Individual Placement - Forest Technician at Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge
About The Position
This position is with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) at the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in Round Oak, GA. The Forest Technician will be responsible for preparing, implementing, and evaluating prescribed fires across over 9,000 acres. Key duties include monitoring red-cockaded woodpecker clusters, conducting forest inventories using Lidar, and treating invasive exotic plants, which may involve herbicide application. The role also includes marginal duties such as timber and streamside management zone marking, other wildlife monitoring, boundary line marking, and trail maintenance.
Requirements
- Must be between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, or veterans age 35 or younger.
- Must be a citizen or national of the United States or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States.
- Must possess a high school diploma or its equivalent or agree to obtain one or be enrolled in an institution of higher education.
- Must possess a state motor vehicle driver’s license.
- Must be able to complete or fulfill partner driving requirements.
- Ability to earn firefighter type 2 certification is required (requires passing the arduous pack test: carrying a 45-pound pack three miles in 45 minutes or less).
- Background in dendrology and/or botany is helpful.
Nice To Haves
- NWCG Firefighter Type 2
- S212 Wildfire Power saws
- Wilderness first aid
Responsibilities
- Prepare, implement, and evaluate prescribed fire for 9,000+ acres.
- Monitor all managed red-cockaded woodpecker clusters (currently 140).
- Inventory 24 permanent forest monitoring plots, including scanning with Lidar.
- Locate, map, and treat invasive exotic plants, including using herbicide.
- Construct firelines with hand tools.
- Operate ATV/UTV (USFWS training required prior to operation).
- Serve as Firefighter Type 2 with FWS fire crew to ignite and hold prescribed fires.
- Verify RCW cluster activity status.
- Map new trees with Fieldmaps.
- Measure tree diameter, height, damages, and other variables on permanent monitoring plots.
- Scan plot with Lidar.
- Perform timber and streamside management zone marking.
- Conduct other wildlife monitoring.
- Perform boundary line marking.
- Maintain trails and other public use areas.
Benefits
- Housing is provided (fully furnished three-bedroom house with kitchen located on refuge).
- Defensive Driving Training
- First Aid/CPR
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
