Forestry and Vegetation Management Members

Forestry and Vegetation Management Members

Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with Yellowstone National Park, is seeking Two Vegetation Management Members and One Forestry Management Member.

These members will collaborate with park staff, Youth Corps, and other organizations to assist with field and office projects. Responsibilities include performing various resource management activities such as revegetation, invasive plant removal, forest surveys and monitoring, forest pest sampling, hazardous tree assessment and removal, GPS and GIS data collection and analysis, seed collection, plant nursery, and site maintenance.

Members will receive training in park operations and gain hands-on experience in monitoring and managing park vegetation and forest resources, with opportunities to collaborate alongside National Park Service staff.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date: June 2, 2025

Estimated End Date: October 17, 2025

*a 20-week minimum commitment is required. There is some flexibility on start and end dates*

Location Details/Description:

On March 1, 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park for all to enjoy the unique hydrothermal and geologic features. Within Yellowstone’s 2.2 million acres, visitors have unparalleled opportunities to observe wildlife in an intact ecosystem, explore geothermal areas that contain about half the world’s active geysers, and view geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Home to more than 1,500 plant taxa, the vegetation communities of Yellowstone National Park include overlapping combinations of species typical of the Rocky Mountains as well as of the Great Plains to the east and the Intermountain region to the west. Forests made up of lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, whitebark pine, and limber pine cover roughly 80% of the park.

For more information about Yellowstone National Park, please visit the NPS website.

Position Overview:

Three ACE members will become part of a coordinated vegetation management program at Yellowstone National Park. Two members will be selected to serve with vegetation management staff and one member selected to serve with forest monitoring staff. These are developmental positions in the biological sciences, and all will be collaborating closely with NPS vegetation staff and learn directly from other practitioners. Each ACE member will be provided direct technical training in safe park operations and then in forest and vegetation management practices respectively. Most field tasks will involve hiking to research plots and restoration areas, use of field equipment, and recording of data on forms and digital tablets that use GIS databases. Interns may also assist with public outreach regarding efforts to protect and recover park vegetation and forest resources. These positions are approximately 80% field tasks and 20% office tasks.

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

Primary duties for our Vegetation Management Members include:

• Conduct revegetation techniques of areas disturbed by construction and visitor impacts including seed collection and cleaning, restoration plantings, nursery, broadcast seeding, watering, etc.
• Assist with nonnative plant surveys and control efforts using both manual and chemical (i.e. herbicides) methods.
• Assist other staff to assess, fell, and remove hazardous trees from priority visitor use areas.
• Conduct treatment effectiveness monitoring throughout both front country and backcountry areas of Yellowstone NP.
• 3-4 weeks of backcountry travel and camping (4 days camping, 3 days off).

Primary duties for our Forestry Management Member include:

• Conduct forest health assessments that measure cone production, number of saplings and seedlings, degree of pine beetle and blister rust infection, etc.
• Assist with compliance surveys aimed at documenting presence of whitebark pine prior to park construction projects.
• Assist with integrated pest management and forest pest trapping.
• 6-10 weeks of backcountry travel and camping (4 days camping, 3 days off).

Schedule: A typical schedule is four, ten-hour days followed by three days off.

Position Benefits

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $625/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the completion of the term may be eligible to be combined with hours accrued from another PLC-eligible term to meet the 640 hours requirement. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general eligibility information on our website.

Housing: Housing (private bedroom, shared kitchen and bathroom) will be provided by the park. The intern will need to provide linens and dishes. Pets and spouses/partners are not allowed in park housing. If, for some reason, the park isn’t able to offer housing, there are shared and single, even furnished, unit rentals available in Livingston, MT (60 miles north) and Bozeman, MT (90 miles north) and a commute will be necessary. ACE members will be provided with an additional living stipend as rents outside the park range from $850-900/month. Park housing availability will be determined by April 1st. A personal vehicle will be necessary for these positions.

Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support.

Qualifications

Required:

• Members must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, as required by U.S. government contracts
• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner.
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• A valid driver’s license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).
• Willing to undergo and must pass the required criminal history checks
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets, beginning of term feedback forms, end of term evaluations and for longer terms, a mid-term evaluation.
• Members may not participate in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.
• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website.

Preferred:

• Competitive applicants for this position must hold or be pursuing a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and/or have relevant experience in subject areas such as botany, forestry, plant ecology, biology, natural resources, environmental science, or a related field
• Experience in vegetation monitoring, forestry, or serving in nursery settings.
• Experience using GPS and GIS software.
• Ability and willingness to work with others in a team setting.
• An ability to hike long distances carrying a light to medium-weight pack in inclement weather.
• Deep interest in fieldwork and a respect for nature.

Physical Demands, Work Environment and Working Conditions:

• Physical Demands: Requires frequent walking, hiking, carrying, using hands to handle or feel, reaching with hands and arms, talking and hearing. Manual dexterity required for use of various tools, computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment. Required to stoop, kneel, climb stairs, and/or crouch. Ability to hike miles over rough terrain, and camp overnight under field conditions.
• Vision Requirements: Requires close, distance, peripheral and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus.
• Weight Lifted or Force Exerted: Frequently moves up to 25 lbs., ability to carry up to 45 pounds long distances.
• Environmental: Outdoor and indoor conditions. Work environment conditions can change frequently; working under adverse weather conditions and in various climates.
• Noise Environment: Moderate to high noise such as gas-powered chainsaws and other hand and power tools.
• Travel: This position may require domestic travel.

Environmental Conditions/Hazards:  The ACE member(s) may encounter environmental conditions/hazards including extreme heat or cold, rocky terrain, swamp or wetland conditions, biting insects, and potentially dangerous wildlife. The member is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow staff/members or resources.

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety:If a vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, one will be provided by the NPS or ACE. Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the NPS. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the NPS, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it. Strict adherence to NPS and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.