Working Lands Conservation Specialist

Working Lands Conservation Specialist

Application deadline: January 29, 2024

Reports to: Conservation Programs Manager

Starting Salary: 57,468/year starting (or + dependent on experience)

Work Location: Hybrid Telework/District Office in Eugene, Oregon

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, Vacation Leave, Sick Leave, and 457B Retirement Plan

FTE: 1.0

Desired start date: Beginning of March, 2024 (with flexibility)

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The District’s work will only be successful if we are able to truly partner with all facets of the community, engage with respect, authentically listen, and have the courage to share decision-making, control, and resources with others. The District is committed to continuously evaluating and updating our programs to better serve people and communities of color. In recognition of the need to address unconscious bias, remove cultural barriers in our programs and eliminate disparities in our work, the District’s Board of Directors is working toward a vision for racial equity, the need for it, and how the District will hold itself accountable.

This position supports diversity, equity, and inclusion by incorporating the principles of equity and inclusion in all aspects of the job and by participating in provided, self-directed, or self-initiated diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings.

Position Summary

The Upper Willamette Soil and Water Conservation District (UWSWCD) seeks a Working Lands Conservation Specialist to provide holistic conservation planning support to farmers, ranchers, foresters, landowners, and land managers in the Upper Willamette District service area. This position will be a key role in developing conservation plans for transitions to regenerative land management on farms, ranches, and forests for soil stewardship, water conservation, and promoting on-farm biodiversity and ecosystem function.

The Working Lands Conservation Specialist will work collaboratively with the Working Lands Projects Manager at the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council and the UWSWCD Conservation Program Manager to develop and implement case management systems.

Position Overview

The position’s primary functions will be to provide land managers, operators, and/or owners with the most current information on regenerative land management practices so that they may voluntarily adopt these practices, resulting in improved natural resource(s) management and agricultural operations.

This will be achieved through a variety of job responsibilities: Providing technical assistance to public inquiries, conducting outreach and engagement to applicable demographics, developing conservation plans, managing conservation projects, and educating District residents on local natural resource concerns and best conservation practices. The ideal candidate will have the communication skills to successfully work with a vast demographic of urban, rural, and residential public members.

This position will also support rural landowners and land managers by acting as a liaison, helping to connect residents with regional technical service providers, educators, advocacy organizations, and financial assistance providers. This dynamic and collaborative position is based at the District’s office in Eugene and will require travel to farms, ranches, forests, and lands within the Upper Willamette Basin.

The Upper Willamette Stewardship Network’s Working Lands Program is an emerging initiative led by the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council in partnership with the UWSWCD. The Program works across watershed boundaries to provide one-on-one guidance to assist farmers, ranchers, and foresters in transitioning to regenerative land management practices. It recognizes and centers relationship building and providing quality technical assistance to support conservation and stewardship on private lands.