USDA Forest Service Forestry Technician - AmeriCorps

Position Title:  USDA Forest Service Forestry Technician – AmeriCorps      

Conservation Legacy Program: Southwest Conservation Corps – Four Corners, Durango    

Site Location: San Juan National Forest Pagosa Ranger District 180 Pagosa Street Pagosa Springs CO, 81147 

Terms of Service:     

• Start Date: 05/27/2025   
• End Date: 09/12/2025    
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 450 Hours
• Position dependent on grant funding        

Purpose:     

This AmeriCorps program partners with the USDA Forest Service staff at local field offices throughout southern Colorado. This AmeriCorps position is under direct mentorship and technical guidance of the Pagosa Ranger District Forest Service office with additional management, support, and administration from Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC). The USDA Forest Service has an overall mission of “Caring for the Land Serving People.” The San Jaun National Forest encompasses about 1.8 million acres in the beautiful southwest corner of Colorado. From high-desert mesas to alpine peaks, these lands are managed for multiple uses. The Pagosa Ranger District manages 585,770 acres of the San Juan National Forest across several counties. 

This AmeriCorps position will be involved with multiple disciplines including timber, range and wildlife that will assist with vegetation management to improve forest resistance and resilience while producing forest products, inventory and monitoring acres of federally listed sensitive species habitat and conducting range condition surveys. This will foster diverse exposure to several natural resource management avenues and stewardship. This AmeriCorps position will aid the Forest Service in striving to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forest to meet the needs of present and future generations. 

Description of Duties:     

• Data collection while timber cruising, measuring tree diameters and heights 
• Mark timber sale units by following unit boundary while recording or painting GPS boundaries 
• GPS recording, reading and understanding silviculture prescriptions, tree measurements, tree identification, and forest survey methods 
• Noxious weed inventory and treatment 
• Assist with long term vegetation monitoring transects  
• Monitor grazing rotations  
• Inventory and monitoring Federally listed species and Forest Service sensitive species and habitat 
• Habitat improvement projects based on habitat monitoring data 

Potential Environmental/Human Risks:    

• Slips, trips, falls with uneven and varied terrain 
• Variable weather ranging from freezing cold temperatures to hot temperatures    
    

Required Qualifications:     

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident   
• At least 17 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     
• Valid U.S. Driver’s License     
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check   
• Per grant funding, candidate must be 18-30 years of age, up to 35 years of age if veteran status    

Preferred Qualifications:    

• Education in Natural Resources 
• General interest in the Forest Service, Conservation and Natural Resource Management  

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. The ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.     

Time Requirements:     

• Typically, this position is expected to serve on a four-day ten-hour schedule, Monday through Thursday, 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 in-depth orientation provided by Southwest Conservation Corps that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities    
• Partner will provide appropriate orientation and training(s) for field activities   

Benefits:     

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $1,956.35   
• Living Allowance of $600 per week, distributed bi-weekly   
• Additional Benefit of $150 per week, distributed bi-weekly    
• Forest Service bunkhouse housing if needed  
• Healthcare Coverage if Eligible      
• Professional development opportunities with both SCC and the Forest Service   
• Two SCC field shirts    
• Childcare Coverage if Eligible     
• Loan forbearance if Eligible     
• Interest Payments if Eligible       

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:     

Individual Placement Program Coordinator – Niki Antonio (she/her)    

Contact Information: nantonio@conservationlegacy.org

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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

Salary : $150 - $600