Term: May - October 2024
*Start and end dates are subject to change based on weather and site accessibility*
Wage Range: $24 - $26 per hour commensurate with experience
Benefits: Sick leave, Holiday leave, Wildfire Mitigation leave
Training: Crosscut Felling, Wilderness First Aid, S-212 Basic Saw Training
Position Overview
The Sierra Institute for Community and Environment (Sierra Institute), in cooperation with the Lassen Volcanic National Park (LAVO) is hiring one Wilderness Fuels Module (WFM) Crew Leader to lead an eight person crew performing fuels management in LAVO to promote future prescribed and/or managed fire activities in wilderness areas of the park. The WFM Crew Leader, under the direction of Sierra Institute support staff and LAVO specialists, will be responsible for leading the WFM crew in safely falling, bucking, and limbing live and dead trees and constructing fireline using predominantly non-mechanized equipment (e.g., crosscut saws, axes, etc.) in undeveloped wilderness areas. Mechanical thinning (chainsaws) may be used for project implementation in non-wilderness areas. Fuels are rearranged, either by piling or lopping and scattering depending upon fuel loading, to facilitate future prescribed fire. The WFM Crew will also be responsible for mentoring Sierra Institutes youth corps ,“P-CREW”, for a portion of the season while they assist with the project. The crew may also assist as necessary with other activities to advance landscape restoration in the region.
The WFM Crew Leader will advance their knowledge of Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forest ecosystems, wilderness management, collaborative forest management processes, and crew management and leadership. They will work with project supervisors to implement and adapt silvicultural prescriptions and/or remove fuels based on designated cut trees, depending upon the complexity of the location. The crew leader 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. The Crew Leader will help plan crew work and assess progress towards objectives, manage crew safety, and assist with training crew members. Crew Leaders and Crew Members will receive project-specific training on tree-species identification, crosscut felling, prescription implementation, and wilderness management.
In all work, the crew is expected to uphold the ethics of Wilderness land management, working to minimize the visual and ecological impacts of human intervention and practicing Leave No Trace principles. Training will be provided to inform decision making in the wilderness in line with the 1964 Wilderness Act and for adherence to minimum visual retention standards in the USFS Scenery Management System.
The majority of project work will occur adjacent to and within the northern area of the National Park near Manzanita Lake. The project area lies within the heart of the beautiful, rugged, and diverse landscape of northern California's headwaters. A small portion of project work may be within the boundary of the recent Dixie Fire (2021) and Crew objectives will support several projects in various stages of implementation. Manzanita Lake, known for its views of Lassen Peak reflected in its crystal clear water, and the area around it remain unburned. . The crew will also spend time conducting fuel management in the wilderness areas around Juniper Lake. This area did suffer from mid to high severity burning during the Dixie Fire. This is an opportunity to deploy a niche skill set, non-mechanical hand treatments, in order to advance post-fire recovery in burned areas and promote fire resilience in unburned areas.
The Crew Leader must be organized, open to learning, possess the ability to motivate and supervise a crew, and be willing to work hard in a physically demanding role. This position requires hiking while carrying a heavy pack and paint and mitigating known and unforeseen hazards that may include smoke, heat, and strong wind. This crew will utilize a 8-6 work schedule consisting of eight 10-hour days followed by six days off.
This is a unique opportunity to contribute to fuels reduction activities within a designated Wilderness area in a National Park. Those with an interest in Wilderness land management, active management of forested landscapes for ecosystem resilience, and/or the use of fire as a tool to promote ecosystem health, are encouraged to apply. Crew leaders must possess a full COVID-19 vaccination status (vaccinated and boosted).