CSFS Salida Field Office Intern

Colorado State University•Salida, CA

39d•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. There may be dorm-style housing available through Colorado Firecamp that is significantly cheaper than other options. The position title of this internship is CSFS Salida Field Office Internship. This intern will be based out of the Salida Field Office (Salida, CO) in the CSFS Southwest Area and is directly supervised by Kellie Solis (Forester). The Salida Field Office is one of 18 field offices of the CSFS, and serves Lake and Chaffee counties. The CSFS office in Leadville is a satellite office of the Salida Field Office. This office is staffed by three Foresters, two Lead Foresters, a Supervisory Forester, a Seasonal Forester, an Accounting Technician, and the Southwest Area Manager. 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 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 and willingness to travel throughout Colorado for 1-3 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.
Good written and oral communications.
Field experience and/or exposure to forestry and natural resources management.
Ability to (or willingness to learn how to) operate 4-wheel drive vehicles, manual transmission vehicles, and UTVs/ATVs in variable weather and road conditions.
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

Complete planning steps for the RCPP program, including: o Attend initial site visits with private landowners to gauge their interest and offer treatment options. o Develop maps in ArcPro for the inventory. o Collect inventory data using tools such as a compass, laser range finder, tablet, diameter tape, clinometer, increment borer, and calipers. o Data acquisition and management in Excel, Access and FVS (Forest Vegetation Simulator). o Write a forest management plan using the condensed RCPP template. o Paint trees for removal where necessary (i.e. ponderosa pine stand). o Lay out unit boundaries for harvest.
Attend weekly and monthly staff calls, as well as bi-weekly and monthly calls with partners in the area such as NFF, USFS, and NRCS.
Utilize GPS, tablets and phones to map and rate wildfire risk on occupied lots.
Public interaction with landowners on factors affecting Home Ignition Zone by modifying the Defensible Space (≥100 ft around a home or building that has been treated to lower the fire risk).
Assist adjacent field offices with project work.
Attend monthly Tree Board meetings.
Assist with projects other than RCPP (site visits, layout, administration).
Assist with Lake County projects. This will introduce interns to forest management in lodgepole pine stands that are not as widespread in Chaffee County.
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.
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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