EMPLOYMENT CLASSIFICATION: Full-time hourly position (40 hours/week); non-exempt. Requires occasional work on weekends and outside of regular work hours.  

LOCATION: FRLT Main Office, Quincy, CA 95971 (potential for hybrid work within Feather River region)

TO APPLY:  Please send the following items—combined into 1 PDF document—to apply@frlt.org, with subject line “Conservation Easement Manager Application”: Your current resume, a short letter (1 page max) that briefly describes your background, experience, and fit for this role, and the names, emails, and phone contacts for three (3) professional references (we will consult you before we contact references).  Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Please don’t wait to apply.

POSITION SUMMARY: The Conservation Easement Manager works on various aspects of land conservation and land stewardship across the Feather River Watershed and plays a key role in monitoring conservation easements held by FRLT and deepening the relationships with the landowners. Core responsibilities include stewardship and monitoring of FRLT’s conservation easement portfolio, assisting with land protection projects, mapping and managing the organization’s GIS data, cultivating collaborative relationships with conservation easement landowners and conservation partners, developing stewardship priorities for easement-protected properties, and coordinating fieldwork on conservation easements (contractors, volunteers, and crews). They will also play a role in supporting new land conservation transactions, assisting the land protection team with site assessment, research, mapping, and baseline documentation reports.

This role reports to and will receive mentorship from the Conservation Director, Shelton Douthit. FRLT is a nationally accredited land trust and one of the leading conservation organizations in the northern Sierra. Since our founding in 2000, FRLT has helped protect over 118,000 acres of important headwaters, meadows, forests, and wildlife habitats.  

The ideal candidate is a dedicated natural resource professional with GIS experience. They will have the ability to maintain professional working relationships with landowner-partners, work collaboratively in a team, and steward our conservation easements in compliance with our policies and procedures.  

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Conservation Easement Stewardship

• Scheduling, coordinating, and performing annual conservation easement monitoring of FRLT conservation easements, including landowner interviews, county records research, gathering new visual inspection data (on-the-ground and remote), creation of maps, individual monitoring report generation, and reporting on the overall results of annual monitoring.
• Responsible for compliance for all FRLT-held conservation easements including monitoring, reporting, records filing & retention, documentation and response to violations in accordance with land trust standards.
• Staying abreast of Land Trust Alliance (LTA) Standards and Practices and evolving FRLT systems accordingly through technologies, land trust conferences, remote education, and peer-to-peer communications.
• Provide technical assistance to partner landowners, including: o Timely response to landowner Notices and Approval requests, coordinating updates to conservation plans, coordinating assistance with property improvement projects such as habitat enhancement, restoration, and recovery from natural disasters, and sharing opportunities and resources.
• Coordinate range monitoring and other specialized monitoring when prescribed in FRLT easements and conservation plans.
• Maintain collaborative, professional relationships with all conservation easement landowners.
• Develop and maintain professional working relationships with partner agencies and organizations. Land Protection Program
• Create and analyze detailed maps in support of land protection planning, transactions, and related program needs, including maps for acquisition projects, grant applications, conservation plans, conservation easements, fundraising and marketing needs, and organizational reports.
• Develop Baseline Documentation Reports for new conservation easements, including review of draft easement documents, property inspections and data collection, establishing photo reference points, mapping, and writing.
• Support Land Protection team as needed with due diligence, site assessment, records searches, conservation plans, and other tasks and projects as assigned based on skill and experience.

Other Duties & Opportunities

• Be an active and engaged member of the Feather River Land Trust team, sharing responsibilities as needed to advance FRLT’s mission. May include supporting land stewardship activities, helping with fee-title preserve monitoring, advising on interpretive projects, participating in strategic planning, presenting to partners and serving as a key representative of FRLT in the community.  

QUALIFICATIONS & ATTRIBUTES: The skills and attributes listed are guidelines. Your education, work experience and life experience all contribute to your skills and competencies. If you meet 75% of the qualifications listed, we encourage you to apply.  

• B.S. in Natural Resource Management, Biology, Rangeland Management, Environmental Science, Agricultural Science, or another related field, AND 3+ years of relevant work experience (candidates with 4-5 years relevant experience in lieu of education encouraged to apply).
• Demonstrated skill in using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), especially ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS online, to import layers, create maps and analyze mapping data. Experience using Google Earth, Avenza, FieldMaps, and similar mapping tools is helpful.
• Ability to analyze, understand and follow detailed documents, policies, and procedures (e.g., conservation easement deeds, FRLT policies and Land Trust Alliance Standards and Practices).
• Strong attention to detail and well organized.
• Proficient in the Microsoft Office suite of applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, & PowerPoint).
• Experience with Global Positioning System receivers (GPS) and smart phone apps for data management, record-keeping, and field data collection.
• Good written and oral communication skills suitable for a diverse clientele/audience.
• Team player that is adaptable and able to self-motivate, coordinate, and ask for assistance when needed.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS INCLUDE:  

• Ability to lift 50 pounds, stand and sit for extended periods of time, reach with hands and arms, walk, climb, balance and stoop, including climbing stairs  
• Ability to regularly and accurately communicate with others orally in person, via phone, and computer, and ability to type data into computers by means of a traditional keyboard.  
• Ability to visually assess landscape features and to inspect, identify, observe, and assess safety situations in all work environments, and hike long distances over sometimes rough terrain.
• Ability to drive a vehicle to work locations across a broad geographic region (vehicle and/or mileage reimbursement provided for work travel)
• Work environment may include unpredictable weather conditions in remote locations, and hiking and walking on uneven or rough terrain for extensive periods  

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS: Pay starting at $26.00-$37.50 per hour. This full-time role is eligible for FRLT’s accrued Paid Time Off program, paid wellness time, retirement program (SIMPLE IRA with 3% matching), and professional development opportunities. After 60 days, eligible to enroll in Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance (50% of premiums paid for employee and dependents).