The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, is recruiting one (1) AmeriCorps member to serve as a Biological Technician for the Applegate Field Office, located in Cedarville, CA. Under the direction of the agency lead, the selected candidate will help in addressing key management tasks related to multiple projects within the Field Office.

The primary project focus will be the Greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Tasks completed on this project are providing BLM management with the necessary data to assess whether planned habitat improvement projects can move forward to the implementation phase.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lek counts;
• Habitat use research; and
• Vegetation monitoring (e.g. line point intercept).

For the first 8 weeks (March/April), primary duties will focus on Greater sage-grouse lek surveys. The following 7-8 weeks will focus on assisting the BLM Forester with vegetation monitoring using the AIM protocol. Duties during the final 2-3 months will vary depending upon project needs and the discretion of the field supervisor. Tentative duties expected during the summer include raptor nest surveys, inspecting and completing minor repairs to wildlife fence exclosures, assisting with rangeland health surveys, installing and monitoring game cameras at wildlife guzzlers, archaeological field tasks, and assisting state biologists and university researchers with various ongoing wildlife related studies.

The Biological Technician will be exposed to the operations of a federal land management agency charged with a multiple-use and sustainable-yield mission, gain a greater understanding of how policy decisions are formulated, get hands-on experience with natural resource monitoring protocols and field techniques, enhance skills related to data collection and behavioral observations, and actively participate in formal trainings related to first aid, off-highway vehicle operation, and the BLM’s Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) Strategy.

Upon completion of this position, the Biological Technician will be better prepared to take on additional responsibility in fields related to rangeland management, wildlife biology, or public land management. Applicants seeking to apply for graduate school will have compelling experience and real-world knowledge to apply to their application.

*Members are required to take a mandatory 30-minute lunch break each service day. This break does not count toward their service hours for the education award.

Timeline:

• Term Dates: March 9, 2026 – August 28, 2026;
• 25-week appointment (900-hour AmeriCorps term), pending successful completion of Department of Interior Background Investigation (may take up to 6 weeks to process and clear);
• Full-time 40 hours/week;
• Applicants should be available for the full-term duration; and
• Given the intensive training period, time off requests in the first 2-3 months of the term may not be permitted.

Location:

The technicians will serve out of the Applegate Field Office, located in Cedarville, CA. Cedarville is a rural town (population 500) and services are very limited.  There is a small grocery store, gas station, post office, and a few restaurants. The closest larger town, Alturas (population 2800), is located 22 miles to the west.  Alturas, also very much a rural town, has larger grocery stores and more services than Cedarville. The weather is consistent with a high-desert area. Temperatures in the summer can and will reach the mid 90’s°F, and during the first few months of the appointment (March/April) when early morning tasks are scheduled, temperatures can drop well below freezing. Fieldwork can be strenuous, and many trails are in steep, rugged terrain.

Compensation and Benefits:

Living Allowance: $704/week (before taxes);

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award (900-hr term): $3,697.50, upon successful completion of term.

Benefits:

• Company-paid comprehensive medical, dental (with option to upgrade in coverage), and vision insurance;
• $25,000 Basic Life & AD&D insurance at no cost;
• Access to Pro Deals;
• Eligibility for SNAP benefits, Loan Forbearance, and Loan Interest Accrual Repayment; and
• Non-Competitive Federal Hiring Authority.

Housing: On-site housing (barracks-style, with personal room if available, laundry, fully-stocked kitchen, wi-fi) available to rent at $200.00/month. A weekly housing stipend of $160 is provided to offset the cost.

Segal Education Award:

After successfully completing an AmeriCorps term of service members are eligible to receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. Award varies based on term of service. You can use the award to repay qualified student loans and to pay current educational expenses at eligible institutions of higher education and training programs.

Student Loan Forbearance:

If you are currently paying on any federal student loans you have the option to put those loans into forbearance during your time as an AmeriCorps volunteer, that will allow you to cease payments while serving.

Interest Accrual Repayment:

As an AmeriCorps alum, you are eligible to have the National Service Trust pay all or a portion of the interest that accumulated on your qualified student loan(s) during your term of service. These payments are made in addition to the Education Award, and are not deducted from your Education Award balance. To be eligible to have accrued interest paid: The loan must have been placed in forbearance for the service period, and you must have successfully completed a term of service and received an Education Award.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Eligibility:

AmeriCorps Volunteers are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Qualifications:

Technical requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or coursework and experience in biology (wildlife or conservation), ecology or a related field;
• Field experience that included adhering to field data collection protocols and accurately recording field data;
• Office experience that included data entry and report writing;
• Knowledge of wildlife ecology and plant taxonomy including use of technical keys;
• Familiarity with wildlife species in the area; including threatened, endangered, and sensitive species;
• Ability to use a GPS unit for navigation and data collection;
• Experience using ArcGIS to create maps, analyze data, and organize layers preferred;
• Experience in habitat evaluation and collection of vegetation data preferred;
• Experience in conducting avian surveys and nest monitoring preferred, particularly for gallinaceous species; and
• AmeriCorps eligibility requirements: (1) U.S. citizenship or legal resident alien status, (2) eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award (limited to earning equivalent of two full-time education awards), (3) pass National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) name search and federal criminal background check, (4) adhere to the rules, regulations and code of conduct as specified in the Member Service Agreement; and (5) not engage in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.

Additional requirements:

• Possess a valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving record;
• Ability to safely drive a 4WD vehicle on unpaved roads that can be steep and rutted;
• Experience operating UTV’s preferred (although formal UTV training by the BLM will be provided during first month of term);
• Ability to complete tasks in harsh and rapidly changing environments, in all types of weather conditions, traverse uneven terrain, carry upwards of 40 pounds in a backpack, and otherwise maintain good physical condition;
• Willingness to spend multiple days camping in the field;
• Willingness to serve irregular hours (e.g., pre-sunrise mornings, late nights past midnight);
• Ability to perform tasks productively, consistently and cooperatively as part of a team to accomplish mutual goals;
• Familiarity with backcountry, low-impact principles preferred; and
• Must be able to pass a DOI Background Investigation.