Lincoln National Forest Project Coordinator

National Forest Foundation (NFF) is pleased to offer an Exempt, full-time, 3-year term position that will coordinator and support forest related restoration projects across the Lincoln National Forest in Southern New Mexico.  

About the NFF: As the official national partner to the US Forest Service (USFS), the National Forest Foundation was chartered by Congress in 1990. Today, the NFF advances forest resiliency, healthy watersheds and wildlife habitat, and recreation for all by working with communities and organizations across the country. The Foundation has grown significantly in the last few years in programmatic impact, revenue and support, and organizational capacity. NFF leads with impact, deploying roughly 90% of its expenses towards projects and programs across the country’s 193-million-acre National Forest System. NFF is forward-thinking and innovative, with ambitious strategies and goals to advance and prepare forests for a new economy. 

Position Function: The Lincoln National Forest (NF) Forestry Project Coordinator reports to the Southern New Mexico Associate Manager. The incumbent is responsible for supporting forest restoration efforts primarily focusing on the Lincoln National Forest with a focus on oversight of forestry, reforestation and restoration project implementation and management.  

Position Duties and Responsibilities: The Lincoln NF Forestry Project Coordinator’s responsibilities include:

• Build and develop close and mutually beneficial relationships among the U.S. Forest Service, the NFF, and New Mexico field partners to implement effective community-based conservation partnerships. 
• Coordinate and manage forest-related restoration efforts, providing oversight of on-the-ground project implementation (e.g., working with logging crews, oversight with planting crews, coordinating between U.S. Forest Service and contractors, facilitating pre-work meetings, during contract inspections, and conducting final inspection for contract close out etc.).
• Research, outreach and development of wood product industry and facilitation of regional mills, community woodbanks, and fuelwood businesses for woody material distribution from thinning projects.
• Help develop and implement work under Stewardship Agreements, Participating Agreements, and/or Challenge Cost Share Agreements with the U.S. Forest Service.  
• Expand and support Wood For Life initiatives including wood bank establishment, indigenous and traditional community meeting participation, pre implementation and implementation of forest fuelwood thinning projects, and wood hauling coordination and delivery.
• Coordinate and develop Requests for Proposals and contracts for all forest restoration and reforestation projects, and work accordingly with NFF staff to process, select contractors, and oversee implementation of projects. Compile NFF and FS prospective contractor bidders list. Hold pre bid site visits for Q&A sessions for prospective contractors.  
• Report on outcomes and deliverables of forest restoration projects. Outcomes include a verbal and/or written report related to each project as required by grantors.
• Attend and participate in Lincoln NF coordination meetings and events. 
• Identify partnerships and grants and provide input and support for expanding capacity for forest thinning projects and other restoration projects. Provide support in establishment of grants and development opportunities and attend meetings with partners and/or potential funders.
• Effectively communicate with and engage the public in caring for their National Forests and Grasslands through community-based conservation initiatives and outreach and awareness campaigns.
• Maintain a breadth of knowledge about current trends, emerging issues, policy interventions, and innovations in the field of forest restoration.
• Serve as a point of contact in the NFF for forest restoration, reforestation and related development activities in New Mexico and the Southwest Region.
• Provide forestry and fuels reduction project oversite for a multitude of projects including but not limited to hand thin, mastication, traditional ground-based logging, and common stand exams.  
• Conduct Timber Sale Administration duties including but not limited to timber marking, basic timber cruising, inspections, documenting findings, collecting and interpreting field data.
• Conduct basic project layout and preparation activities including, but not limited to, conduct preliminary field reconnaissance, flagging boundaries and resource protection buffers, landings, skid trails, and temporary roads. 
• Provide reforestation project oversite including seed collection, nursery coordination, planting crew oversight, and pre- and