Crews may be assigned to a variety of projects throughout the season. Project work may include improving and restoring critical wildlife habitat, select thinning of timber stands, construction and maintenance of public hiking trails, and fire fuels reduction. Other restoration efforts may include fence installation or removal, cleanup of illegal dumping sites, and unauthorized motorized route decommissioning. Crew members will be responsible for self-transport to and from their assigned Field Station, but once there, Crew Leaders will provide transportation to project sites in program vehicles. Campsites are often in remote places that do not have running water or developed facilities. While on tour, you will camp at the project site, sharing in campsite responsibilities, cooking meals with fellow crew members, and participating in group discussions and learning activities around the campfire. This shared responsibility and crew bonding is an important part of NCC member development strategy, and has contributed not only to the success of the program, but also to the formation of friendships and a passion for conservation work that last long after members finish their service.
Service Activities
Primary (Essential) Responsibilities:
Depending upon project selection members may have a combination of the following primary responsibilities:
• Utilize hand tools or other necessary equipment to perform trail construction and maintenance on identified project sites;
• Utilize chainsaw, hand saws, and loppers to perform hazardous fuels reduction & habitat restoration.
• Perform tasks associated with Exotic & invasive species removal, native plantings, and riparian restoration
• Using hand tools to perform tasks associated with illegal road decommissioning, fence/barrier construction or decommissioning
• Adhere to all AmeriCorps, NCC, and agency sponsor policies while on project sites or at camp locations
• Maintaining a positive and professional attitude at all times while providing service.
• Communicating effectively with crew members, crew leaders, NCC staff and agency project staff.
• Complying with both production and quality work standards established by NCC
administration, crew supervisors and project partners.
• Contributing to basic duties at the campsite including cooking, cleaning and organizing crew equipment.
• Show respect when interacting with other members, leaders, staff, project sponsors and community members.
• Participating in in-field education sessions.
Community Need Addressed
Forest Fuels Reduction & Habitat Enhancement-
To help reduce fuels and fire hazards and to create defensible space in the wildland-urban interface, regional land managers have conducted thinning-piling-burning treatments that have effectively demonstrated the value and need of addressing forest conditions through varied fuels reduction strategies. Comparative field trials have provided resource managers with the definitive evidence and specific scientific information needed to determine which fuel treatment methods will be the most successful at reducing fuels and mitigating wildfire severity on species habitat. There also exists a rich body of evidence that supports the success of extensive fuel treatments in riparian areas, key habitat for sage-grouse reproduction. Research indicates fuel treatments favorably affect fire behavior, vegetation, water, and overall diversity within the riparian areas. Corps members will reduce fuels through varied prescriptions, thereby improving forest health and lessening fire risk.
Native Plant Re-vegetation & Exotic Plant Abatement-
As the number, size, and severity of wildfires escalate across the western U.S., so does the need for post-fire rehabilitation efforts. With the increase in post-fire restoration, researchers examined and quantified the effectiveness and ecological effects of these treatments. Corps members will arrest exotic plant species succession and re-vegetate Sage-grouse habitat using treatment methods that include broadcast seeding, weed abatement, and re-vegetation with bare root plant stock, resulting in healthy ecosystem resilience and improved watershed functionality.
Trail construction, restoration, re-designation, and maintenance-
New conservation prescriptions in land use and resource management plans have been introduced in order to conserve sage-grouse. As effective means to enforce such regulations, the closure and re-designation of motorized trail systems is now considered necessary to support species recovery and protection. The restriction of access to the proximity of key habitat effectively supports conservation goals and objectives related to watershed protection and erosion control limits. Corps members will support the signing, decommissioning, and restoration closures of illegal trails and travel routes to obtain the desired outcome of increased protection of Sage-grouse habitat and the enforcement of conservation land use.
Position Outcomes
Crew members will work in teams to accomplish goals related to miles of recreation trails construction, maintenance, and restoration as well as acres of Sage-grouse habitat treated, hazardous fuels reduced, invasive species removed, and land improved.
Benefits
Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Living allowance, Student loan forbearance, Training
Skills you will gain
While serving with NCC crew members will gain skills in the following:
• Chainsaw Training
• Trail Construction & Maintenance training
• Ecological Restoration
• Stream/Riparian Restoration
• Fence construction
• Off-Road driver training/4x4 training
• GPS Waypoint & Tracks training
• Native/Invasive Flora/Fauna Identification
• Leave No Trace training
• Low impact camping/Backcountry camping
• First Aid/CPR
• In-Field Training provided by project partners
• In-Field Education Modules
• Friday Training Sessions
• USA Jobs workshop/Resume Writing workshops
• Performance/Career counselling
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Capable of generating possible solutions, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel
Teamwork
Derive consensus, Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Establish a high degree of trust and credibility with others, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Stay positive and outcome oriented, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Accepts responsibility, Anticipate the consequences of decisions, Quickly respond with a back-up plan if a decision goes amiss
Tools
Carefully consider which tools or technological solutions are appropriate for a given job, Consistently choose the best tool or technological solution for the problem at hand, Operate tools and equipment in accordance with established operating procedures, safety standards, and ethical guidelines, Seek opportunities to improve knowledge of tools and technologies that may assist in streamlining work and improving productivity
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create environment of contribution, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Provide personalized, prompt, and efficient service to meet the requirements, requests and needs of customers, Understand and anticipate the needs of others, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization, Understand the significance of maintaining a healthful and safe environment