Individual Placement-Alaska-Anan Creek Interpretation Ranger

Position Summary

Placements will assist Tongass National Forest staff with visitor services at Anan Wildlife Observation Area. This will include greeting outfitters and clients while checking their permits, providing mandatory safety briefings for all guests, and spending time at the bear observation deck to answer visitor questions, provide informal interpretation, and ensure the safety of both visitors and bears. Placements will also collect important visitor and bear data, learning to identify individual brown and black bears for research purposes.

 

Placements should be available to start on May 25th and able to stay until August 30th. There may be some flexibility with dates, but placements must be available at least through the end of the permit season on August 25th.

 

During permit season (July 5th to Aug 25th), the crew works eight 10-hour days followed by 6 days off. This is subject to change. A flexible work schedule will be required, which could involve work performed outside of normal work hours, including weekends and/or holidays.

 

Before and after the permit season, the crew generally works a regular five-day, 8-hour workweek, but this is also subject to change.

 

Location

Wrangell, AK

 

Schedule

May 11, 2026 - August 29, 2026

 

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Placements will ensure that visitors have a positive and meaningful experience by providing educational information, managing crowd flow, and preventing negative bear-human interactions. Other duties include collecting visitor and bear data, maintaining the cleanliness of the facilities, removing contained human waste from the deck outhouse and operating a small skiff boat daily. This position requires physical exertion, including walking long distances over wet and rough terrain while occasionally carrying up to 30 lbs, standing for extended periods, and working in adverse weather conditions.

 

Marginal Duties

Other duties include trail and campground maintenance, cleaning toilets, and painting in coordination with other Forest Service departments. Placements will also help by taking photos of bears to expand the bear identification book. For those interested, there may be opportunities to create social media posts or write short articles for the Forest Service public relations team and to answer viewers questions on the Explore.org livestream chat board. Additionally, placements might participate in community outreach and interpretation activities.

 

Required Qualifications

· This is a rifle/shotgun bearing position – therefore, candidates need to be comfortable handling federal firearms and working around both brown and black bears after receiving USFS bear safety training. Selected candidates will be subject to a drug test after hiring.

· Must be comfortable with public speaking in front of large crowds.

· Must be comfortable on boats. Travel to Anan is a 1.5-hour boat ride from Wrangell. At Anan, candidates will be trained to operate a small skiff boat for daily use.

· Able to handle stressful situations while remaining calm and able to prioritize responsibilities.

· Willing and able to represent the Forest Service in a professional and positive manner.

· Able to write legibly.

Please provide a 1-2 page professional resume as an attachment to your SCA application.

 

This SCA Position is authorized under the Public Land Corps Authority. All participants must be between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, or veterans age 35 or younger. Participants must also be a citizen or national of the United States or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States. Hours served can be applied toward the Public Land Corps (PLC) hiring authority.

 

Preferred Qualifications

· Experience interacting with the public or working in a customer service setting.

· Experience working in outdoor settings under adverse weather conditions.

· Strong interpersonal, oral, listening, and written communication skills.

· Experience collecting data.

 

Hours

40 per week

 

Living Accommodations

Participants will spend a portion of their time living remotely in the Anan floathouse, which is a small cabin with 2 bedrooms, a kitchen, and a compost toilet. The remaining time will be spent living in the Forest Service bunkhouse in Wrangell, located adjacent to the ranger station. Both housing situations require sharing a room.

 

Compensation

$450/week living allowance

$1300 one-time roundtrip travel stipend

All allowances are subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes.

 

Personal Vehicle Information

Not needed

 

Additional Benefits

Bear Safety

Defensive Driving Training

First