As a Kona SWCD soil conservationist, you’ll spend time  working with farmers, ranchers, foresters, and other land users. You’ll offer conservation planning and technical help to everyone from family farmers to local government officials. You’ll suggest to them ways to conserve the soil, improve water quality, manage nutrients, restore wetlands, and protect and improve wildlife habitat. You’ll be developing written plans, maps and contract documents that will help resource-land users accomplish their conservation goals. You’ll make presentations and demonstrate conservation to clubs and organizations and provide outreach for NRCS and SWCD programs. You’ll assist in setting local conservation priorities and then help carry them out. And you’ll be able to see the results of your work on the land.

Job Duties

• Assist in gathering and assembling preliminary data for identified resource concerns for use in developing conservation plans, including vegetation surveys and GIS mapping.
• Utilize NRCS tools (Conservation Desktop & Protracts) in the documentation and management of conservation plans and technical assistance by the service center.
• Design basic conservation practices (Mulching, Tree and Shrub Establishment, Conservation Cover, etc.)
• Perform conservation planning and implement full-cycle program sign-up, ranking, contracting, payments.
• Carry out a follow-up schedule for applying soil conservation practices in accordance with plan and contract schedules.
• Complete approved conservation plans and work toward Certified Conservation Planner Status.
• Achieve Certified Conservation Planner Status by the completion of your second year of employment.
• Promote, market, and implement Farm Bill initiatives and maintain positive relationships with local, state, and federal agencies.
• Work with District Conservationist to conduct environmental education on natural resource issues, water quality, and general conservation.