Summer Field Technician in Western Old-Growth Forests

Overview

The Western Forest Initiative (WFI) seeks 4 field crew members to join our team of graduate students and scientists. These positions involve examining old growth forests for growth, mortality and recruitment, mapping down woody debris, measuring fuels, and surveying seedlings and herbaceous plants. Work begins in the Yosemite Forest Dynamics Plot (Yosemite National Park, California), continues to Wind River Forest Dynamics Plot (Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington), and finishes in the Utah Forest Dynamics Plot (Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah). Two lab trucks will carry gear and any technicians who do not have or do not want to bring a personal vehicle.

 

We provide campground and field station accommodations (camping at Yosemite and Cedar Breaks, field station in Wind River), and we provide work food and all group cooking gear.

 

DURATION: mid May through mid August 2023 

 

For additional information, please visit http://yfdp.org, http://wfdp.org, http://ufdp.org or contact Jim Lutz (james.lutz@usu.edu) and Soren Struckman (soren.struckman@usu.edu)

Responsibilities

Examining old growth forests for growth, mortality and recruitment, mapping down woody debris, measuring fuels, and surveying seedlings and herbaceous plants.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification:

• Knowledge of western flora, tree pathogens, and forest insects
• Valid Utah driver’s license to perform essential job responsibilities, such as driving university vehicles and transporting materials (no recent DUI or reckless driving)

Preferred Qualification:

• Experience with outdoor living
• Experience taking vegetation data
• Experience following complex protocols

Required Documents

Along with the online application, please attach:

Resume to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV”. Please limit resume to one or two pages.

Unofficial transcript(s) to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Documents 1-10”

Contact information for three references. Please include names, phone numbers, and email addresses.

Cover letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your application.  Describe your reasons for applying and specific dates of availability including any planned mid summer absences, or a statement that you plan none. Your stated first available day should be the day you can be in Yosemite National Park.

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Advertised Salary

$17.00 to $19.00 per hour

ADA

Outdoors, incumbents may not be protected from weather conditions and may be exposed to extreme heat and extreme cold. Additionally, indoor or outdoor work environments may include being confined or in narrow spaces for periods of time. The incumbent may also be exposed to loud noises or vibrations from equipment, and conditions that may affect the respiratory system, such as fumes, odors, dusts, mists, gases, and poor ventilation. Bending, crawling, and crouching may be required. Incumbents may be required to lift, push, and/or pull objects up to 50 pounds and be required to walk and/or stand for long periods of time.  

College/Department Highlights

The S. J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources is nationally and internationally recognized for its research, extension, and teaching on natural and socio-environmental ecosystems. It is a high-impact college at Utah State University with almost $11M in research funding annually, 61 tenure-track faculty in three departments, and close partnerships with federal and state natural resource agencies.  

 

The Department of Wildland Resources in QCNR encompasses research in applied terrestrial ecology, including the ecology and management of wildlife, forests, rangelands, conservation biology, and climate change adaptation.  Award-winning faculty teach courses that prepare students for professional careers in many natural resources fields, including programs accredited by the Society of American Foresters and the Society for Range Management and aligned with the Society of Ecological Restoration. 

University Highlights

Utah State University (USU) was founded in 1888 and is Utah’s land-grant and space-grant university. USU is one of only 146 research institutions in the U.S. classified as R1 “very high research activity” by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. As one of the two premier research institutions in Utah, USU provides a high-quality education at an affordable price. With its main campus in Logan, the university serves approximately 27,500 students, including 24,255 undergraduates and 3,1