Wildfire Planning and Forestry Internship

About Rincon 
We are proud to be a Certified Great Place to Work, reflecting the trust, connection, and sense of purpose our team members share. We strive to create a welcoming environment where people can learn, grow, and contribute to meaningful, mission-driven work. 

We are a California-based environmental consulting firm with more than 500 professionals and 13 offices across the state. For over 30 years, we’ve provided high-quality, client-focused environmental science, planning, and consulting services across a range of sectors, including transportation, energy, water, infrastructure, private development, and government. 

Schedule & Location 
This internship is anticipated to run for approximately three months, from June through August. While the internship does not guarantee future employment, candidates who have completed an undergraduate degree may be considered for full-time, regular employment at the conclusion of the internship based on business needs, performance, and mutual interest.  

This position will be part-time (approximately 30–40 hours per week), with weekly schedules determined collaboratively between Rincon and the selected candidate. Hours may vary based on project needs and intern availability. 

This position is being offered at our San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, or Los Angeles offices. While this role offers flexible work arrangements that may include a mix of in-office and remote work, changing business needs ultimately determine the level of remote-work flexibility.  

About the Role 
As a Wildfire Planning and Forestry Intern, you will support projects that advance wildfire resilience, vegetation management, urban forestry and arboriculture considerations related to wildfire risk reduction across California. You will gain hands-on experience assisting with wildfire planning and forestry documents (e.g., CWPPs, risk assessments, Urban Forest Management Plans), supporting community engagement, and contributing to data-driven analyses alongside Rincon’s Environmental Planning and Sustainability team. Most work will be conducted for public sector clients, including cities, counties, fire agencies, and other partners. This role is ideal for students interested in applying forestry, fire science, arboriculture, planning, and policy to real-world challenges and helping communities better prepare for and adapt to increasing wildfire risk. 

Responsibilities 

• Assist with preparing wildfire planning documents such as Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs), wildfire risk assessments, Urban Forest Management Plans and related plans through research, technical analysis, and writing for public audiences. 
• Support wildfire risk and vulnerability assessments, including evaluating factors such as vegetation/fuels, topography, weather patterns, canopy structure and tree distribution, and exposure of people and assets. 
• Assist with data collection, GIS analysis, and canopy cover or tree inventory data, interpretation of datasets (e.g., CAL FIRE FHSZ maps, vegetation data,  fire history) to inform planning efforts. 
• Contribute to defensible space, home hardening, and vegetation management strategy development including tree canopy management considerations that aligns with local and state requirements. 
• Prepare research summaries, maps, data visualizations, and planning materials for public-facing communication using tools such as GIS, DataWrapper, and Canva. 
• Assist with community engagement materials, including social media content, flyers, workshop materials, and in-person or virtual meetings focused on wildfire preparedness. 
• Prepare drafts of technical memoranda, meeting notes, presentations, and other written deliverables. 
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (planners, GIS analysts, foresters, fire professionals) and represent Rincon professionally in all assignments. 

What You’ll Bring 

• Current status as an incoming college senior, graduate student, or recent graduate who has completed an undergraduate or graduate degree within the past two years in Forestry, Fire Science, Environmental Planning, Arboriculture, Natural Resources, or a related field. 
• ​​​​​​​Interest in wildfire resilience, land management, and community risk reduction, including urban forestry