The Great Basin Institute (GBI), in cooperation with the USFS, is recruiting Botany Technicians to perform vegetation surveys within the Feather River Ranger District of the Plumas National Forest. These projects support the Basin & Range Forestry program’s greater mission of helping the USFS achieve its critical goal of improving forest resilience in the face of worsening climate conditions and increased wildfire threats. The work directly improves forest health and sustainability, ensuring these ecosystems continue to thrive for generations to come.

Botany Technicians will conduct botanical fieldwork to support the protection of sensitive plant species, contribute to vegetation management and fuels reduction efforts, and support broader USFS initiatives for healthy, productive, and resilient forest landscapes. Outcomes of fieldwork conducted in accordance with USFS protocols will inform planning for management actions on National Forest lands.

This position provides exposure to USFS processes, compliance measures, and interdisciplinary collaboration with other resource areas such as wildlife, hydrology, and archaeology.

Essential Job Functions may include the following:

Botany Technician will conduct botanical surveys to establish distributional occurrences of targeted species and populations in and around designated project sites and access routes. Data from these surveys will inform mitigation measures to protect targeted plant species and vegetation communities considered habitat for designated wildlife.

Specific duties may include, but are not limited to:

ducting botanical surveys to determine species identity, population characteristics, habitat conditions, and factors affecting plant vigor.

• Laying out monitoring plots and assisting with vegetation inventory work.
• Photographing or collecting plant specimens as directed.
• Producing maps of survey areas using GPS and field tools.
• Recording, entering, and summarizing botanical data accurately and efficiently.
• Using technical botanical keys to identify plants to species or sub-species level.
• Assisting with data entry, quality control, and reporting tasks as needed.
• Working safely and effectively as part of a small field crew under direction of the Crew Lead and Program Coordinator.
• Assisting with invasive plant species control using manual methods.

LOCATION

The Feather River Ranger District of the Plumas National Forest encompasses diverse coniferous forests, meadows, and riparian ecosystems in the northern Sierra Nevada of California. Elevations range from approximately 2,000 to over 7,000 feet. The district offers extensive recreation opportunities including hiking, fishing, and camping.

Nearby communities such as Quincy and Oroville provide access to supplies, lodging, and services.

WORK SCHEDULE

This position will begin in March 2026 and end in October 2026. Season start and end dates are project and weather dependent and may change slightly.

This position  follows a 10 hour days, 4 days a week schedule. 

Temporary Special Assignment employees are eligible to receive holiday pay, if partner approved. TSAs working four (4) ten (10) hour days per workweek will be paid ten (10) hours for all holidays.  Same with other approved/allowable workweek configurations; these can be accommodated accordingly with Banked Holiday(s).

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Wage: $21/hour with overtime at 1.5x hourly rate. Full time, average 40 hours per week.

In addition to a competitive base salary, this full-time, onsite position includes:

• Company-paid comprehensive medical, dental (with option to upgrade coverage), and vision insurance.
• $25,000 Life/AD&D policy.
• Voluntary short-term and long-term disability policies.
• Voluntary Life/AD&D policies for family members.
• Employer-provided mental health support resources.
• Competitive PTO accrual and paid holidays.

TSA employees who serve a term under 52 weeks in duration, and have a thirty (30)-day or less break between terms, and then sign a second term that (cumulatively) becomes greater than 52 weeks of employment, will be eligible for the >1-year TSA benefits (equivalent to Regular full-time employees).

Qualifications

At least one of the following required:

• Degree in botany, plant ecology, or a closely related field in the biological sciences, including coursework in plant taxonomy and/or systematics (transcripts may be requested); AND/OR
• Experience conducting rare plant surveys and other botanical fieldwork; AND/OR
• Six months of professional fieldwork experience.

Other Required Qualifications:

• Experience using technical keys to identify plants to the species or sub-species level.
• Experience using hand-held GPS, maps, and a compass for navigation and data collection.
• Ability to collect and maintain field data in an organized manner.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both written and orally, with a diverse audience.
• Possession of a clean, valid, state-issued driver’s license.
• Ability to work in rural and remote fields and office settings.
• Physical fitness to work outdoors, carry up to 50 pounds of personal and/or field equipment, and withstand the rigors of a forested and/or high desert environment in all seasons.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of the flora of the Northern Sierra Nevada / Plumas region.
• Skills related to Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
• Familiarity with noxious weed identification and control.
• Ability to understand and adhere to established data collection, inventory, and monitoring protocols.
• Ability to safely operate and maintain a 4WD vehicle on and off paved roads.
• Familiarity with noxious weed identification and control.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS  

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands, stand, walk, bend, and have specific vision abilities to include close and distance vision, and ability to adjust focus working with job/industry specific equipment. The noise level in the work environment is usually low.

NOTE:  This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the organization's ongoing needs.

Disclaimer: Although the organization has attempted to accurately and thoroughly describe this position, GBI reserves the right to change the same, including to change, add to or subtract from the duties outlined, within the sole discretion of the organization, at any time, with or without advance notice.