CSFS Forest Legacy Program Intern

Colorado State University•Denver, CO

43d•Onsite

About The Position

The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) is a service and outreach agency of the Warner College of Natural Resources (WCNR). The CSFS provides technical forestry assistance, wildfire mitigation expertise, and outreach and education to help landowners and communities achieve their forest management goals. Our mission is to achieve stewardship of Colorado's diverse forest environments for the benefit of present and future generations. The Colorado State Forest Service partnered with the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University (CSU) in 2018 to develop the CSFS Internship Program that offers paid summer internships to undergraduate students. Intern positions provide students with in-depth learning and work experiences in natural resources. Internships include a 15-85% split between training for the student and hourly work for the CSFS, as defined below under "Duties and Responsibilities". Student interns prepare 2 written documents throughout their internship period to advance professional writing skills and encourage self-reflection. They also receive one-on-one mentoring and evaluations from their CSFS supervisor(s). A small professional development stipend will be made available to support costs/fees associated with trainings, workshops, conferences, and other applicable opportunities during the internship period. A housing stipend will be offered to interns to mitigate the cost of living in Colorado. The position title of this internship is CSFS Forest Legacy Program Internship. This intern will be based out of the CSU SPUR Campus (Denver, CO) in the CSFS Northeast Area and is directly supervised by Katie Rose Levin (Forest Legacy Program Specialist). The Forest Legacy Program (FLP) conserves environmentally, economically and socially important forests through land acquisition or the establishment of conservation easements. FLP also maintains GIS databases of participating properties, and performs annual inspections to ensure successful forest management. The intern will be involved in a range of tasks and projects associated with the summer monitoring season, including working in ArcGIS Pro to digitize management areas and infrastructure, perform on the ground verification of maps, visit sites to inspect forest management, and other tasks as assigned. We are seeking student interns who are professional, self-directed, innovative, and energetic. Of special interest are applicants that demonstrate a capacity to learn new skills, think critically, and serve as effective team members.

Requirements

Undergraduate student pursuing a degree at a Colorado institution of higher education. Students can be any year or major.
Students graduating in the spring of 2026 or later are eligible for an internship in the summer of 2026.
Good academic standing with undergraduate institution (GPA > 2.0).
Demonstrated career interest in GIS, forestry or natural resource fields.
Must have a valid driver's license, the ability to obtain a driver's license, or access to a licensed driver by the employment start date.
Experience working as an effective team member and clear communicator.
Exhibits a positive attitude and willingness to learn.
Ability to provide suitable work gear, including sturdy hiking boots, rain gear, sleeping bag, and other personal items related to camping and hiking.
Ability to walk long distances (over 6 miles a day) over rough terrain at high elevation carrying packs and equipment
Ability and willingness to travel throughout Colorado for 1-4 day-long trips, potentially requiring stays in hotels. Approved lodging and per diem expenses are covered (see GSA CONUS rates for Colorado).

Nice To Haves

Pursuing a forestry or natural resource-related major, preferably with a GIS component
Good written and oral communications.
Field experience and/or exposure to forestry and natural resources management.
Experience using forestry equipment (diameter tape, loggers tape, GPS, increment borer, etc.).
Experience identifying trees, grasses, forbs, and shrubs in the western U.S.
Experience navigating with maps, compass, and GPS units.

Responsibilities

Data digitization and management: Intern will work collaboratively with supervisor using ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS online to translate paper maps, deeds and aerial photographs into digital layers. Intern will then help field verify the digital layers on various FLP properties across the state
Intern will analyze maps and layers to ensure compliance with FLP documents
FLP compliance and management: Intern will travel to sites to ensure compliance with annual forest management plans and conservation easements
Intern will help promote FLP projects and work with various groups on translating materials to new and important audiences
Interaction with landowners and other CSFS employees: Intern will travel all over the state and may be required to meet with various group collaboratives, private landowners and other CSFS employees to guide them through the monitoring process. In addition to their supervisor, interns may be asked to engage with others as part of monitoring and verification while in the field, and may need to contact landowners to gain access to certain properties.
Travel: This position will require extended travel, usually 6 weeks of the internship. Hotel rooms, campsites and meals will be paid for during travel. Interns will return to CSU SPUR by the end of each week
Further we may switch to car camping for certain projects, especially if there are no reasonably-priced hotels close to our work sites. This will be dependent on projects selected for monitoring, but camping is something that we may do occasionally throughout the summer. There may be one trip which requires backpacking into a site.
Training opportunities may include but are not limited to: First Aid/CPR Certification
Work with supervisor(s) to prepare a summer work plan, set goals and learning objectives, and evaluate progress.
Complete two professional writing assignments throughout the summer.
Attend a mandatory 1.5-day orientation session on Monday, May 18, and Tuesday, May 19, 2026 either in person at the CSFS State Office on the Foothills Campus in Fort Collins, CO or virtually. There may also be optional First Aid/CPR courses offered that week regionally.
Hourly internship duties will occur from May 26, 2026 through August 14, 2026.

Benefits

Housing stipends up to $1,500 are available for each student to support costs associated with rent and utilities for the duration of the internship.
Small professional development stipends are available for each student to help with costs associated with conferences, workshops, trainings, etc.

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