Be a volunteer Wilderness Ranger!

[Ken M]

For some, it may be the opportunity to learn a forest like no one else, for others it may be a bucket list item. For everyone, it is an unforgettable experience.

=================================
U. S. Forest Service

WILDERNESS VOLUNTEER RANGER

OPPORTUNITIES
on the
SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST
in California

in partnership with the High Sierra Volunteer Trail Crew


“...in Wildness is the preservation of the World.” – Thoreau


John Muir...Bob Marshall...Aldo Leopold...Arthur Carhart...Howard Zahniser...names that inspire awe and gratitude for their lifelong dedication to protecting America’s great Wilderness. The Sierra National Forest is seeking wilderness volunteer rangers to carry on their passion and enthusiasm for protecting and preserving our Wilderness areas. Come spend the summer working in the spectacular and awe-inspiring high Sierras. Rangers will experience the John Muir and Ansel Adams Wilderness Areas, as well as the lesser-known Dinkey Lakes, Kaiser and Monarch Wilderness Areas. Interested? Please read on to find out more about what could become the summer experience of a lifetime!

Weekender Wilderness Volunteer Ranger Program



Position Summary

The Weekender Wilderness Volunteer Ranger will be an integral member of the wilderness team on the Sierra National Forest’s spectacular High Sierra Ranger District. The ranger will be expected to take on most or all of the duties of a full-time wilderness ranger, but on a part-time, intermittent basis. The ranger will primarily be working with a full-time wilderness ranger, but may be required to work alone or with volunteer groups from time to time. No salary is provided for this position.

This is designed for working people, who may only have weekends available for volunteering on the forest. The commitment is for a minimum of 8 days of work during the coming summer season. The participants will wear a USDA Forest Service shirt on duty.

The participants will have opportunities to join longer backcountry tours, and interact with various Forest Service managers and decision makers in the course of their work. They will experience the “behind the scenes” activities of the Forest Service.

The scheduling of the individual volunteer will be arranged by that volunteer as their time/schedule permits, and will be at their discretion. The only mandatory attendance will be very few training/orientation days for the group as a whole.

Effective Dates
30 May 2013 until approximately 30 September 2013. The position may end earlier to accommodate volunteer schedule or needs, or weather. The scheduling of the individual volunteer will be arranged by that volunteer as their time/schedule permits.

Job Location

The High Sierra Ranger District of Sierra National Forest is located primarily in Fresno County, California. The district encompasses approximately 940,000 acres, including just under 500,000 acres of designated wilderness. The wilderness areas which fall completely or partially on the district include the John Muir Wilderness, Ansel Adams Wilderness, Dinkey Lakes Wilderness, Kaiser Wilderness and Monarch Wilderness. Elevations of these wilderness areas range from approximately 3300 feet on the San Joaquin River to 13986 feet at Mount Humphreys, with the vast majority of designated wilderness land lying above 7000 feet. This spectacular landscape is a mix of granite peaks and valleys, alpine lakes, alpine meadows and mixed conifer forest.

The ranger district office is located in Prather, California. Three work centers, the High Sierra Work Center, the Jackass Administrative Site and the Wishon Work Center, frequently serve as base stations for wilderness rangers. All three work centers are remotely located. The town of Prather, where a grocery store is available, is approximately 2 hours from each work center. The city of Fresno is located approximately 2.5 hours from each work center and provides a full range of commercial and emergency services.

Responsibilities

The wilderness volunteer ranger may include:
Implements the logistics required for completion of wilderness projects associated with trail maintenance and reconstruction. Performs trail log, condition, and prescription surveys. Performs maintenance at dispersed recreation sites including site cleanup and naturalizing.
Interacts with public in wilderness, providing education and information. Checks wilderness permits. Informs wilderness visitors of rules and regulations.
Explains use regulations according to the Wilderness Act. Inspects wilderness areas to determine compliance with regulations or specifications. Patrols wilderness to ensure that areas are operated, used, and maintained in accordance with wilderness management plans. Provides detailed historical and cultural information about wilderness areas to visitors and recreational user groups; explains rules and regulations. Uses education as the primary method of disseminating wilderness rules and regulations to the public.

This is NOT a rule-enforcement or law enforcement position, but rather a position that interacts with the public in a positive fashion to enhance understanding of wilderness.

Organizes and establishes low impact base camps. Performs inventorying and monitoring of specific resources for Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) process.
Inventories and restores campsites in wilderness areas.
Inventories and installs signs in wilderness.
Collects evidence and provides documentation for cases of misuse of wilderness areas. Documents destruction to or impacts on campsites. May be responsible for maintenance and care of assigned pack and saddle stock, and for the operation and maintenance of specialized equipment used in transporting livestock.
Manages collected data in digital format, including the input of data into databases and editing of digital photographs.
May backpack for up to 9 days with a backpack of 50 pounds or more, including tools associated with wilderness ranger duties.

Qualifications

The wilderness volunteer ranger must be able to backpack for multiple days. The ranger should expect to carry up to a 50+ pound backpack and tools associated with duties (e.g. shovel, saw, etc.). The ranger must be experienced in backpacking and wilderness travel.
The wilderness volunteer ranger must be familiar with the Wilderness Act, wilderness ethics, and Leave No Trace principles.
The wilderness volunteer ranger must have good communication skills, as interaction with wilderness visitors will be a primary responsibility.
The wilderness volunteer ranger should be familiar basic computer applications. Additional computer experience with ArcGIS, Microsoft Access, TOPO! and photo editing software is desirable but not required.

Compensation

There is no compensation for the work hours and one must provide their own food.
Transportation
Government vehicles will be provided for all work-related activities. If personal vehicles are used for any work-related activities, compensation will be at the rate of 44.5 cents per mile.

Stock

Volunteer rangers may be required to work with stock during the summer. Rangers who are inexperienced with stock will be taught the basics of riding and handling stock if stock use is required.

Equipment

All work-related equipment will be provided, such as shovels, crosscut saws, GPS devices, cameras, etc. Rangers may use a limited selection of Forest Service backpacking equipment, but are encouraged to provide their own backpacking equipment. Bear canisters may be required for some trips, and will be provided by the Forest Service if required. Vehicles for work-related duties will be provided by the Forest Service.

Training

The ranger will be provided with all required training, including government driver’s permit training, prevention of sexual harassment training, civil rights training, crosscut saw training, campsite inventory and rehabilitation training and database management training, should any of the above training be needed. Additional training should be expected, such as wilderness management training, stock training and leave no trace training.

Documentation of Work

The volunteer ranger will be required to document work-related activities and present the documentation on a monthly basis to Dr. Ken Murray, Wilderness Volunteer Ranger Program Coordinator. Specific dates and times of reporting will be worked out through Dr. Murray.

Application

A detailed cover letter and resume should be submitted ASAP to Dr. Murray at:


kmurray@dr.com

Application (cont.)
Resumes need not be limited to one or two pages. Resumes should include:
1 Contact information
2 Education
3 Work history, including description of work accomplished and supervisor contact information (if appropriate)
4 Wilderness travel experience, including trips locations and dates
5 Wilderness ranger-related skills
6 Performance awards
7 References
8 Cover letter including why applicant is interested in this position

For additional questions or information, please contact Dr. Ken Murray at kmurray@dr.com

For general information on the Sierra National Forest, please visit our website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sierra.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. For more information on the John Muir, Ansel Adams, Dinkey Lakes, Kaiser and Monarch Wilderness Areas, please visit http://www.sierranevadawild.gov" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or http://www.wilderness.net" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. For additional information on the High Sierra Volunteer Trail Crew, please visit http://www.trailcrew.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

[SweetSierra]

Thanks for coming here and posting this. This is a good place to perhaps find the volunteers you're looking for. And being a volunteer is something someone can add to their resume experience, not to mention the joy of doing something you love.

[rlown]

why do i doubt this thread? I know they like volunteers, but how do we know this is valid?

[BrianF]

looks to be taken verbatim from the Sierra Nat'l forest website in the volunteering section, so I would say legit, and a great opportunity for someone with the time and energy

[rlown]

that's all well and good, but why wouldn't i just submit my resume there? rather than sending it to a weird email addr?

[AlmostThere]

Ken is a member of my hiking group and affiliated with the High Sierra Trail Crew. While I've not spent tons of time with him in person I know he's a Real Person and posting real information.

[rlown]

then i stand corrected. Thats all i was looking for. Thanks AT.

[Ken M]

Hi, all.

A response I'd not anticipated.

In this new world of the internet, one of the things is "getting the word out", so that people actually know about opportunities.

Submit to the SNF website if you desire, it all ends up in the same place.

BTW, I've participated in this program 3 times, and found it to be amazing.

Ken

<waving to Almost There!>

[RoguePhotonic]

Good to see you on High Sierra Topix Ken! One of these days we will see each other again on a project.

[rlown]

No disrespect intended, Ken. Glad to have you onboard here and getting the word out.

If I had spare time, I'd do it in a second.

Russ