nps.gov/whis/carrfire.htm.

Opportunities are abundant in the area for recreation including boating, camping, hiking, bird watching, fishing. Whiskeytown is also near the town of Redding, CA which can provide access to all large town amenities.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Wage: $21.00/hour
• Camping Per Diem: $15.00/night as necessary
• Housing allowance provided or a shared Airbnb type housing facility will be paid for by GBI.
• Health Insurance: The Great Basin Institute will cover 100% of the premium for Health, Dental and Vision Insurance for each crew member effective on the first day of the month following the start of their employment.
• Paid time off
• Paid Federal holidays

Job Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in anthropology, archaeology or related discipline;
• Six months of professional fieldwork experience, or an accredited archaeological field school and relevant field methods training coursework;
• Possess a clean, valid, state-issued driver’s license with ability to safely operate and maintain a 4WD vehicle on and off paved roads;
• Ability to work effectively in a team setting with NPS staff, GBI staff, interns, volunteers, academic, state, and federal partners;
• Ability to work safely and productively in remote field settings under adverse conditions. This includes overnight camping in remote areas for consecutive nights.
• Willingness and ability to consistently enact high performance standards and a strong work and team ethic in support of the mission of GBI and the goals and objectives of the NPS;

Preferred Qualifications:

• Fieldwork experience in Northern California
• Knowledge of cultural resource management issues specific to the western United States;
• Familiarity with the cultural history and forested habitat of the Shasta-Cascades region;
• Familiarity with Section 106/110 NHPA and California compliance procedures;
• Proficiency in navigation using GPS, topographic map and compass;
• Advanced skill using specialized software such as Microsoft Office Suite, ArcMap GIS, and Google Earth;
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work cooperatively as well as independently;
• Strong communication skills with diverse audiences, both written and oral.