The Great Basin Institute is an interdisciplinary field studies organization that promotes environmental research, education, and service through the west. The Institute’s mission is to advance applied science and ecological literacy through community engagement and agency partnerships, supporting national parks, forest, open spaces and public lands.

The Ecological Monitoring Program at GBI serves as an excellent professional development opportunity for natural resource professionals looking for experience in botanical, soil, and rangeland surveys. This Program is a component of our well-established Research Associate Program, which focuses on the conservation and management of natural, cultural, and recreation resources in the Intermountain West while providing emerging professionals opportunities to begin or enhance their careers.

GBI’s Ecological Monitoring Program is dedicated to providing college graduates and emerging professionals with hands-on survey, inventory, monitoring, and reporting experience in natural resource management. Extensive training and technical field skills development provides employees a unique opportunity to obtain valuable experience in executing monitoring protocols that will increase their employment success.

The Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ES&R) process was developed by the Department of the Interior to help restore public lands to their former state following wildfire impact. Participants will implement the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) strategy for terrestrial systems, targeted at collecting standardized ecological information and long-term vegetation data at multiple scales throughout the Elko and Winnemucca, NV BLM district. Technicians will help BLM staff by applying AIM sampling to post-wildfire ES&R projects to gather insightful data on the efficacy of various treatments.

This video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LciTBPG2-Ss&feature=youtu.be) highlights the national BLM AIM strategy for landscape-scale data capture across western states.

Description:

GBI is recruiting Ecological Monitoring Soils and Vegetation 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 using the terrestrial AIM core methods. In some instances, Habitat Assessment Framework (HAF), and/or other supplemental protocols will be performed, for which training will be provided. Aside from core AIM sampling, any supplemental protocols implemented will vary by location.

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 certificate allows for non-competitive status for future federal job applications and 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);
• 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 Field Maps and Survey 123 software;
• Identifying plants to species using dichotomous keys; and
• Employing extensive QA/QC data checks.

Projects, Locations and Tentative Timelines:
Locations and timelines listed below are tentative, some with potential for extension. Crews will be based out of either the Las Vegas or Reno GBI Offices but work in the following BLM Field Office (FO’s) areas:

Nevada:

Elko ESR Project:
• Elko District Office
• April-July 22nd
• 3-person vegetation monitoring crew with ~33% of points requiring soil sampling

"Within the 12.5 million acres of lands administered by the EKDO, several million acres have burned in recent decades by wildfires. Areas burned by wildfires are typically treated by the Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR) program to help ecosystems stabilize and recover from wildfires. The BLM is mandated to conduct treatment effectiveness monitoring on all ESR projects to document the effectiveness of the ESR treatments. The Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) strategy is an approved monitoring strategy for ESR treatment effectiveness monitoring."

Winnemucca ESR Project:
• Winnemucca District Office
• April-August 5th20
• 3-person vegetation monitoring crew with ~33% of points requiring soil sampling

"The Winnemucca Bureau of Land Management (BLM) district encompasses 11 million acres of northern Nevada with 8.2 million acres of public land. The BLM is mandated to conduct land health monitoring to document effectiveness of the decisions established in our Resource Management Plans, to determine treatment effectiveness, or for habitat evaluation, among others. The Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) strategy is the approved monitoring strategy for land health monitoring."

"During the 2018 fire season, the Winnemucca District’s Fire Program had 109 fires, which consumed a total of 217,602 acres of public land throughout the district. The largest fire in Nevada’s history (only within Nevada) was the Martin Fire, consumed over 416,821 acres, and spanned two districts. Rehabilitation efforts have continued through fire and fuels projects through winter of 2021. The ES&R team and BLM staff determined that over 530,000 acres of the Winnemucca District has been treated since 2018. Monitoring treatment areas using the AIM protocol is essential to determine the efficacy of restoration or rehabilitation efforts. Measures of success include density of seeded species and percent perennial cover after treatment. "

Compensation:
Total approximate compensation: $2990/month before taxes (including benefits the approximate hourly equivalent: $18.69/hour), plus health insurance (monthly premiums fully paid by GBI) and paid time off.

Breakdown:
• $15.50/hour
• $150 bi-weekly housing stipend*
• $15 per diem for every night camped in the field (up to 7 units in an 8 day work week)
• Affordable Care Act Compliant Health insurance including vision and dental provided at no cost to the employee starting the first day of the month following employment start date.
• Paid federal holidays
• Paid personal time off (amount dependent on contract length)

*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.

Qualifications:
• Experience, education, or a combination in botany, range management, and or soils to meet one or both of the following (Crew Leads should have education and experience with plants and/or soils):

Bachelor’s degree in botany, biology, ecology, or rangeland ecology or other natural resources with at least 9 semester hours in plant or biological sciences or a minimum of 1 years of field data collection identifying plants;

AND/OR

Bachelor’s degree in plant or soil science or similar with at least 9 semester hours in soils or a minimum of 1year of field data collection describing soils. Any of the 4 certifications from the Soil Science Society of America may substitute for education or experience.

*Some Projects require a relevant Bachelor’s Degree.

Technical requirements:
• Coursework or equivalent experience in plant taxonomy and/or systematics;
• Experience identifying plants in the field and using a dichotomous key;
• Experience in describing and identifying soil horizons preferred;
• Experience conducting plant surveys using various monitoring protocols, photo plots, and site observations;
• Experience with data entry and management;
• Ability to read, interpret and navigate using topographic maps;
• Experience safely operating 4WD trucks on paved and unpaved roads, often in remote areas on unimproved roads;
• Experience navigating and collecting coordinates with hand-held GPS units;
• Experience creating maps and performing basic functions with GIS software (ArcMap), preferred;
• Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access); and
• Experience with Field Maps, Survey 123, and ArcGIS Online.

Additional requirements:
• Willingness and ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic setting, and to consistently enact high performance standards and a strong work and team ethic in support of the goals and objectives of the AIM program and the mission of GBI;
• Valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving record;
• Familiarity with native and invasive plants of the sampling area and associated natural resource issues preferred;
• Ability to work productively as part of a team to accomplish mutual goals;
• Ability to work independently;
• Ability to communicate effectively with team members, agency staff, and a diverse public;
• Excellent organizational skills;
• Familiarity with best practices for field safety and Leave No Trace principles;
• Experience in and willingness to spend multiple days camping in the field;
• Flexibility with position location within field district offices
• Willingness to work irregular hours (e.g., early mornings, late nights); and
• Ability to work in harsh and rapidly changing environments, work in all types of weather conditions, traverse uneven terrain, carry upwards of 40 pounds in a backpack, and otherwise maintain good physical condition.

Please indicate your availability and location/project preferences in your cover letter when applying. Application review will continue until all positions are filled. We encourage applying early to gain the best chance of getting top-choice locations. Only qualified candidates will be contacted.

Please use the official job posting link below that will direct you to our Ecological Monitoring Soil and Vegetation Technician Position. Use the "Apply now" button at the bottom of the position.

https://www.vscyberhosting.com/greatbasin/careers.aspx?rf=ASPT&req=2021-AIM-016