The ecological monitoring program at GBI serves as an excellent professional development opportunity for burgeoning 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 of natural resources in the Intermountain West. As an element of this program, participants will implement the Bureau of Land Management’s national Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) strategy, which is targeted at collecting standardized inventory and long-term ecological data at multiple scales across the Western BLM districts. In accordance with this strategy and through a partnership with the BLM, 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.
This video highlights the BLM’s AIM strategy for landscape-scale data capture across the western states. Description: In cooperation with the BLM, GBI is recruiting Field Leads to work cooperatively with BLM Resource Managers and GBI Vegetation Monitoring Field Technicians. Each Field Lead will coordinate a field crew (one Lead and two Technicians) to characterize vegetation using the Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) protocol, Describing/ Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health (D/IIRH) and/or the Habitat Assessment Framework (HAF) protocol for which training will be provided by the Jornada Experimental Range and BLM. These protocols vary by location. Duties include following established field protocols to conduct vegetation sampling and field data collection on new and existing monitoring sites throughout the West. Field work includes maintaining safety awareness and practices, navigating off-trail to sampling sites, establishing sampling plots and transects, identifying and describing soil horizons, collecting vegetation data (including species inventory, forb frequency, sagebrush shape, foliar cover, canopy gap, and herbaceous and woody heights), making qualitative range assessments, and taking photo-points. During these periods of field work, camping will be required. Additional duties include coordinating field logistics, scheduling, entering data into and managing an Access-based database, employing extensive QA/QC data checks, and reporting. Field data will be used by BLM Natural Resource Specialists to inform decisions regarding range management and other land management issues of the area. Locations and Tentative Timelines: Please refer to our website for the latest details on each position: Boise, ID: 4 April - 19 Aug 2016 (20 weeks) Burley, ID: 4 April – 11 July 2016 (14 weeks) Marsing, ID: 4 April – 26 August (21 weeks) Shoshone, ID: 4 April – 11 July 2016 (14 weeks)* With opportunity for extension Salmon, ID: 9 June – 26 July 2016 (7 weeks)* With opportunity for extension Wenatchee, WA: 4 April - 5 Aug 2016 (18 weeks) Vale, OR: 4 April - 30 Sept 2016 (26 weeks) Burns, OR: 4 April - 30 Sept 2016 (26 weeks) Lander, WY: 9 May – 30 Sept 2016 (21 weeks) Rawlins, WY: 9 May – 30 Sept 2016 (21 weeks) Compensation: o $1,360 bi-weekly salary o $15.00 Camping per diem o $75/week housing stipend Qualifications: Technical requirements: • Leadership experience; • Bachelor’s Degree in Life Sciences, such as: Botany, Wildlife Biology, Range Ecology, Natural Resources Management, Environmental Resources or related subject; • Coursework in plant taxonomy and/or systematics (transcripts may be requested); • Experience identifying plants in the field and using a dichotomous key; • Familiarity with native and invasive plants of the sampling area and associated natural resource issues preferred; • Experience in describing and identifying soil horizons; • Experience conducting plant surveys using various monitoring protocols, including standard rangeland monitoring protocols, photo plots, and site observations; • Experience with data entry and management; • Experience with technical writing and/or producing written project summary reports; • Ability to read, interpret and navigate using topographic maps; • Experience navigating and collecting coordinates with hand-held GPS units; • Experience creating maps and performing basic functions with GIS software (ArcMap); and • Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access). Additional requirements: • Valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving record; • Ability to complete a Department of Interior (DOI) Background Investigation (BI) and submit paperwork to BLM human resources prior to beginning position indicating that an active and fully adjudicated BI has been started or completed; • Experience operating 4WD trucks on paved and unpaved roads, often in narrow or sandy areas; • 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; • Experience leading a field crew; • Familiarity with best practices for field safety and low impact principles; • Experience in and willingness to spend multiple days camping in the field; • 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. How to Apply: Please visit our employment web page at: http://crcareers.thegreatbasininstitute.org/careers/ to locate the position(s) and locations(s) you are most interested in and apply online directly from our website. We conform to all the laws, statutes, and regulations concerning equal employment opportunities and affirmative action. We strongly encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply to all of our job openings. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, age, disability status, Genetic Information & Testing, Family & Medical Leave, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We prohibit Retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint or otherwise oppose discrimination.
