AIM Plant and Soil Technicians

GBI is recruiting Ecological Monitoring Field Technicians to work with GBI and BLM staff. Each Field Tech will work with one other technician under the supervision of a Field Lead to characterize vegetation and soils using the terrestrial AIM core methods. Please follow the link provided to read the full position description.

Duties include following established field protocols to perform vegetation sampling and field data collection at new and existing sampling plots. Data will be used by resource specialists and land managers to inform decisions regarding land management at various temporal and spatial scales. During field work, car camping for 7 night “hitches” in remote locations will typically be required.

Depending on performance and completion of work term this position can qualify for Public Lands Corps (PLC) status given that the applicant is 30 years old or younger at the time of GBI employment. This status will last two years from the end of GBI employment.

Field work will include:
• Maintaining safety awareness and practices;
• Extensive 4x4 driving on unmaintained roads;
• Navigating off-trail to sampling sites;
• Establishing sampling plots and transects;
• Identifying and describing soil horizons to help verify ecological site descriptions (ESDs);
• Collecting vegetation data (including species inventory, forb diversity, species abundance, sagebrush shape, foliar cover, canopy gap, and herbaceous and woody heights);
• Making qualitative range assessments; and
• Taking photo-points.
Additional duties include:
• Regular communication with GBI support staff and agency staff;
• Participation in GBI and agency trainings;
• Entering data into both Arc Collector and Survey 123 software;
• Identifying plants to species using dichotomous keys; and
• Employing extensive QA/QC data checks.

Compensation:
Total approximate compensation: $2910/month before taxes (approximate hourly equivalent: $18.19/hour), plus health insurance (monthly premiums fully paid by GBI) and paid time off.
Breakdown:
• $15.00/hour
• $15.00 per diem for every night camping (up to 7 units in an 8 day work week)
• $150 bi-weekly housing stipend*
• Health insurance including vision and dental
• Paid federal holidays
• Paid personal time off (amount dependent on contract length)
• Paid bi-weekly
*Housing stipend is untaxed and can be used at the discretion of the applicant. Housing is not provided. Applicants must be able to provide their own lodging.

Location:
Crews will be based out of the Reno GBI Office but work on BLM land across northern Nevada or Ukiah, CA.

Timelines:
April 12 to October 1 2021 or
April 12 to July 30 2021

Permalink: https://www.aspt.net/news-blog/2021/aim-plant-and-soil-technicians