Seasonal Stream Habitat Technician

POSITION SUMMARY

Projects implemented within this position will provide multiple benefits to cold-water fisheries and local communities including flood resiliency, improvement of aquatic habitat and water quality, and protection of aquatic health and biodiversity.

The stream habitat technician will report directly to the full-time technician and project coordinator and will be responsible for working on a restoration team to conduct instream habitat improvement, streambank stabilization, and aquatic organism passage projects. The primary function of this team is to restore remote streams with woody structures through the implementation of strategic wood additions (SWAs), beaver dam analogs (BDAs), and post assisted logjams (PALs). Additional projects may include small dam removal, assessing streams for future wood loading, documenting the success of past projects/installations, etc.

Multiple positions (2-4) will be filled working in conjunction with the full-time technician. Seasonal technicians will support or act as the team sawyers (depending on experience) in safely felling trees. Depending on the structure and design needs, trees may be cut into smaller pieces, moved (with hand tools), pinned with posts utilizing a post pounder, and/or embedded in the bank using a winch setup.

This position is physically strenuous and requires hiking (primarily off trail) with 20-50lbs of equipment along the stream corridor and the ability to lift large logs/shift whole trees with use of hand tools. We are building in stream habitat which requires working within the stream channel. Weather conditions, unless unsafe (e.g. severe flooding, hail, or lightning), will not impact the work schedule.

Location: The team will be based in Vermont (Brattleboro, VT office) with weekly travel throughout New England to remote project areas.

Hours: The team completes a 40-hour work week broken down into 4 days (typically Tuesday – Friday, with Monday acting as a travel day).

Dates: This position generally begins in late June to early July and ends in October with some flexibility for additional work if desired/available.

BENEFITS

• Pay will be $14-18/hr based on qualifications
• Mileage reimbursement for travel to and from sites each week
• A work truck is provided for travel to the work site from weekly housing
• Food and housing provided (typically in the form of Airbnbs) during the work week
• Work boots and all PPE provided

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Working safely and productively in remote field settings within the stream under adverse and rapidly changing conditions
• Assisting team sawyer with the safe felling of trees
• Team lifting/orienting felled trees or moving with rock bars within the stream channel
• Utilizing a post pounder to drive posts that will pin wood in specific configurations within the stream channel
• Operating hand-powered equipment (e.g. winches, axes, rock bars, etc.)
• Maintaining field equipment
• Assisting with stream habitat assessment and/or culvert assessments
• Collecting data with a provided phone and collection application (ArcGIS Field Maps) for current and all past project sites

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in the field during tree felling and/or trail building
• Saw experience (specifically with directional felling) or sawyer training (certification is a major plus)
• Familiarity with hand tools (e.g. axes, shovels, chainsaws, etc.)
• Ability to hike & carry heavy gear (up to 50lbs) through rough terrain off trail
• Familiarity with data collection/navigation applications (ESRI Field Maps)
• CPR and First Aid training
• Ability and willingness to travel long distances. Valid driver’s license and own vehicle required
• Ability to work with others on a small team
• Knowledge of natural stream design techniques
• Passion for protecting and restoring trout populations and their watersheds