Natural Resource Manager

The Wildlife Heritage Foundation is a statewide, 501(c)(3) land trust dedicated to protecting, enhancing, and restoring wildlife habitat on lands conserved for the benefit of future generations. WHF holds nearly 100,000 acres on over 190 conservation easements and fee title lands throughout California in both rural and urban areas. We work collaboratively with landowners, government agencies, and conservation partners to secure and manage critical landscapes for wildlife and natural resources. WHF has been accredited by the Land Trust Alliance since 2008 and is a member in good standing of the California Council of Land Trusts. You can learn more at www.wildlifeheritage.org.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The primary responsibility of the Natural Resource Manager is to manage large, natural properties held by WHF as vital habitat for plant and animal species, intact natural resources, and functional ecological systems. Most properties are managed grasslands, often with special status wildlife/plant species, water bodies, and other natural resources that are the focus of management efforts. You will report to and collaborate regularly with WHF’s Senior Wildlife Biologist.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide management of WHF preserves including planning, management, annual site monitoring, and maintenance activities.
• Oversee, implement, and coordinate land management activities (with particular emphasis on vegetation and grazing management) and infrastructure maintenance (e.g., repairing fences, posting signs, or irrigation systems).
• Conduct simple enhancement and/or restoration activities on WHF properties.
• Assess management responsibilities for preserves and determine if/when additional services are needed, including through contracted providers.
• Monitor and track contractor performance.
• Conduct inspections of preserves to ensure compliance with conservation easement terms and management requirements and prepare corresponding written reports.
• Maintain professional, positive, and effective communication with entities and diverse stakeholders, such as project proponents, land managers, landowners, resource agencies, community members, original indigenous peoples, consultants, state and federal regulatory personnel, and other conservation organizations.
• Assist in the fieldwork and preparation of land management documents for new projects.
• Manage and coordinate vehicle and equipment maintenance and repair.
• Assist the Stewardship team with monitoring and biotic surveys.
• Other responsibilities and duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required:

• Dedication to the protection and management of California’s plants, wildlife and natural resources.
• Knowledge of natural resource land management practices, including, but not limited to, annual grassland and conservation grazing management. Experience conducting Residual Dry Matter measurements is a plus.
• Familiarity with California grassland and woodland communities, including common invasive plant and animal species.
• Ability to work efficiently to timely meet habitat management goals.
• Willingness to attend training sessions or conferences to improve skills and knowledge needed to perform assigned tasks.
• Openness to new management strategies and techniques.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex information clearly and professionally to diverse audiences.
• Ability to build positive relationships and navigate potentially sensitive conversations with landowners and stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Knowledge and ability to utilize hand-held GPS equipment, take photographs, and read topographical and other maps.
• Competency using common land management equipment and tools such as weed eaters, chainsaws, and mowers.
• Competency operating off-highway vehicles and trailering equipment.
• Competence in working with common software programs, such as Word, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat, as well as email and the internet.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Valid California driver’s license and willingness/ability to travel throughout WHF’s service area, sometimes on short notice.
• Ability to conduct fieldwork involving hiking over uneven terrain in various weather conditions.

Preferred:

• Direct experience working for a land trust.
• Two to five years of experience in land management and resource conservation.
• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Biology, Agriculture, or related fields. (Experience in land management and resource conservation may serve as a substitute for a bachelor’s degree.)
• Proficiency with GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS).

Working Conditions:

Your base of operations will be from a home office, but some time may be required at WHF’s offices in Lincoln CA. This position involves a mixture of office-based work and fieldwork.

Fieldwork requires spending considerable time outdoors monitoring nature preserves, potentially encountering inclement or hot weather. Fieldwork may require driving long distances, hiking on uneven terrain, and exposure to variable weather conditions, insects, and potentially hazardous plants or wildlife. Work occurs primarily during daytime hours over a regularly scheduled work week, but there may occasionally be work on weekends or evenings. Some remote sites require overnight stays at WHF-provided accommodations. Staff must adhere to standard field safety protocols. WHF will assist with meeting any necessary safety requirements and provide appropriate equipment and reasonable accommodations as needed.

The position requires the employee to have a valid California driver’s license due to the remote nature of the worksites and need to transport vehicles, implements, and equipment, and will require driving in a WHF-issued vehicle.

The employee must be able to lift and carry boxes and equipment, and move items such as tree branches, weighing more than fifty (50) pounds, and must be able to do repetitive motion tasks, including, but not limited to, weed whipping, sawing, and tree and brush limb removal.