Botany Technician, Invasives Treatment – Eldorado NF (USFS)

The Great Basin Institute (GBI) is working cooperatively with the USFS to recruit 1 Vegetation Technicians to conduct invasive plant management. The GBI vegetation technicians will work with USFS staff to monitor and control invasive plants in the forest to encourage native vegetation recovery. Field work will start in April and continue into the Fall season. The crew will work outdoors in a variety of environmental conditions (heat, cold, insects, etc.). Field work will contribute to a multi-year effort to control invasive plants in the post-fire environment.  Training and support will be provided for all duties.  

Specific duties include:

• Be a productive member of the invasive plant project
• Assist with both manual and herbicide treatments of invasive plants 
• Properly identify vascular plant species and utilize dichotomous keys
• Estimate cover of vascular plants
• Collect and prepare voucher specimens of difficult taxa for later identification
• Assist with field data collection, data entry, and QA/QC
• Maintain field equipment and tools
• Participate in GBI or partner-sponsored training opportunities
• Monitor site-specific conditions and report safety concerns to the crew lead.

General field duties include walking long distances over uneven terrain, off-trail, often in dense vegetation; navigating off trail with map compass and GPS; collecting vegetation data using established procedures; ensuring the consistency of data quality during the field season; treating invasive vegetation; and maintaining safety awareness and practices. 

Contract Timeline:-Tentatively: April – November 2024

Projects are weather dependent, therefore start and end dates vary according to local conditions and individual project needs

Location:E

ldorado National Forest:
Project activities will take place on the Eldorado National Forest (NF)
Located in the central Sierra Nevada, the Eldorado NF is bordered on the east by the Lake Tahoe Basin and the Humboldt-Toiyabe NF, and by the Tahoe and Stanislaus NFs to the north and south, respectively. Eldorado NF offers an abundance of outdoor activities including fishing, boating, hiking, biking, skiing and climbing. The forest is home to much of the American River headwaters and the stunning Desolation Wilderness, and is in the heart of California’s historic Gold Country. People travel to Eldorado National Forest for its rich prospecting history, diversity of outdoor adventure and even beautiful vineyards.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Wage: $24/hour with overtime at 1.5x hourly rate. Full time, average 40 hours per week
• Health, Dental, Vision Insurance paid 100% by GBI, ~$350/month. Available on the first day of the month following the start of employment.
• Shared housing provided (equivalent to approximately $1000/month); housing stipend not provided if shared housing is denied by employee
• Camping per diem: $15/night as necessary (infrequent)
• Uniform Stipend

Job Qualifications:

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in botany, ecology, or a closely related field
• Coursework in plant taxonomy and/or systematics, botany, or forestry
• Ability to identify native and non-native plants of California and the Pacific Northwest
• Familiarity with ecological processes, and flora of California and the Pacific Northwest
• Experience in performing field work, and applying methodological protocols for collecting data
• Experience with data entry and data management;  Experience using hand-held GPS for navigation
• Experience with tablet data collection and experience with Collector/Field Maps or other databases
• Ability to communicate effectively, both written and orally, with a diverse audience
• Willingness to assist with invasive plant management using herbicide treatments and mechanical/manual methods
• Willingness to work long days and hike long distances in rugged terrain under variable weather conditions, including extreme heat

Additional requirements:

• Possess a valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving record
• Experience operating 4WD trucks on paved and unpaved roads, particularly with unimproved roads
• Possess a commitment to personal and team member safety, and communicate perceived safety threats immediately
• A California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) Applicator license or certificate is not required but would be beneficial
• Ability to work independently to accomplish goals
• Ability to communicate effectively with team members, agency staff, and a diverse public
• Possess good organizational skills; Possess a favorably adjudicated background clearance
• Must be motivated, self directed, organized, and detail oriented in order to balance multiple tasks simultaneously