Forestry Technician – Lassen National Forest (USFS)

The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the USFS, is recruiting Forestry Technicians to perform timber sale-preparation, vegetation management and restoration projects in the Sierra Nevada region. These projects all serve the Basin & Range Forestry program’s greater mission of helping the USFS in their critical goal of improving forest resilience in the face of worsening climate conditions and increased wildfire threats. The work that you will do directly improves the quality of these forests helping ensure they continue to thrive for generations to come. Technicians will serve vegetation management and fuels reduction efforts, supporting initiatives for healthy, productive, and resilient forest landscapes and resources. Project work may include post fire recovery efforts.

Forestry Technicians will perform a wide variety of activities to support all stages of project work. Forestry duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Timber sale unit boundary delineation and layout (GPSing, flagging, painting);
• Tree species identification;
• Green and salvage timber marking and cruising;
• Timber and biomass plot cruising;
• Collection of stand examination data;
• General silviculture data collection; and
• Identification of various resource concerns including hydrology, heritage, wildlife and recreation.

All procedures will be performed in compliance with silvicultural prescriptions based on forest and treatment type and land management goals. Data will be gathered using standard instruments, direct measurements, general observations and on-site inspections. Project-specific training will be provided on tree-species identification, GPS data collection, tree marking, hydrology, entomology/pathology, heritage, fire/fuels and other elements. Prior experience in basic GIS skills, GPS data collection, tree-species identification, timber marking and cruising, identifying hydrologic concerns, recognizing forest entomology/pathology issues, identifying heritage sites and experience with fire/fuels assessments or related field tasks is preferred.

Contract Timeline:

Start and end dates may vary according to local conditions and individual projects: Tentatively June-November.
Projects are weather dependent and there is always a chance the season will end earlier if weather prevents safe field operations.

Location:

Project activities will take place in various locations in Lassen NF. Forestry crews will be based out of two different Ranger Districts: Hat Creek RD in Fall River Mills, CA and Eagle Lake RD in Susanville, CA. Crews will spend half the season at each RD (housing provided in both locations).

The Lassen National Forest lies at the heart of one of the most fascinating areas of California, called the Crossroads. Here the granite of the Sierra Nevada, the lava of the Cascades and the Modoc Plateau, and the sagebrush of the Great Basin meet and blend. It is an area of great variety, greeting visitors and residents alike with a wide array of recreational opportunities and adventures. Fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, bicycling, boating, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and just exploring and learning about nature are among the many popular pastimes.

Compensation and Benefits:

– Wage: $21/hour.
– Medical, dental, and vision insurance available at no cost.
– Housing provided.
– Uniform reimbursement.

Job Qualifications:

At least one of the following:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in forestry (preferred), natural resource management or related field, with coursework and experience that demonstrate understanding of the principles of forestry;
• Six months of professional fieldwork experience.

Other:

• Capacity to collect and maintain field data in an organized manner that is easily understood and accessible to other resources staff;
• Ability to communicate effectively, both written and orally, with a diverse audience;
• Ability to navigate and collect data using handheld GPS units;
• Experience using a compass and topographic map to navigate;
• Possess a clean, valid, state-issued driver’s license;
• Ability to live and work in rural and remote field and office setting;
• Physically fit to work outdoors, carry up to 50 pounds of personal and/or field equipment, and withstand the rigors of a forested and/or high desert environment in all seasons.

Preferred:

• Familiarity with cruising and marking techniques;
• Familiarity with, and interest in, resource management issues of western states and the ecology of the Sierra Nevada ecoregion;
• Familiarity with the mixed conifer forests typical of eastern California, including common plants (woody and herbaceous), wildlife,  geology and topography;
• Ability to safely operate and maintain a 4WD vehicle on and off paved roads;
• Ability to understand, implement and adhere to established data collection, inventory, assessment and monitoring protocols;
• Experience using ArcGIS to create maps is a plus.