The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management Tonopah Field Office, is recruiting an experienced rangeland botanist, biologist and/or ecologist to conduct upland monitoring across public lands. The Upland Monitoring Technician will gain valuable experience and professional development while collaborating with a federal land management agency. Using standard BLM protocols, the Technician will work independently or as a member of a team conducting habitat restoration, biological surveys or other necessary field work. Additionally, the Technician will interact with and support BLM professional biologists by reviewing, cataloging, performing literature review, and extracting and compiling data critical for resource management initiatives and reporting. The Technician will spend the majority of their time performing fieldwork, requiring many hours walking through uplands and wetlands and walking or driving vehicles over rough terrain to conduct wildlife censuses in upland or wetland habitats. The work schedule will include some overnight hours. Other tasks may include: GPS mapping, GIS data management and map production, collecting water quality and weather data, data entry, and maintaining extensive field notes.
Contract length: April 2, 2012 September 30, 2012; potential for extension pending funding and positive performance review Rate of Pay: $15.00/hour Benefits: Medical and dental, travel per diem, paid personal leave, training opportunities Location: Tonopah, NV located approximately 238 miles southeast of Reno and 215 miles north of Las Vegas, NV is a boom-and-bust mining town situated on the southern edge of the Districts land along Highway 95. The Battle Mountain District Office is responsible for managing approximately 10.5 million acres; the Tonopah Field Office is responsible for approximately half of the total acreage. The Districts lands are typical of basin-and-range topography and Great Basin desert habitat. Recreational opportunities abound within a 100-mile radius of Tonopah, including Boundary Peak Wilderness to the west, Toiyabe National Forest to the north and Death Valley National Monument to the south. Duties: In addition to field sampling and data collection as outlined below, general duties include providing written documentation of data, conclusions, and recommendations to maintain and/or improve watershed and vegetative conditions; coordination with the public, interest groups, state and county agencies, and other federal land management offices to share information and knowledge necessary to effectively maintain and improve public land watersheds. GBI is seeking an associate to fill the Technician position that will perform the following duties: 1. Plant Identification - Plant and plant community identification, including expertise on upland range plant taxonomy and ecology common throughout the Great Basin. Responsible for the identification of individual plants, describing existing and potential plant communities using soil survey information, interpreting vegetation, and successional sequences. 2. Soil Identification - Identification of soils, use of soil surveys, determine soils grouped into the site, identify landscape and soil factors, and determine existing or potential erosional factors. This information will be utilized to aid in determining site potential and evaluation of current conditions. 3. Upland Monitoring Studies Utilizing plant and soil identification skills, the monitoring technician will be responsible for conducting upland monitoring studies under established BLM protocol. Monitoring will consist of double-weight sampling, ecological site inventory, utilization, use pattern mapping, cover, and density techniques. Duties may also consist of conducting livestock compliance checks, which provide information on livestock placement and movement as it relates to annual authorized use. This information will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of grazing management on the public lands. 4. Wildlife Monitoring Conduct wildlife surveys, including Toiyabe Spotted Frog, Amargosa Toad, and breeding bird and lek surveys of Greater Sage-Grouse species using established monitoring protocols. Qualifications: * Applicants should have a combination of educational and field experience related to the position of interest; * Must possess excellent communication and organizational skills, including the ability to accurately and completely collect and record field data and observations; * An understanding of basic principles related to the fields of botany and/or soil science; * Experience working in Great Basin Desert and knowledge of Great Basin ecology, including dominant fauna and vegetation communities; * Ability to navigate and collect data using handheld GPS units; * Ability to use a compass and read a topographical map; * Experience working with ArcGIS, desirable; * Possess a clean, valid, state-issued drivers license; * Ability to operate a 4WD vehicle on- and off-road; * Ability to communicate effectively, both written and orally, with a diverse audience; and * The successful applicant must be physically fit to work outdoors, carry personal and field equipment, and withstand the rigors of the Great Basin in the summer, fall and early winter. How to Apply: Applicants should forward a cover letter, their résumé, and a list of three profession references to Bridget Walden, Great Basin Institute HR Coordinator, at [email protected]. Please include where you found this position posted. This position is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or religion. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
