Description: Working cooperatively with the BLM Winnemucca District Office (WDO), the Great Basin Institute is recruiting to hire two (2) Minerals Resource Monitoring Technicians. The Technicians will work out of the Winnemucca District Office and will be guided and mentored by a BLM staff member. The Technicians will work as part of a two-person team and learn the basic physical techniques for mineral exploration; principles of reclamation of mineral exploration disturbances; and how to collect, manage, consolidate and present data in a form that is usable and easily understood.
Recent revision of the surface management regulations (governing operations conducted for the exploration of minerals subject to claim under the General Mining Law) has resulted in the expiration of many notices (proposals that disturbed less than five acres), predominately proposals for exploratory drilling. These expired notice sites must be inspected and any outstanding reclamation requirements must be verified and documented. Technicians will perform those inspections, produce all pertinent documentation, and may draft follow-up correspondence to the operator of each expired notice. The primary objective is to have every expired notice in the WDO inspected and to begin follow-up on those notices that have been inspected in the past. The Technicians will perform a variety of office a field tasks including: Pre-Field Work • Review the notice case file and make copies of appropriate maps • Compare with other files in the area to determine any overlapping disturbance Field Work • GPS and photograph all surface disturbance • Obtain data on vegetation coverage, type and percentage • Identify safety hazards (shafts, adits, open pits, open drill holes) Post Field Work • Download GPS data to Pathfinder Office • Export GPS data into ArcMAP and create map of appropriate scale • Fill out inspection form • Download pictures to servers and/or disks and print copies as appropriate • Submit 3809 inspection form, photos and ArcMAP Map to the supervisor • Begin follow-up research – e.g. status of claims, status of operator, and likelihood of success in accomplishing reclamation Compensation & Timeline: • Rate of Pay: $18.50/hour • Paid Medical and Dental Benefits • 28-week appointment beginning in March 2014 (or upon availability), with potential for extension pending funding and positive performance review • Local applicants with housing and/or minimal relocation time will be strongly considered Location: The BLM Winnemucca District Office manages approximately 8.3 million acres of public lands in northwestern Nevada. Most of the district is within the Basin and Range physiographic province and the Great Basin hydrologic province with elevations ranging from just below 4000’ to almost 10,000’. The presence of numerous mineral exploration projects, small- to large-scale mining operations for locatable minerals, active sales of mineral materials, and development activities for geothermal energy provide challenges for multiple-use land management concepts and the potential for significant conflicts with other resources. The district is fairly typical of a semi-arid high desert in the Basin and Range. Average annual precipitation is about 8” in the valleys and over 15” in the higher mountain ranges; most of that falls from October through April. Summertime high temperatures are typically over 90°F in the valleys, while the overnight lows are often in the 50°s. Qualifications: • Bachelor’s Degree or coursework in a natural resource field, preferably Geology, Mining Engineering, or Environmental Engineering; • Ability to collect and accurately record field data in accordance with established methodologies; • Ability to operate a handheld GPS unit for navigation and/or field data collection; • Experience utilizing ArcGIS software to manage and manipulate data, and create appropriately scaled maps; • Proven ability to safely work towards common goals in a field setting, alone or as part of a small team, with minimal direction and supervision; • Organized self-starter with excellent written and oral communication skills; • Willingness and ability to work in harsh, rapidly changing and often remote environments with extreme variation in elevation, temperature, and terrain; • Physically capable to hike extended distances with personal and/or field gear, as well as camp overnight in the field and/or work on weekends if necessary; • Clean, state-issued driver’s license with proven experience safely operating a 4WD truck in an off-road setting; ATV experience w/ safety course completion and excellent safety record, desirable. • Successful applicant(s) must complete a Department of Interior (DOI) Background Investigation (BI); applicants already in possession of a fully adjudicated DOI BI should highlight this in their cover letter. How to Apply: Qualified and interested applicants should forward a cover letter (including where you found this position posted and status of DOI BI), their résumé, and a list of three professional references to Amy Gladding, HR Coordinator at [email protected]. This program 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.
