USFS, Six Rivers National Forest, California

The Great Basin Institute, in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service is seeking Forestry Technicians to assist with timber sale preparation, vegetation management, and forest restoration projects within Region 5 of the Six Rivers National Forest (Orleans, Ukonom, and Lower Trinity Ranger Districts) located in California's Klamath Mountains.

These initiatives support the Basin & Range Forestry program’s mission of enhancing forest resilience in the face of changing climate conditions and increasing wildfire risks, contributing to healthier and more sustainable forest ecosystems.

The Forestry Technician will support vegetation management and fuels reduction efforts, including wildland–urban interface (WUI) fuels reduction, protection of sensitive habitats for endangered species, and watershed conservation.

This position provides valuable professional experience with U.S. Forest Service protocols, compliance standards, and applied field forestry practices.

Essential Job Functions may include the following:

The Forestry Technician will perform a wide variety of activities supporting all stages of project work.

Forestry duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Assist with daily field tasks and project logistics under supervision.
• Support crew safety by following established safety protocols.
• Maintain communication with USFS and GBI staff.
• Participate in timber sale unit layout using GPS navigation, flagging, and paint.
• Identify tree species.
• Assist with timber and salvage marking, cruising, and inventory.
• Identify and mark hazard trees following established protocols.
• Observe and report resource concerns related to hydrology, heritage resources, wildlife habitat, and recreation.

All procedures will be performed in compliance with silvicultural prescriptions based on forest conditions, treatment types, and land management objectives.

Data will be collected using standard forestry instruments, direct measurements, general observations, and on-site inspections.

Project-specific training will be provided in tree species identification, GPS data collection, tree marking, hydrology, entomology/pathology, heritage resource identification, fire/fuels assessments, and other related topics.

Prior experience with basic GIS skills, GPS data collection, tree species identification, timber marking and cruising, hydrologic assessments, forest entomology/pathology observations, heritage site identification, and fire/fuels assessments is preferred.

LOCATION

• Six Rivers National Forest (Orleans,  Ukonom, and Lower Trinity Ranger Districts)
• The community of Orleans is located along the Klamath River approximately 90 miles east of the Eureka/Arcata area via Highways 96 and 299.
• The Orleans, Lower Trinity, and Ukonom districts are three of five districts on the Six Rivers National Forest and encompass approximately 600,000 acres.
• The district is about 30 air miles from the Northern California coast and experiences coastal climate influences that produce a long summer season.
• Temperatures during summer months range from an average low of 51–56°F and highs of 86–92°F.
• Orleans is a small community of approximately 800 people in Humboldt County, with local services including a grocery/variety store, a service station, and a post office. The nearest full-service town is Willow Creek, located 38 miles south, with additional services available in Hoopa (26 miles) and Happy Camp (45 miles).

WORK SCHEDULE

Projects begin as early as May and may continue through October. Seasonal schedules are project-specific.

Most Forestry Technician positions follow a schedule of four 10-hour workdays per week.

Temporary Special Assignment (TSA) employees are eligible to receive holiday pay if partner is approved. TSA holiday schedules will comply with the project partner holiday schedule unless otherwise specified in the employment offer.

TSA employees working five (5) eight-hour days per week will receive eight hours of holiday pay. TSA employees working four (4) ten-hour days per week will receive ten hours of holiday pay. Other approved workweek configurations may be accommodated through banked holidays.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Wage: $21/hour with overtime paid at 1.5× the hourly rate
Schedule: Full-time, averaging approximately 40 hours per week

For assignments longer than one year, this full-time onsite position includes company-paid comprehensive medical, dental (with optional upgraded coverage), and vision insurance, as well as a $25,000 Life/AD&D policy.

Voluntary short-term and long-term disability policies are available, along with optional Life/AD&D coverage for family members.

Additional benefits include:

• Employer-provided mental health support resources
• Competitive paid time off (PTO) accrual
• Paid holidays

TSA employees who serve a term under 52 weeks in duration with a break of 30 days or less between terms, and then sign a second term that cumulatively exceeds 52 weeks of employment, will become eligible for the greater-than-one-year TSA benefits equivalent to regular full-time employees

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, employees must be able to satisfactorily carry out each essential duty. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Forestry (preferred), natural resource management, or related field with at least one year of forestry-related field experience; OR three years of professional forestry or natural resource fieldwork experience.
• Experience in field forestry tasks such as timber cruising, marking, and inventory.
• Proficiency in navigation using GPS, topographic maps, and compass.
•  Possession of a clean, valid, state-issued driver’s license and the ability to safely operate and maintain a 4WD vehicle on and off paved roads.
• Ability to work effectively in a team setting with USFS staff, GBI staff, interns, volunteers, and other partners.
• Ability to work safely and productively in remote field settings under adverse conditions, including occasional overnight camping.
• Ability to understand and follow established data collection, inventory, assessment, and monitoring protocols.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work cooperatively and independently.
• Strong written and oral communication skills with diverse audiences.
• Physical ability to work outdoors, carry up to 50 pounds of personal or field equipment, and operate in steep, rugged forest terrain and extreme temperatures.

Preferred

• Familiarity with resource management issues in western states and the ecology of the Klamath-Siskiyou ecoregion.
• Familiarity with mixed conifer forests of northern California, including plant communities, wildlife, and regional geology/topography.
• ability to collect and maintain field data in an organized manner accessible to other resource professionals.
• Advanced skill using software such as Microsoft Office Suite, ArcGIS/ArcMap, and Google Earth.

TO APPLY

Please submit an up-to-date resume, a one-page cover letter that details your interest in the position, and any qualifications not fully outlined in your resume, and contact information for three professional references.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS  

Work will take place in the footprint of the 2020 McCash fire, 2022 Campbell fire, and 2022 Ammon fire. Hazards in burned areas may include hazard trees, stump holes, and root holes. Work will consist of marking trees on steep slopes and rugged terrain with areas of dense brush and down woody debris. Environmental hazards may include extreme temperatures, poison oak, ticks, rattlesnakes and yellowjackets. 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 computer business equipment and other 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.