BLM Ecological Monitoring Crew Leads

Start Date: 03/31/2025

End Date: 10/25/2025

Program Overview:
Crew Leaders will lead a crew of 2 interns to help collect soil and vegetation data for the BLM. The crew will visit randomized points across range and forested lands and follow specific monitoring protocols using the BLM Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) methodology. More information on the BLM’s AIM Strategy can be found at: https://www.blm.gov/aim 

Typically each crew samples a minimum of 50 plots during the field season. At each plot, the crew will collect data using the following AIM Core Methods: Line-Point Intercept, Species Richness, Gap and Soil Stability measurements. Additionally, plot characteristics will be recorded on plot, which includes digging a 70 cm soil pit and texturing all the layers to identify soil type. Data is entered electronically at the plot using Esri’s Collector and Survey 123 apps on a tablet.

Data collected using the AIM Core Methods is used locally to renew grazing permits, assess sage grouse habitat, inform new oil and gas leases, and aid in writing Environmental Assessments for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). At the national level, AIM data is used for a broad suite of scientific research, which includes creating remote sensing products and monitoring trends in land health across BLMlands.

Service will be completed in remote areas on BLM lands. The crew leader will be required to drive long distances, often on rough roads, in the field office and district. Crews will usually serve a four day weekfor ten hours a day. Crews will often camp overnight, hike several miles a day, and return to the office every Thursday to maintain equipment and manage data. Applicants should be aware that there are multiple partnerships between organizations involved in their employment. While applicants are hired and paid through RMYC, the office and field work takes place on Bureau of Land Management property. Because of this, the selected applicant is required to pass background checks for both organizations, and take government specific training to access government buildings and computer networks.

General Duties:

• Promote individual corps member development and a safe, healthy, cohesive, other-centered and team-oriented community.
• Drive safely on rough 4WD roads and on major highways
• Navigate to plots using quad maps, GPS units, and the Esri Collector app
• Coordinate with BLM Range Management Specialists and private landowners to secure access to plots
• Collect data using AIM Core Methods (visit: http://aim.landscapetoolbox.org/) in Survey 123
• Lead crew in plant identification at each plot and in the office by using dichotomous keys
• Press and document unknown plant species to be identified during office hours
• Dig holes to adepth of 70 cm and record soil layers, textures, effervescence and color hues
• Carefully record data and meticulously perform data checks throughout the season
• Quality checking the entire data set for errors
• Calibrate on data collection with the crew once a month or each time a new ecosystem is visited
• Hike long distances across uneven terrain with a heavy pack, often in uncomfortable environmental conditions (hot or cold weather, insects, steep slopes, etc.)
• Endure long periods of standing, bending, crouching, or stooping
• Perform regular office duties that includes entering data and preparing materials for the field
• Ensure crew safety following BLM and RMYC protocol
• Take required BLM trainings that includes topics such as cybersecurity, sexual harassment, and defensive driving
• Follow and enforce all policies, maintain professional boundaries, and appropriately represent the program
• Monitor, manage, and promote the holistic health of the crew, including physical and emotional safety
• Track and submit credit card receipts for all expenses every week

General Qualifications:

• College graduate with a degree in ecology, botany, range science, soil science, wildlife biology, environmental science, natural resource management, conservation biology, or a related field
• Leadership experience in a field setting through school or work
• Aptitude for making decisions and staying on task in both field and office settings
• Consistently exercise discretion and judgment
• Ability to analyze, interpret, or make deductions for varying data sets
• Familiarity with one or more Esri products, such as ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro, ArcPad, Collector, Survey 123, and ArcGIS Online ● Experience with plant identification and taxonomy with ability to teach others how to use dichotomous keys
• Excellent judgment in assessing physical, mental, and emotional risk while effectively working in and around adverse conditions, including extreme heat, sun exposure, monsoonal rains, and hazardous wildlife (i.e., rattlesnakes, scorpions, biting/stinging insects, cattle, and horses).
• Skilled at communicating and staying calm during tedious tasks while working in challenging environments, that includes keeping a close working relationship with the crew
• Eagerness to serve as a mentor and teach crew members about field work, soils and plant identification
• Comfortable with driving trucks on 4WD roads in unpredictable conditions * Experience with leadership, field data collection methods, soils texturing, and plant taxonomy are the key skills needed to be a successful applicant for this position, so please make sure to mention how your experience matches these requirements in your application materials.

Benefits:

• Health and dental Insurance-100% employer-paid
• Paid sick time
• Up to $140/week housing stipend
• Up to $72/week food stipend Boot reimbursement up to $200
• Up to a$300reimbursement towards a Wilderness First Aid certification
• Public Land Corps Hiring Authority upon completion of 640 hours on public lands.