Individual Placement-Alaska- Recreation Technician

Student Conservation Association • Valdez, AK

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Yakutat Ranger District is looking for a uniquely qualified individual to assist with recreation site, cabins, trails, and airstrip maintenance. The District has 8 cabins, 5 airstrips, several recreation sites, and 50 miles of trail that need to be mowed, brushed out and maintained. They will be flown in a small plane to remote areas of the district to conduct some of this maintenance. They will be trained and gain experience using equipment such as brushers, saws, and other equipment with appropriate personal protective equipment. On occasion, the SCA placement will be camping for extended periods of time, usually 4 or 5 days and about three or four times through the summer. The incumbent will serve as a team member on the Yakutat Ranger District recreation staff assisting with construction and maintenance of administrative and backcountry recreation sites. This includes maintenance on remote airstrips, cabins, trails, picnic sites, campsites, and administrative sites. Work will be based out of the Yakutat District Office and will include both office and field work, including overnight stints to the backcountry cabins. The district has a small staff and takes an interdisciplinary approach to managing the land, so the incumbent will assist other programs including wildlife, fisheries, restoration, and public events/outreach. The district will provide training including: CRP/First aid, bear behavior, aviation, boat passenger safety, radio operations, hazardous communications, and fire extinguisher operation. The district will provide housing (bunkhouse or other shared space) for the placement when he/she is not deployed in the field and all protective equipment and supplies (hard hats, eye protection, personal floatation devices, etc.) as appropriate for the activity. Certainly one of the most rugged and remote postings in the country, the Yakutat Ranger District is 1.3 million acres of National Forest located at the northern edge of the Alaska panhandle, between Glacier Bay and Wrangell St Elias National Parks. Accessible only by plane or boat, it is set in a landscape of glaciers, old-growth forests, wild rivers, bays, and open ocean, and populated with moose, mountain goats, deer, 200 species of birds, wolves, and especially bears. The area supports some of the healthiest and most diverse stocks of wild Pacific salmon and trout in the world. About 700 people reside in the demographically diverse community of Yakutat which has all the basic services including a community health center, K-12 school, and 2 grocery stores, but lacks many amenities offered in larger communities. Alaska Airlines offers daily flights connecting Yakutat to Juneau, Anchorage, or Seattle. Outdoor recreational opportunities are superb and include fishing, sea kayaking, canoeing, camping, birding, hiking, wildlife viewing, and even surfing. Yakutat is a prime location for many natural resource careers at any stage.

Requirements

• Fieldwork in Southeast Alaska involves exposure to inclement weather, hiking in steep brushy terrain, and carrying heavy packs and hand tools; all of which require a high level of physical fitness.
• This SCA Position is authorized under the Public Land Corps Authority. All participants must be between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, or veterans age 35 or younger. Participants must also be a citizen or national of the United States or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States. Hours served can be applied toward the Public Land Corps (PLC) hiring authority.

Nice To Haves

• Experience using hand tools for outdoor work.

Responsibilities

• Assist with recreation site, cabins, trails, and airstrip maintenance
• Mowing, brushing out and maintaining
• Maintenance on remote airstrips, cabins, trails, picnic sites, campsites, and administrative sites
• Assist other programs including wildlife, fisheries, restoration, and public events/outreach
• Assisting with educational activities such as the Yakutat Tern Festival, Family Fishing Day, Summer Explorers Program and more.

Benefits

• $450/week living allowance
• $1500 one-time roundtrip travel stipend
• $800 reimbursable duty-related expenses ($400 for PPE and $400 for duty travel)
• Bear Safety
• Off-Road Vehicle Safety
• Housing (bunkhouse or other shared space)
• Protective equipment and supplies (hard hats, eye protection, personal floatation devices, etc.)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed