Forestry Team Member - Tahoe National Forest, Yuba River Ranger District

EPIC • Nevada City, CA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

Forestry Team Member - Tahoe National Forest, Yuba River Ranger District Summary American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the US Forest Service, is seeking 5 forestry team members to contribute to timber resource management projects alongside Tahoe National Forest Staff. For more information about ACE, please visit our website. Start Date: May 18th, 2026 (05/18/26) Estimated End: Fall 2026 a 16-week minimum commitment is required Location Details/Description: The Tahoe National Forest is located in the northern Sierra Nevada (north east of Sacramento) and extends from the foothills across the Sierra crest to the California/Nevada state line. It includes over 850,000 acres of public land interspersed with 350,000 acres of private land in a checkerboard ownership pattern. Rivers, snow-capped peaks and dense forests offer outstanding recreation year-round. A complex set of ecosystems are found as the terrain ascends from 1,500 feet along the western boundary to over 9,000 feet along the crest. The forest provides a variety of resources and opportunities and is managed by the Forest Service. The Yuba River Ranger District offices are located in Camptonville, CA and Nevada City, CA. Many employees live in the Nevada City/Grass Valley area (population 20,000) located 25 miles south of Camptonville. Nevada City is a vibrant town alongside Grass Valley, CA with excellent access to trails, ski resorts, and world class rafting and swimming holes. The Sacramento metro area is within an hour's drive for urban amenities. For more information about the Yuba River Ranger District, please visit the Tahoe National Forest website. Position Overview: The ACE Member will be a part of a small marking crew performing a variety of timber sale preparation (TSP) duties that include-but are not limited to-timber marking (45%), timber cruising (20%), and sale layout (25%) of both ground and aerial systems as part of the forest health partnership. Office work, meetings, and training (10%). Field work often requires moderate to strenuous physical exertion, including walking, bending, and climbing under adverse conditions for long periods of time. Potential risk of falls due to uneven terrain, risk of insect bites, contact with poisonous plants, etc. Duties will be conducted during conditions such as rain, snow, wind, dust, extreme heat and cold. Hardhat, gloves, and other safety equipment are provided. This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups. Project Objectives: Either independently or with guidance, applies silvicultural prescriptions and marking guides to designate timber for harvest. Brings to the attention of responsible individuals, situations on the ground that are inconsistent with guidelines. Either as a certified timber cruiser or under the supervision of a certified timber cruiser, applies the instructions issued in a cruise plan. Takes and records tree measurements, assesses quality, and determines defects. Prepares cruise data for processing. Observes and reports areas of possible archeological significance, and sightings of sensitive, threatened or endangered wildlife species. GPS's harvest unit boundaries and determines site area. Planning, decisions, and judgments made in this position affect long term timber management activities, other resources, and the forest health agreement/contract. Accuracy of the work affects the quality of residual resource values such as timber stands, visual quality, water quality, and all resources related to timber harvest. Schedule: Monday-Thursday, ~7:00am-5:30pm. Occasional Fridays, if necessary.

Requirements

• Members must be authorized to work in the United States.
• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner.
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• A valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).
• Members must be 21+ to drive due to ACE's insurance and liability requirements.
• Willing to undergo and must pass the required criminal history checks
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets, beginning of term feedback forms, end of term evaluations and for longer terms, a mid-term evaluation.
• Member may not participate in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement

Nice To Haves

• Competitive applicants for this position can hold or be pursuing a degree in Forestry or Environmental/Natural Science, but it is not required
• Working knowledge of forest practices and techniques, including application of silvicultural prescriptions, aerial photographs, maps, environmental analysis reports, and like guides in order to independently select harvest timber in a variety of stand conditions
• Working knowledge of measuring tree diameters and heights, map reading, compass use, tree species identification, obvious defect recognition and determination, GPSing, and the use of tools associated with timber cruising
• Knowledge of regularly used timber cruise computer programs including data collection and processing
• Knowledge of other resource areas, such as wildlife management or archaeology, in order to recognize situations which require specific protection measures
• Ability and willingness to hike over remote, steep, and rocky terrain in adverse weather conditions (cold/hot temps, light rain, etc.)
• Deep interest in public land management.

Responsibilities

• Applies silvicultural prescriptions and marking guides to designate timber for harvest.
• Applies the instructions issued in a cruise plan.
• Takes and records tree measurements, assesses quality, and determines defects.
• Prepares cruise data for processing.
• Observes and reports areas of possible archeological significance, and sightings of sensitive, threatened or endangered wildlife species.
• GPS's harvest unit boundaries and determines site area.

Benefits

• Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $810/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.
• Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service.
• Housing Allowance of up to $280/week will be available.
• Gear Allowance: New ACE members will have up to $500 to spend on eligible gear purchases, and returning members or FS employees will have up to $250.
• ACE members will have up to $500 to spend on eligible training/professional development opportunities

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees