Southern Sierra Reforestation Coordinator – Sierra Corps Forestry Fellow with American Forests

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 Corp 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 American Forests.

Compensations and Benefits: 

• $27.50/hr, full-time
• Potential for overtime, if agreed upon by Fellow, paid at a minimum of 1.5x rate
• 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 ideally starts in mid-January 2025, but no later than 1 March 2025 and will conclude upon completion of 1920 hours, approximately December. 

Host Site Description:
American Forests is a national non-profit organization committed to creating healthy and resilient forests from cities to wilderness, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water and wildlife. We advance our mission through forestry innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building. Established in 1875, American Forests is the oldest national non-profit conservation organization in the U.S. working to restore urban forests and forested landscapes. 

American Forests is proud to be a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible (DEIA) workplace. We welcome individuals who bring a variety of backgrounds and experiences to be a part of our team. We are committed to fostering an environment that is welcoming and respectful and provides opportunities for advancement and professional growth for every team member.

Position Description:
The southern portion of the Sierra Nevada Mountains has experienced numerous large fires that have increased the likelihood of a full ecosystem conversion across the landscape. American Forests is working with federal, state, tribal, private and non-profit partners in the region to address these impacts through cross-boundary, climate-smart reforestation projects. The Reforestation Coordinators will directly increase the pace and scale of post-fire reforestation and restoration efforts. Treatments that they will be supporting include, but are not limited to, seedling planting, fuels reduction, and vegetation management. Additionally, the Coordinators will participate in American Forests’ state-wide Cone Corps program to organize and support cone collection efforts to address current seed shortages. Coordinating closely with American Forests’ Reforestation Senior Manager to complete these activities, Fellows may also work with staff from Sequoia National Forest, Mountain Home State Demonstration Forest, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, California Conservation Corps, and other partner organizations as appropriate. 

This position is a great opportunity to build your career in forestry and natural resources, directly implement an innovative post-fire recovery effort, and gain highly in-demand skills including contract management, seed collection, and reforestation project planning. We look forward to the opportunity to work with someone who is interested in mentorship and aspires to grow their career in forest health project management! 

Responsibilities:

Post-Fire Reforestation and Recovery Project Support (30%)  

• Delineate and map treatment boundaries based on site conditions and objectives for future desired conditions.
• Independently conduct and document inspections for forest health treatments to determine quality of work and treatment progress.
• Assist with reforestation contract management such as: receiving seedlings from the nursery, tracking seedlings planted, implementing planting plans, documenting, and other reforestation-related field work as appropriate.
• Use topographic maps on Avenza or Field Maps on a tablet to navigate as well as track spatial information.

Cone Surveying, Monitoring and Collection (25%)

• Plan surveying routes and strategize initial cone scouting plans across the region using maps and species prioritization guidelines.
• Use Survey123 and maps to report and track cone crops during initial surveys.
• Assess cone and seed viability using an Air Powered Tree Access launcher to retrieve cones and perform cone face cuts.
• Document and communicate cone surveying and monitoring results regularly to identify and inform the collection of cones.
• Facilitate the collection of cones through working with professional tree climbers, evaluating collected cone crops, and tracking data on bushels collected.

Project Administration (20%)

• Participate in meetings with the Southern Sierra team.
• Coordinate and communicate professionally with American Forests’ team members to ensure successful project implementation.
• Support or conduct outreach and presentations.
• Manage a field and office-based schedule.

Surveying and Monitoring (10%)

• Support the development of strategies for best collecting and organizing data depending on project goals.
• Navigate through steep, rugged terrain to collect data using a tablet.
• Track seedling survival and stocking following planting according to protocols.
• Document and communicate survey findings and results.

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: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Forestry, Environmental Science, or other natural resource field
• At least one year of experience in the field of natural resource 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.
• 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.
• Ability and willingness to travel overnight, including multiple days of self-supported vehicle-based camping when lodging is not feasible.
• Ability to work 10-hour days in the field or other irregular schedules pending project needs.

Desired Qualifications: 

• 2 years combined experience in forest health monitoring and assessment, conservation planning, project management and/or environmental education/communications.
• Experience safely operating 4×4 vehicles on unpaved forest roads.
• Fluency in Spanish.
• Familiarity with Southern Sierra Nevada ecology and natural resource issues.
• Tree and plant identification skills.
• Experience with leave no trace vehicle-based camping.
• First aid, Wilderness First Aid, or Wilderness First Responder certification.

Location and Working Conditions

Reforestation Coordinators are required to secure housing near Exeter, CA for the length of their term. A work vehicle will be available to the Coordinators to share with AF staff for work-related travel and transport of the crew to work sites, and will be kept at a central location. Coordinators will be granted permission to conduct office work from home/remotely as appropriate.

This position will be based in the Southern Sierra and will require travel to a variety of field sites across the region. Due to the landscape-scale nature of American Forests’ projects, drive times will often be lengthy and at times Coordinators will need to stay in lodging near project sites or camp for one or more nights. Lodging will be provided when camping is not feasible, or a camping per diem will be provided by American Forests as necessary. Required overnight travel is estimated to be 25%-50% of annual responsibilities.

Work will be performed in a field setting, which includes: 1) Varied terrains, dense vegetation (with possible exposure to poison oak, ticks, and mosquitos), and hot, cold, and wet conditions; 2) Severely burned landscapes with standing dead trees and little to no shade; and 3) Most sites will be accessible within a short distance from a road. Office work will also be required. 

Physical Requirements:

• Lift 40 lbs. and carry the load in a pack or vest.
• Repetitive tasks with few breaks.
• Drive lengthy distances (up to 10 hours in a day).
• Work in adverse weather conditions including but not limited to high heat, rain, snow, smoke, dust, and cold temperatures (within reason).
• Walk, hike, or stand for extended periods of time with others and alone in steep, rugged, brushy, and/or remote terrain under adverse weather conditions.

American Forests: https://www.americanforests.org/place/california/ 

Sierra Nevada Alliance Website: www.sierranevadaalliance.org 

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