Conservation Planner

Job Title: Conservation Planner, 2 Positions Available, Norwich NRCS Field Office – 238 West Town Street, Norwich, CT 06360

Employer: Connecticut Resource Conservation & Development Area, Inc. (CT RC&D)1066 Saybrook Road, PO BOX 70, Haddam, CT 06438

Employment Category: Full-Time, Hourly, Non-Exempt

Hours: 40 Hours/Week – Some flexibility is required for occasional trainings, projects, and/or meetings. The option to telework may be available as training, skills, and independence develop. This position will receive on-site supervision and training by USDA NRCS staff.

Location:This position reports, in person, to the assigned USDA field office, either Norwich or Danielson, CT. Travel is required but the use of a personal vehicle is not required for day-to-day duties.

Hourly Pay: $26-35 Per Hour (no relocation reimbursement)

Benefits: Company cost-share contribution to medical, dental, and vision plans or, as eligible, contribution to a Section 125 Flexible Spending Account or Dependent Care Account. Company contribution to a SEP IRA retirement plan with no matching requirement. 14 paid holidays and 5 paid personal days. Vacation and sick time that accrues. All legally required benefits such as Medicare, Unemployment, Workers’ Compensation Insurance, and Social Security.

Organization Profile: The Connecticut Resource Conservation & Development Area, Inc. (CT RC&D) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that specializes in strategic partnership development, agricultural viability, rural economic growth, and natural resource conservation. The organization has honed its ability to positively impact Connecticut residents and businesses by teaming with other nonprofits, local-regional-state-federal government, as well as educational institutions to create sustainable, synergistic, and dynamic projects and programs. The CT RC&D Council is comprised of partner organizations (80%) and at-large members of the community (20%). Currently, the CT RC&D staff team is made up of 8 full-time staff and 3 part-time staff. While CT RC&D leadership proactively seeks funding, the organization is primarily funded by grants and, as such, that funding determines what positions are available. However, all employees are hired at-will for an indefinite period.

Job Summary: The Conservation Planner position is funded by a Cooperative Agreement with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) with the purpose of accelerating the implementation of Farm Bill programs on the ground.

Duties and Responsibilities: By working in a USDA NRCS Connecticut Field Office, the Conservation Planner provides technical assistance to local producers by planning for and applying conservation practices on their land that conserve soil, improve water quality and quantity, manage nutrients, and protect and improve wildlife habitat. The primary responsibility of the Conservation Planner is to facilitate NRCS conservation program implementation, including outreach to landowners, coordinating the development of conservation plans, conservation project budget development, contracting, providing oversight of project implementation, reviewing and submitting completion and monitoring reports, and coordinating closeout and cost-sharing payment. This position requires direct interaction with farmers, landowners, State and Federal agencies, contractors, and other project partners.

Other tasks will include, but are not limited to:

• Understanding and explaining NRCS programs and cost-sharing procedures to farmers, ranchers, and other food & fiber producers. (On-the-job training is provided.)
• Working with NRCS supervisor to prioritize the scheduling of the workload in the Field Office.
• Scheduling field visits, completing on-site inspections, conducting preliminary surveys to determine the need and feasibility for application of NRCS conservation practices.
• Developing comprehensive plans and providing technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, and other food & fiber producers to assist them with addressing their natural resource concerns on their working lands. Preparing layout and designs for practices that meet NRCS standards.
• Providing assistance with planning, designing, implementing, and certifying conservation practices for which NRCS has technical responsibility.
• Developing contracts with producers to track conservation practices, operations, and maintenance agreements.
• Developing schedules for implementing comprehensive conservation plans.
• Overseeing the installation and implementation of conservation practices. Checking completed practices to determine that specifications are met. Completing field sheets and recommending acceptability of completed practices to the supervisor for final certification. Preparing recommended adjustments after project implementation.
• Establishing and maintaining program files and documents for program delivery and documentation.
• Assisting with maintenance and logging of contract details. Assisting with maintaining workload registers with information from contracts for follow-up.
• Maintaining a daily record of activities. Preparing and maintaining field office records. Assisting in the compilation and development of required reports.
• Attending NRCS program-related meetings, conferences, field days, and public events to further professional development.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• A degree in natural resources, agriculture, or related discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering is preferred.
• Knowledge of soil properties and characteristics sufficient to interpret land use potential and deficiencies and to advise on erosion control and land use methods to help reduce risk of erosion.
• ArcGIS or ArcPro proficiency to produce information layers and maps is preferred. Knowledge and skills to interpret visual data and develop basic conservation plans according to conventional and established policies, regulations, criteria and techniques related to farm planning.
• Ability to produce documents using software including, but not limited to, MS Office, Google Earth, and Adobe.
• Timeliness in organizational and administrative tasks to keep projects on time for completion.
• Skill in both oral and written communication.
• Ability to work well with others who have a variety of personalities and needs. Ability to work independently and is a self-starter.
• US Citizenship.
• A clean criminal record verified by a standard background check with local, state, and national law enforcement agencies is a requirement.

Physical Requirements:

• Participate in farm visits which require walking multiple miles and at times through corn, hay, or other production fields to assess land conditions. Ability to bend and collect soil samples. Ability to work in all weather conditions including heat, rain, snow, etc.
• When not in the field, must be able to work at a desk.
• Ability, and licensed, to operate a motor vehicle.

Certifications:

Conservation Planners must complete continuing education training provided by NRCS, at no cost, that will prepare them for obtaining the certifications listed below. It is expected that these certifications will be obtained within 3 years of employment.

• Conservation Planner Certification – Level I, II, III