Park Planning Fellow (DHA) – ONSITE – Grand Teton National Park/Planning and Compliance Branch

Start/End Dates: May 19th, 2025 – August 9th, 2025 (12 weeks)
Compensation: $768 per week
Medical Insurance: Not provided
Application Due: February 7th, 2025

The Latino Heritage Internship Program seeks to engage ethnically and racially diverse young professionals in natural resource careers. You must meet the following additional requirements:

• Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.
• Be a student in an accredited college with a graduation date after the internship end date.
• A personal vehicle is required for this position.

Position Description: 

The Park Planning Fellow will be part of the fifth year of an established cohort of interns supporting national (Park Planning and Special Studies [PPSS]), regional, and park-specific planning programs. This outstanding opportunity offers Park Planning fellows in-depth exposure and involvement in the National Park Service’s (NPS) work to design and plan the future of national park units. In addition to being part of a cohort with peers, fellows will support and collaborate with a professional community of NPS planners. The Park Planning fellows will learn about and contribute to how the NPS addresses important issues facing national parks.

In recent years, the cohort of fellows has worked with regional planning programs to provide national and regional guidance and assistance to park units throughout the national park system in addressing their planning needs. PPSS and regions provide leadership, oversight, guidance, and technical assistance in the background and preparation of planning documents, which outline desired futures for the protection of park resources and the required visitor services and facilities. Parks are at the forefront of implementing the overarching guidance provided by regions and PPSS. This Park Planning Cohort position offers the opportunity to be involved in the administration of park-specific planning programs. Fellows will support understanding of how service-wide park planning projects improve national park infrastructure, expand visitor access and opportunities, evaluate potential new park sites authorized by Congress, and engage local communities and organizations in planning processes. This position, however, will focus on implementing these responsibilities at the park level.

The Park Planning Fellow will support the Planning and Compliance branch within the superintendent’s office at Grand Teton National Park (GRTE) on one or more priority planning projects. Primary projects could include:

• Portfolio Planning: The fellow will assist the GRTE Branch Manager for Planning and Compliance in assembling planning portfolio documents and conducting a portfolio review to implement guidance in RM-2 and DO-2 for park planning portfolios.
• Civic Engagement: Jackson Hole, home to Grand Teton National Park, is composed of approximately 30% Latine residents who, anecdotally, do not visit the park in large numbers or participate in the park’s public planning processes. The fellow will help the planning branch consider new and innovative ways to engage Latine visitors, both locally and beyond, to increase comfort with participating in civic engagement around planning and ultimately ensuring their voices are reflected in park management decisions. The fellow will also assist in strengthening relationships with local community organizations that work to engage the Latine community and develop actionable outcomes to increase the park’s reach to this growing local stakeholder group.
• Park Planning: The fellow will participate in several interdisciplinary teams to support high-priority park planning and compliance projects.

Responsibilities:

• Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively as part of a larger team.
• Well-organized, able to listen, ask questions, and think critically.
• Confident in conducting literature reviews and carrying out independent research.
• Previous experience in hands-on, on-the-ground efforts to support conservation and recreation planning.
• Some knowledge of various public land management laws and policies, including but not limited to the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Wilderness Act, Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, etc.
• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Creative Suite, with some experience in graphic design and GIS/Google Earth mapping.
• Knowledge of planning, landscape architecture, and recreation management.
• Ability to balance multiple projects at various levels.
• Comfortable and effective in both individual and team settings.
• Demonstrable interest in parks, landscape design, outdoor recreation, conservation, urban planning, public/youth engagement, etc.
• Ability to travel and work independently; take initiative.
• Flexible and adaptable to changing priorities.
• Ability to communicate effectively with individuals by phone and email.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.

Qualifications:

The types of educational majors, degrees, and certificates include, but are not limited to: Urban and Regional Planning, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Studies, History, Anthropology, Historic Preservation, Landscape Architecture, and Public Administration.

Interns in this program will receive 480 hours towards Direct Hiring Authority (DHA). See below for information about DHA.

Direct Hire Authority (DHA)
Direct Hire Authority (DHA) at the successful conclusion of their internship. DHA status enables an agency to hire, after public notice is given, any qualified applicant. A DHA expedites hiring by eliminating competitive rating and ranking, veterans’ preference, and “rule of three” procedures. For more information, please click HERE.

EEO Statement

Environment for the Americas provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.