Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) across California serve as local hubs for conservation, connecting people with the technical, financial, and educational assistance they need to conserve and manage natural resources. RCDs help landowners, land managers, government agencies, and others to voluntarily protect, restore, and enhance natural resources on private and public lands. A defining characteristic of RCDs is that our assistance is generally non-regulatory, confidential, and free.
The RCD of Santa Cruz County seeks a full-time Program Assistant (PA) or Program Specialist (PS), depending on qualifications and experience, to join our expanding Forest Health and Wildfire Resiliency Program and our dynamic team of conservation professionals. The PA/PS will work closely with RCD staff and partners to lead and support forest health and wildfire resiliency projects throughout Santa Cruz County, providing technical assistance and planning and implementation services for large and small-scale projects to facilitate fire resiliency, fire prevention/preparedness, and improved watershed function.
A key focus of this position will be community resilience and wildfire preparedness. In addition to supporting forest health and fuels reduction projects, the Program Assistant/Program Specialist will play a central role in delivering community-based wildfire preparedness programs. This includes coordinating the RCD’s residential chipping program, supporting cost-share and defensible space programs, and assisting with countywide wildfire planning and coordination efforts in partnership with local agencies and organizations. The PA/PS will work closely with partners including CAL FIRE, State Parks, tribes, neighboring RCDs, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Fire Safe Councils, the County Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience, and public and private landowners and land managers. The work environment is fast paced, collaborative, and creative.