Trail Crew Individual Placement with Monongahela National Forest

Title: Trail Crew Individual Placement

Positions: 3 available

Service Site: Monongahela National Forest, based out of Parsons, WV

Dates of Service: May 5th, 2025 – July 3rd, 2025 (9 weeks)

Schedule: 4, 10-hour days

Pay: $600/week paid biweekly

Status: This is a full-time, temporary AmeriCorps National Service position.

Questions? Contact ACCrecruiting@conservationlegacy.org

Appalachian Conservation Corps:

Our Individual Placement program works to connect young people to conservation service work across Appalachia and neighboring communities in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, DC, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. ACC is a program of Conservation Legacy, a nationwide network of conservation organizations.

As an AmeriCorps program, Individual Placements commit to a term of service in order to gain hands-on experience at their placement site, and ACC supports them through their term, as well as provides a variety of benefits to help them succeed in achieving their career goals. ACC welcomes national applicants, but also emphasizes the engagement of local individuals who represent the communities in which they serve.

Position Summary:

Monongahela National Forest, located in the Allegheny Mountains of east central West Virginia includes more than 920,000 acres of flowers, trees, rivers, trails and scenic views to explore. Monongahela National Forest was established in 1920 and encompasses one of the most ecologically diverse areas in the United States. Elevations range from just under 1,000 feet to 4,863 feet above sea level. It is a working forest providing timber, water, grazing, minerals and recreational opportunities. The national importance of the recreation resource of the Monongahela has been recognized through the designation of the Spruce Knob – Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area (NRA), the first NRA in the Forest Service, National Scenic Byway status for the Highland Scenic Highway, and eight Wilderness Areas. This position is located on the Cheat Potomac Ranger District.

The Cheat Potomac Ranger District-Cheat Office is in Parsons, WV. Parsons is a city with a population of 1,289 people located at the confluence of the Shavers Fork and the Black Fork, forming the head of the Cheat River. It is in the heart of recreation opportunities including Otter Creek Wilderness, Pheasant Mountain and 30 minutes from Dolly Sods Wilderness. The Allegheny Highlands Rail Trail provides great biking and running access while connecting Parsons, WV to Elkins, WV and Thomas, WV. Parsons offers many modern amenities of a larger town, but with a small-town feel. There are restaurants, a grocery store, hardware store, small shops, town parks, etc.

Project goals include building new trail and relocation of existing trail to improve National Forest access and recreation opportunities in conjunction with the West Virginia Department of Highways Corridor H highway project.

The Forest will provide ample opportunities for growth in trail design, building, and maintenance including using a clinometer to lay out trail alignment and working with a mini excavator building and finishing trail tread by using a variety of hand tools including a Pulaski, McCleod and Rogue Hoe. Chainsaw training with a Forest Service certification will be provided for clearing trail corridor. In the field training will consist of, but not limited to, sharpening hand tools, tool maintenance, proper trail building and finishing techniques (grade reversals, out slope, backslope, tread width, etc.), and rock work/rigging (rock hammer drill/rock hammers, rock/spud bars, rock baskets, grip hoist, sledge hammers, etc.).

Housing IS provided for this position. The government housing includes laundry, a kitchen, and a living room as shared space.

Essential roles and responsibilities include:

The selectees must exhibit a good attitude and a willingness to work. Skills will be taught on the job, but prior knowledge of trail work is appreciated. Trail work will be completed in various terrain and weather conditions working four 10-hour days per week. Forest Service supervision will be provided, but selectees are expected to take initiative and may occasionally work independently. This is a crew position, so working well in a crew environment is a requirement. Although daily activities may vary, most of the work will be working behind a mini excavator finishing trail tread.

General Qualifications:

To qualify, you must be between the ages of 18 and 30, and a US citizen that has received a high school diploma or GED. All offers of employment are conditional upon completion of an acceptable check of the National Sex Offender Public Registry and federal criminal background check. Must be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award. In addition, applicants must:

• Possess a valid driver’s license

Desired Skills/Qualifications:

• Educational experience in Recreation and Parks, Environmental Science, Natural Resources, Biology or Forestry is desired.

• Field experience in Hiking, backpacking, and general outdoor and hand/power tool experience would be desired.

Orientation and Training:

Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.

Benefits:

• $600/week paid biweekly

• $1,565.08 AmeriCorps Segal Education Award upon successful completion of 300 hour service term (award amount varies based on length of commitment and can be used for paying off federal student loans or paying tuition for a Title IV accredited college)

• Hours count towards the Public Land Corps Hiring Authority upon successful completion – noncompetitive hiring status for two years when applying for federal positions after 640 hours.

• Federal student loan forbearance and interest payoff

• Member Assistance Program– 3 free sessions of support with a counseling or work-life balance specialist

• Additional subject-specific certifications and trainings may be offered (Chainsaw training, pesticides, etc)

• Depending upon the academic institution and program, positions may fulfill internship requirements

• Professional development opportunities (mentorship, resume support, alumni listserv, etc.) and exposure to natural resource career paths

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 25 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.

Our Promise:

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.