Forest Health Project Manager

Sierra Corps Forestry Fellowship Program Background: 

Sierra Corps is a Forestry Fellowship program implemented by the Sierra Nevada Alliance that aims to increase workforce capacity for forest health restoration, biomass utilization, and wildfire resilience projects in the Sierra Nevada. The Alliance places Fellows with partners throughout the region for forest-health related employment. Fellows bring their education, skills, and expertise to engage in fellowships that provide assistance in assessment, planning, permitting, project management, and other essential forest restoration and wildfire resilience work. The Sierra Corps is a program that allows you to advance your career in environmental conservation by working as a forest health project specialist developing skills in project management and contributing to the increase in pace and scale of forest restoration at a time when it is critically needed. 

For this position, you will be a Fellow for Sierra Nevada Alliance, completing your fellowship and working under direct supervision by the Maidu Summit Consortium.

Compensations and Benefits: 

• $26/hr, full-time
• Employer-provided Health Insurance, paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave as identified in the Sierra Nevada Alliance Employee Handbook
• A total of $3,650.00 stipend to be used during the Fellowship term, itemized as follows:
• $1250 travel stipend
• $500 supplies stipend
• $500 equipment stipend
• $1400 training stipend

Time Commitment: Fellows are required to complete project specific work and professional development activities and trainings over 1920 hours (approximately 11 months, working 40 hours/week). All Fellows are required to commit to the full term of their Fellowship position.  Paid holidays, accrued vacation, and sick leave are also included in this time commitment.  The position starts in January 2024 and will conclude upon completion of 1920 hours, approximately December. Position begins mid- to late- January 2024.

Host Site Description:
The Maidu Summit Consortium’s mission is to preserve, protect, and promote the Mountain Maidu Homeland with a united voice. The Maidu Summit Consortium envisions re-acquired ancestral lands as a vast and unique park system dedicated to the purposes of education, healing, protection, and ecosystem management based upon the Maidu cultural and philosophic perspectives, as expressed through traditional ecology.

Position Description:
This position is unique in that we are seeking a confident and independent self-starter who is excited about helping support and empower the Mountain Maidu Homeland. Specifically, we are seeking an individual who can help implement the current Sierra Nevada Conservancy grant Maidu Summit Consortium has received to build the capacity of the MSC. This grant involves identifying forest and fire protection projects, focusing particularly (but not exclusively) on the MSC’s properties. The position will receive assistance from SNA, MSC, and other project partners to identify, assess, and implement the appropriate planning and permitting needs for each project, but we are seeking someone who is committed to growing their own career while meaningfully helping the Maidu.

Responsibilities:

Site management and reforestation project support (50%)

• Evaluating the needs of each property and the scope of work
• Planning forest restoration projects for the future
• Planning and constructing trails for our work crew
• Developing and implementing signage for trails

Mapping and GIS work  (20%)

• Mapping out the area for native plants
• Identifying the invasive species for the health of our properties
• Assessing and updating maps for each property

General Project administration (15%)

• Grant and proposal development and management
• Coordinate and communicate with project partners
• Support or conduct outreach and presentations.

Professional Development and Sierra Nevada Alliance (15%) 

The Fellow will have an average of approximately four hours per week to plan and participate in professional development opportunities that align with their goals as well as directly support their success at their host site. If there are professional development opportunities that are longer than 4 hours, the excess time will be subtracted during another week. One full workday per month (8 consecutive hours) to attend to Sierra Corps responsibilities, including our monthly meeting and a Fellow(s) respective professional development. These will most likely be scheduled as the last Wednesday of each month. The Fellow will develop monthly reports, and participate in monthly fellow meetings and check-ins with Sierra Nevada Alliance supervisors. They will also plan and budget their use of professional development stipend and complete timesheets.

Required Qualifications: 

• Two years of experience in the field of natural resource management, project management, conservation, and/or forest health monitoring and assessment.
• Ability to work independently, self-manage and communicate effectively.
• Ability to think creatively, problem solve, and a willingness to find innovative solutions.
• Strong desire to work in a forest health related career, ideally in the Sierra.
• Basic ArcGIS data analysis and web mapping, including using spatial tools in field data
• collection.
• Proficiency with Outlook, Excel, and Word.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license, and a reasonably clean driving record to operate a work vehicle.
• Ability to operate a 4×4 vehicle on rough forest roads and paved roads.

Desired Qualifications: 

• First aid, Wilderness First Aid, or Wilderness First Responder certification.
• Passion for the conservation of the Sierra Nevada

Location and Working Conditions:

The Project Manager position will be located in Chester, CA working out of the Maidu Summit Consortium office with occasional travel to field sites in the region. 

Physical Requirements:

• Lift 40 lbs. and carry the load in a pack or vest.
• Repetitive tasks with few breaks.
• Work in adverse weather conditions including but not limited to high heat, rain, snow, smoke, dust, and cold temperatures (within reason).

Maidu Summit Consortium: www.maidusummit.org/ 

Sierra Nevada Alliance Website: www.sierranevadaalliance.org  

Sierra Corps Website: www.sierranevadaalliance.org/sierra-corps-forestry-fellowship-program/