Recreation Technician

Project Title: Recreation Technician

Project Type: In-person

Duration: 6 months – 24 weeks - Starting in June 2024

Location: White Mountain Ranger Station, Bishop, CA

Housing: Govt housing is available, a housing stipend of up to $1,000 per month will be provided.

Project Background:

The Inyo National Forest (INF) is in California's Eastern Sierra Nevada’s. Home to the oldest living trees on earth, the highest mountain in the lower 48, the rare Greater Sage-Grouse, and endangered Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep. The INF is adjacent to multiple federal land management agencies, including Yosemite, Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Death Valley, Devil's Postpile, Sequoia, Sierra, and Humboldt Toiyabe National Forests.

Mono and Inyo Counties offer wide-open blue skies, mountain lakes and streams, challenging trails, high mountain peaks, and beautiful views. With over 2,000,000 acres of forest service land (1/2 of which is designated wilderness) the Inyo is home to many natural wonders, including Mt. Whitney, Mono Lake, Mammoth Lakes Basin, and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.

The various geologic features combined with elevational extremes produce a wide range of climatic conditions, resulting in the tremendous floristic diversity of the Forest vegetation communities. The diversity of vegetation consists of desert and sagebrush scrub, pinyon-juniper woodland to Jeffrey pine, lodgepole pine, and alpine habitats.

Both Inyo and Mono counties are multiple-use, recreation-oriented resort areas. There is a full range of summer and winter activities, including camping, backpacking, fishing, hunting, hang gliding, skiing and snowboarding, bicycling, off- roading, motorcycling, photography, painting, rock climbing, and horseback riding.

Project Duties:

The incumbent will work with the White Mountain Ranger Station Assistant Recreation Officer and other recreation personnel on the forest. They will assist with and be assigned a variety of complex and recurring technical duties either individually or as a crew member within the unit’s various recreation program areas.

• Contact with public and recreational visitors to provide information, answers questions about recreation opportunities, rules, regulation, and/or information on resource management practices within the district.
• Inspects recreation areas, areas of concentrated public use, and special use permits for compliance with the permit and the management plans, public health, and safety.
• As a crew member, performs routine recreation maintenance and cleanup work including repairing minor damage of recreation facilities; i.e., tables, toilets, buildings, signs, fire pits, trails, etc.
• May assist with collection of campground fees, sales records.
• Sign installation/ replacement.
• Other duties and work may be assigned depending on the recreation program needs; ie. OHV, VIS, Trails, Special Uses.

Fellows will work and communicate with a Hispanic Access Program Associate during their fellowship. Fellows will be expected to participate in scheduled conference calls, webinars, and meetings conducted throughout their term. Fellows will capture photos and/or videos for reporting purposes and submit 3-5 blog posts highlighting their experience and development.

• Fellows will coordinate with the district Assistant Recreation Officer and immediate crew lead to schedule needed time/ days to meet the required participation of their fellowship.

Desired Qualifications:

• Teamwork oriented with clear, direct communication and interpersonal skills. Prior experience working in team setting is preferred.
• Is comfortable working independently outside, in all weather conditions.
• Experience with four-wheel drive vehicles and navigating rough roads.
• Experience or skills with computers, databases, and data entry.
• Familiarity with handheld GPS units, smartphone mapping apps, ArcGIS and ArcGIS Online and Collector Applications to update spatial databases.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Incumbent must be 18yrs of age or older
• US citizenship or permanent residency. Interns must undergo a government background check if selected.
• Possess a valid driver’s license with a clean driving record.
• Pursuing or holding an Undergraduate degree in Natural Resource Management, Parks & Recreation, Forestry or another environmental/conservation related field; OR strong outdoor and hiking skills with a passion for outdoor recreation.
• Ability to interact with the public, user groups, community organizations, and agency staff.
• Ability to quickly develop positive relationships with a wide range of organizations and individuals interested in public lands management.
• Ability to maintain poise and courtesy under pressure while demonstrating professionalism, both in demeanor and appearance.

Stipend + Benefits:

• A biweekly stipend of $1,300 based on a 40-hour work week.
• Monthly housing stipend up to $1,000 per month, Govt. housing (barracks) available.
• Health Insurance Coverage
• Funding may become available to support professional development opportunities that align with role and goals (training, conference, etc.)-up to $2,750.
• Direct Hire Authority/Public Land Corp Eligibility – after completing 960 hours, DHA/PLC status provides special non-competitive hiring status when applying for certain federal positions.

Application:

Hispanic Access Foundation (Hispanic Access) is managing the recruitment for these positions. All applications should be submitted through Hispanic Access' MANO Project application page. A resume and two references will be required for submission. Your application or resume should include professional and educational experience, along with any awards, technical skills or volunteer activities. Application questions or issues may be directed to Carina Chavez at carina@hispanicaccess.org.

Applications for this position are due on Sunday, April 28th, 2024 11:59 pm.

Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement:

Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and/or hiring process should contact Hispanic Access Foundation directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Org Mission:

To sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

Hispanic Access Foundation Mission:

Hispanic Access Foundation (Hispanic Access) is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization that connects Latinos and People of Color to partners and opportunities improving lives and creating an equitable society. Hispanic Access’s vision is that all Hispanics throughout the U.S. enjoy good physical health, a healthy natural environment, a quality education, economic success and civic engagement in their communities with the sum improving the future of America.