Recreation Technician Crewmember-Tonto National Forest – AmeriCorps

Recreation Technician Crewmember-Tonto National Forest – AmeriCorps (multiple openings)

Conservation Legacy Program: Arizona Conservation Corps

Site Locations (applicant can choose when applying):

• Mesa Ranger District (5140 E. Ingram Street, Mesa, AZ 85205) 
• Cave Creek Ranger District (40202 N. Cave Creek Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85262)
• Globe Ranger District (7680 S. Six Shooter Canyon Rd. Globe, AZ 85501)

Term of Service:

• Start Date: spring 2025
• End Date: fall 2025

• Flexible start and end dates depending on availability.

• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 900 Hours

Purpose:

This is an AmeriCorps position with Arizona Conservation Corps (AZCC), which is an AmeriCorps program of Conservation Legacy. The member selected for this position will be serving with Tonto National Forest as an AmeriCorps member with Arizona Conservation Corps, and completing service projects with Tonto National Forest.

AZCC aims to continue the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930's, and is focused on connecting youth, young adults, and recent era military veterans with communities and conservation service projects on public lands. AZCC operates programs across Arizona that engage individuals and strengthen communities through service and conservation. AZCC has program offices in Flagstaff and Tucson. 

Tonto National Forest:

At over 2.9 million acres, the Tonto National Forest is the largest national forest in Arizona, and the seventh largest national forest among 154 USDA National Forests.  The Tonto features some of the most rugged and inherently beautiful land in the country. Sonoran Desert cacti and flat lands slowly give way to the highlands of the Mogollon Rim. This variety in vegetation and range in altitude -- from 1,300 to 7,900 feet -- offers outstanding recreational opportunities throughout the year, whether it's lake beaches or cool pine forest.

Description of Duties:

The Mesa, Cave Creek, and Globe Ranger Districts of Tonto National Forest are seeking temporary, full-time Recreation Technician Crewmembers. The primary focus of these positions will be monitoring and controlling access to highly developed recreation sites and boat launching facilities, in addition to conducting vehicle patrols and fee enforcement, at area lakes and other recreation sites on the Forest during weekends. Other duties include light maintenance at recreational facilities, painting, installing signage, vegetation control, and patrolling recreation areas. The crewmembers may also have the opportunity for involvement with larger maintenance projects and special events, such as those with agency partners (Arizona Game & Fish Department, Natural Restorations, Maricopa County Sherriff’s Office, etc.).

Essential Responsibilities and Functions:

• Act as representatives of the Forest Service.
• Assist the public with questions about recreation sites, alternative sites, and overall forest information.
• Continually check on and maintain the facilities, including parking lots, bathrooms, and Forest Service equipment.
• Assist with day-to-day operations and maintenance of recreation facilities as directed by a supervisor.
• Assist with developed and dispersed recreation sites in District recreation areas.
• Perform light facilities maintenance, vegetation control, traffic management, issuing of recreation passes, making public contacts, cleaning bathrooms, picking up trash, and leading volunteers.
• Perform frequent public contacts with a diverse public in a high use, urban forest setting to provide information and gain compliance with federal regulations. Must be able to work efficiently, independently, and sometimes with minimal daily supervision.
• Survey and inspect trails and roads. Sign, brush, and maintain where necessary in both developed and dispersed recreation areas.
• Work with volunteers to complete various project work.
• Work will be in the outdoors in adverse conditions and terrain. Must be able to work while standing with exposure to high temperatures and under constant direct sun exposure for extended periods of time.

Qualifications:

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• At least 18 years of age
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of elementary or secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant, and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check.

• Interest in recreation, natural resources, or a related field.
• A self-starter that can easily work as a team or alone.
• Ability to communicate via radio while in the field.
• Demonstrate professionalism, both in demeanor and appearance.
• Applicants must pass a criminal history background check and possess a valid driver’s license with a clean driving record.
• Valid driver’s license with 3 year driving history required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 4x4 or off-road driving experience.
• Previous experience with public lands agencies.
• Customer service skills as it pertains to interacting with the Public.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Physical Requirements:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Time Requirements:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve Monday – Friday, 40 hours per week, but exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service
• Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an Arizona Conservation Corps Individual Placement Program New Member Orientation at start of service that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $3,697.50 with successful completion of position.

• Living Allowance of $480 per week.
• Additional Benefit of $150 per week.
• Public Lands Corps Certificate*
• Healthcare Coverage provided by The Corps Network and Cigna
• Childcare Coverage
• Qualifies for Student Loan forbearance and Interest Payment reimbursement through AmeriCorps

*To be eligible for a Public Lands Corps certificate, members must be between the ages of 18-30, or up to 35 if a military veteran, inclusive, at the time the individual begins the term of service and must complete 640 service hours or more to qualify.

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service. Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

This position reports to either Jordan Bohlen (Recreation Staff, Cave Creek Ranger District), Sheryl Cormack (Recreation Management Specialist, Globe Ranger District), or Daniel Bray (Recreation Program Manager, Mesa Ranger District) with Tonto National Forest, depending on the service site member is selected for.

To Apply:  

Please submit a resume and cover letter along with the online application by clicking the APPLY link on this page.

If you have questions, contact AZCC’s Individual Placement Coordinator Preston Sands at psands@conservationlegacy.org. 

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the recipient shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages.

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with AmeriCorps requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Salary : $150 - $480