Field Leader - Alaska-2026 Chugach NF Restoration Crew Alaska Corps Team

Position Summary 

The SCA Alaska Restoration Corps is a 14-week AmeriCorps program focused on leadership development, completing restoration work projects and building a sense of community.

 

This will consist of 3 young adult members and one leader. This team will be working with the US Forest Service in Hope, AK to restore natural structure and function to Resurrection Creek, which was straightened during placer mining operations in the early 20th century.

 

The restoration includes rebuilding the degraded stream channel and floodplains, constructing pools, side channels and ponds, installing logs and root-wads, and re-vegetating stream banks and riparian areas. Resurrection Creek is important salmon spawning habitat that has been nearly unusable since the changes made during mining operations.

 

Schedule 

April 5, 2026 - August 29, 2026

 

Key Duties and Responsibilities 

The SCA Alaska Restoration Corps is a 14 week AmeriCorps program focused on leadership development, completing habitat restoration work projects, and building a sense of community.

 

You will lead a 4 person crew as a trained SCA Project Leader. The group will live and serve together for the duration of the program. Leaders should be prepared to camp throughout the summer and face the challenges of weather, insects, remoteness, and wildlife typical of outdoor work in Alaska.

 

This is an opportunity to learn the hard and soft skills required for work in the outdoor industry; folks will walk away with experience in conservation restoration work, leadership, interpersonal skills, budgeting, and outdoor living skills. Each team will camp for the duration of the program and eat meals together. During training leaders will hone their outdoor living skills, trail work skills, and teamwork skills, which they will be expected to pass on to their members during the season.

 

The team will work with each other to resolve conflict and build relationships in remote areas, where they may go hours or days with minimal contact with people outside of the crew, depending on the project and work location.

 

Leaders are responsible for overseeing the team’s workday, making sure camp tasks are completed, providing leadership in conflict resolution, and mentoring young adults in outdoor living and trail building skills. They are also responsible for completing administrative tasks throughout the season such Emergency Response Plans, Job Hazard Analysis, Incident Reports, budgeting, meal planning, food purchasing, expense reconciling, and end-of-season reporting.

 

During days off, leaders are expected to ensure that members are, minimally, in a safe location with access to communications and transportation services. Depending on how remote the location is, this may mean the team spends days off together, or are at least in the same location. To be safe in bear country by traveling as a group, the team will usually recreate together as well.

 

SCA teams work in remote, tight-knit communities and are expected to maintain a positive representation of SCA during days off. While working with the US Forest Service, members and leaders will be able to network with professionals in natural resources and recreation management.

 

Crews may have unique opportunities to learn about different career paths in recreation and natural resources and see first-hand what their work consists of. Leaders will travel to the Project Leader Training location in April (location TBD), then to Anchorage for further training and preparation before Corps Member Training in Indian, AK.

 

Each leader will receive $1,300 for this travel. Leaders will have about two weeks before members arrive to prepare for their season by coordinating with their project partners, buying food and supplies for their members, and coordinating travel and project details with their SCA Program Coordinator.

 

Crew Leaders will:

• Act as a Crew Supervisor, by facilitating teamwork, managing trail-work and camp maintenance tasks, and keeping the team operating in an efficient and timely manner

• Serve as an Advisor, by training members in technical conservation work skills, mentoring personal and professional development, facilitating conflict resolution, and teaching environmental stewardship

• Act as a Project Manager, by communicating with agency partners and SCA staff, ensuring successful and timely completion of work projects, and upholding a positive representation of SCA

• Perform tasks as a Program Administrator, such as organizing logistics; completing documentation such as: incident reports, Emergency Response Plans, and health checks; managing a budget; and communicating regularly with SCA staf