Ecological Restoration Technician (NPS, Lava Beds National Monument)

Job Details

Job Location: Tulelake, CAPosition Type: SeasonalSalary Range: $19.25 - $19.25 HourlyJob Category: Ecological Restoration

The Research Associate Program at GBI, in cooperation with NPS at Lava Beds National Monument (LABE), is recruiting two (2) Ecological Restoration Technicians to participate in Burned Area Restoration activities to improve the health of the native sagebrush steppe ecosystem in Lava Beds National Monument, including invasive species monitoring and management, vegetation/ecological monitoring, native plant propagation & nursery maintenance, and native plant seed collection.

This field-based position will assist with ongoing Burned Area Restoration efforts to promote Lava Beds’ native sagebrush steppe plant communities and suppress invasive species following the Caldwell & Antelope wildfires which occurred in 2020 & 2021 respectively. These high-severity fires burned over 95% of Lava Beds NM, denuding large portions of the landscape and resulting in drastic decreases in native plant populations such as Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) shrubs and a large increase in the presence of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), a highly invasive annual grass.

Work for this project contributes to a multi-year restoration plan which includes: invasive plant monitoring and targeted treatment; establishment and monitoring of post-fire revegetation plots; restoration of LABE’s native plant nursery facilities to support staging and salvage operations for native plants; planting and seeding native bunchgrasses, shrubs, annual grasses, and forbs to enhance ecological resiliency; and related field-based vegetation restoration tasks including basic data processing and organization. Work will take place under the supervision of the park’s Ecological Restoration Lead, who will work closely with the selected candidates to advance the monument’s restoration goals.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Assist with invasive plant management in burned areas, including manual removal and targeted chemical treatments under the direction of the Restoration Lead;
• Plant and/or seed native annual and perennial plant species to restore burned areas;
• Collect post-fire revegetation survey plot data including species diversity, percent cover, and other indicators of ecological health following established SOP, using mobile devices and/or paper datasheets;
• Assist with native plant seed collection and processing for use in revegetation efforts;
• Contribute to the renovation, maintenance, and operation of the park’s native plant nursery; and
• Collect, enter, and validate spatial and tabular data related to native plant restoration efforts using platforms including ArcGIS Pro, Survey123, Field Maps, and Microsoft Office suite.

 

Timeline:

• April 2026 – October 2026, 24 weeks; Mid-April start preferred, but start date is flexible;
• Full time (40 hours/week); and
• Schedule: Monday-Thursday 7am-5:30pm; 10 hours/day.

 

Location:

Lava Beds is a national monument situated in far northeastern California encompassing about 45,000 acres on the northern flank of the Medicine Lake shield volcano. The monument is home to over 800 lava tube caves, in addition to being the site of the 1872-1873 Modoc War. The park ranges from about 4,000ft elevation on the north end to 5,500 in the south, and ecologically is located at the nexus of the southern Cascades, northern Sierra Nevada, and western Great Basin. Native vegetation consists of a mix of sagebrush and bunchgrass steppe, juniper woodlands, and ponderosa forests. Lava Beds experienced 2 wildfires in 2020 and 2021 that burned 97% of the park and consequently the landscape is now dominated by invasive cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and tumble mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum) across much of the park. Winter weather typically sees highs in the 30s and lows in the 10s, while summers are hot with max temps around 90 degrees. The park’s desert environment means snow and rain are infrequent, though not uncommon from October-May. 

The nearest established community is Klamath Falls, OR, which is a 1 hour drive each way from park headquarters. Klamath Falls has a population of 45,000 and is home to grocery stores, restaurants, medical facilities, etc. There are also 2 small towns of about 1,000 (Merrill, OR and Tulelake, CA) within a 30-minute drive of park headquarters, each of which has a small grocery