Wilderness Fuels Module Crew Member

position OVERVIEW
The Sierra Institute for Community and Environment (Sierra Institute), in cooperation with the Lassen Volcanic National Park (LAVO) is hiring five Wilderness Fuels Module crew members to work on an eight person crew performing fuels management in Lassen Volcanic National Park to promote future prescribed and/or managed fire activities in wilderness areas of the park.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work as a team in safely bucking and limbing live and dead trees and constructing fireline using predominantly non-mechanized equipment (crosscut saws, axes, etc.) in undeveloped wilderness areas.
• Fall low-complexity, small diameter trees using non-mechanized equipment.
• Re-arrange fuels, either by piling or lopping and scattering, to facilitate future prescribed fire
• The WFM Crew will also be responsible for mentoring the Sierra Institute’s youth corps, “P-CREW”,  for a portion of the season while they assist with the project
• The crew member will be expected to recognize tree species, defects, and environmental hazards in executing the prescription and cut tree mark, calling attention to unnecessary risks and flagging hazard trees for future removal using mechanized equipment.
• Work with project partners at Lassen Volcanic National Park to implement silvicultural prescriptions.

Required Qualifi cations:

• Minimum of two years’ combined fi eld experience in forest or other natural resource management, this may include but is not limited to biological research, survey work, land conservation, or wildland fi re;
• Formalized training and/or experience bucking trees by mechanized and/or non-mechanized means, and ability to produce relevant certifi cation(s);
• Experience with and interest in utilizing non-mechanized equipment (crosscut saws, axes, etc.) to perform fuels reduction;
• Experience with maintenance of non-mechanized tools;
• Ability to perform physically taxing work in all weather conditions in rugged mountainous environments;
• Knowledgeable and profi cient in backcountry travel;
• An ability to bring adaptability and improvisation, critical thinking skills, creativity, and humor to the workplace;
• Ability to live in a campsite setting for eight days at a time;
• Ability to effectively work with diverse teams or with diverse groups of people;
• Ability to be punctual, diligent, and thorough in their work and support a similarly strong work ethic amongst crew members;
• Interest in, or familiarity with, principles of Wilderness land management;
• Possess a valid, clean, state-issued driver’s license, with an ability to safely operate a 4WD vehicle;
• Full COVID vaccination status (vaccinated and boosted).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Formalized training and/or experience falling trees by mechanized and/or non-mechanized means, and ability to produce relevant certification(s)
• Familiarity with the use and maintenance of crosscut saw. Field based experience in bucking or felling;
• Ability and willingness  to teach others appropriate non-mechanized tool use and maintenance techniques;
• Familiarity with mixed conifer forests and the ability to identify common tree species in the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades or willingness to learn necessary skills;
• Ability to use compasses, topographic maps, and handheld GPS units or tablets to navigate and collect data in the field;
• Current wilderness medical training certification (e.g., WFA, WFR, WEMT);
• Leave No Trace or other backcountry ethics training;
• Certification in S-212 (Federal Wildland Chainsaws).

WORKING CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

This full-time field position will be based in Lassen Volcanic National Park. The crew will implement prescriptions developed by a team of natural resource professionals dedicated to field reduction and reintroduction of fire in the novel landscape of LAVO.

The incumbent will be expected to walk 4-8 miles per day with a field pack, ample water, and tools over rough terrain and in variable weather conditions, which will likely include high temperatures in the summer months and can quickly drop to dramatically colder temperatures in the fall months.
Strenuous and repetitive physical effort will be associated with fuels reduction activities, including the use of a crosscut saw and rearrangement of fuels. Occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds may be required for piling and rearranging large downed wood.

While working, the incumbent will be provided a base camp within Lassen Volcanic National Park.