The Research Associate II will work in Dr. Schultz’s Public Lands Policy Group and conduct research, write papers for practitioner and academic audiences, and conduct outreach in the field of forest fire management. The incumbent will be tasked conducting research activities and assisting in the preparation of peer-reviewed publications through background research and literature review, qualitative data collection, and report writing. Projects will focus on federal fire management, with an emphasis on prescribed fire, fire management in the Wildland-Urban Interface, and cross-boundary and partnership efforts associated with federal fire management. The RA II also will participate in project development and communication with sponsors, other research collaborators with whom we are conducting research on wildland fire management, and other interested audiences.

Click here for a full position description.

As a Geographic Information Specialist – a newly created position at OSP – you will be developing GIS infrastructure for the Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM); translating statewide data on fires into a visual story; leading a GIS workgroup for the OSFM's Incident Management Teams; and connecting stakeholders and GIS professionals to the OSFM and its mapping and data services.

Click here for a full position description.

The University of Idaho seeks a sincere, motivated, and creative individual to apply for an exciting PhD assistantship in Ecosystem Dynamics. The successful candidate will work with Dr. Arjan Meddens to examine the spatial and temporal patterns of ecosystem dynamics across the western United States. You will work on highly relevant research which aims to improve ecosystem resilience to future disturbances across the larger landscape under rapidly changing climate conditions. Since this position is initially funded by a Teaching Assistantship (TA), the candidates’ research area is somewhat flexible. Potential research topics include: (1) the dynamics of fire refugia and utilization of fire refugia by plant or animal species, (2) spatial and temporal patterns of bark beetle outbreaks, (3) measuring ecosystem structure at the forest-tundra ecotone, and/or (4) the utilization of high-resolution (UAV) lidar applications for forest measurements. A genuine interest in teaching is required and an interest in societal impacts of disturbances and management applications is highly desired. The position includes approximately 2 years of TA funding with the potential for more RA (Research Assistantship) funding later in the PhD. The successful candidate will be housed in the Department of Natural Resources and Society in the College of Natural Resources, which has great collaborative faculty with expertise in both the social and biophysical sciences.    

Requirements: An active interest in teaching with good interpersonal skills as wells as strong quantitative background – as demonstrated by courses taken, programming skills, and GRE scores. Field experience and a well-rounded educational background in ecology, geography, fire science, and natural resource management is desired. The position will begin in the Fall of 2019.  

This position has approximately 2 academic year (9 months) Teaching Assistantship funding available with the possibility of more funding in the summer and following the first two years. Annual compensation package is competitive and depends upon experience.   

If you like to be considered for the position, please send a letter of interest and a CV to Arjan Meddens (ameddens.@uidaho.edu).

YOUR POSITION WITH TNC

The Range Technician (RT) will assist with various prairie stewardship activities including:  prescribed fire, tree/brush removal, noxious weed control, fencing, firebreak installation and other duties as assigned.  The RT will serve on a crew of 2 or 3 people.  The crew travels throughout the Prairie Coteau (north east SD/southwest MN) landscape.   The position start date is September 24, 2018 (or as soon thereafter as possible).

The position will continue through approximately November 30, 2018.  During this timeframe, the Range Technician will assist in daily coordination and oversight of the summer land management crew (1 – 2 short-term staff) under the direction of the Land Steward.   Duties will include daily conversations with supervisor to receive assignments and efficient and concise communication of assignments to the land management crew.  Personal organization and excellent communication skills are a must for this position.  The Range Technician will be expected to travel individually or with a crew to perform various grazing program and habitat maintenance duties on Nature Conservancy preserves in South Dakota and Minnesota.  The Range Technician must use safety equipment and maintain a safety-conscious attitude at all times.  Tasks primarily include fence construction and maintenance, implementation/management of various grazing systems, vegetation management (herbicide applications, brush removal, tree removal, mowing, biological control, etc.), equipment maintenance and organization, identifying management needs for preserves, report writing, and miscellaneous duties as assigned.  Duties may also include installation of firebreaks for prescribed fire and prescribed fire implementation.  The Range Technician position also may include a variety of outreach activities including meeting with local landowners, assisting with field trips, and leading volunteers. Occasional overnight or extended periods away from base office may be required. This position is based on a 40 hr work week, but may require irregular hours, long days, and travel on short notice.

HOW TO APPLY

For more information about and to apply to this position, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 14, 2018.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE

•     Coordinates with Wildlife Biologist and Biological Field Technician II to perform projects.
•     Assists with black pine snake, gopher tortoise and other projects to include, but not limited to, building traps, identifying potential trap sites, installation of drift fences, trapping, radio telemetry, identification of reptiles and amphibians, habitat characterization and restoration.
•     Assists with gopher tortoise projects to include, but not limited to, egg nest surveys/transport, incubation care, hatchling tortoise care, burrow surveys/scoping, sampling vegetation in association with habitat characterization, checking traps.
•     Performs Camp Shelby Burrowing Crayfish surveys and sampling.
•     Assists with field surveys for threatened and endangered species for specific project areas as requested by the Mississippi Military Department (MMD).
•     Captures field collected GPS data for incorporation into a GIS database.
•     Performs data entry, analysis and interpretation of projects.
•     Presents data and findings as requested by the Wildlife Biologist and/or the Biological Field Technician II.
•     Assists with prescribed burns on Department of Defense (DoD) and TNC lands.
•     Performs various administrative duties.
•     May work with a small group of staff or volunteers on a project basis.                                          
•     Purchase equipment and supplies as provided for in budget.
•     Work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, in hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.

HOW TO APPLY

For more information about and to apply to this position, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 2, 2018.

Summary

Responsibilities

The National Park Service (NPS) is looking for temporary employees to work on a variety of wildland firefighting crews. Work may include working as a crew member on any of the following types of crews: Hand; Helitack (helicopter); Engine. For more information on Crew Types, click here.

A Wildland Firefighter (GS-03 Forestry Aid) performs assignments as a wildland firefighter crew member in developing a working knowledge of fire suppression and fuels management techniques, practices, and terminology; may assist in more specialized assignments such as backfire and burnout, mobile and stationary engine attack; construction of helispots, helitack operations, and performing hover hookups.

A Wildland Firefighter (GS-04 Forestry Technician) is a skilled wildland firefighter. May be assigned to carry out specialized assignments such as tree falling, backfire, and burnout operations; utilizes a variety of specialized tools, equipment and techniques while actively managing wildfires. May be required to operate light vehicles and 4X4's.  A skilled wildland firefighter on a helitack crew loads helicopters, determines weight calculations, completes crew manifest and may rappel from a hovering helicopter near ground level in remote areas to construct helispots, or to attack small fires, hot spots, and spot fires. May be assigned to carry out specialized assignments such as tree falling, backfire, and burnout operations; utilizes a variety of specialized tools, equipment and techniques while actively managing wildfires. May be required to operate light vehicles and 4X4's.

A Wildland Firefighter (GS-05 Forestry Technician) is a senior wildland firefighter performing all aspects of wildland and prescribed fire operations including preparation, ignition, monitoring, holding, and mop-up.  Gathers and considers information on weather data, topography, fuel types, and fire behavior in responding to wildland fire incidents.  May be required to operate light vehicles and 4X4s.  A senior wildland firefighter on a helitack crew loads helicopter personnel and cargo considering methods, weight distribution, necessity for securing, total weights, etc. and completes manifests of personnel and equipment being transported to the fire or other work site. May exit helicopter in remote areas to construct helispots, or to attack small fires, hot spots, and spot fires. Gathers and considers information on weather data, topography, fuel types, and fire behavior in responding to wildland fire incidents. May be required to operate light vehicles and 4X4's. 

Cut-off Date: The following locations will begin to consider applicants prior to the closing date of the announcement. You must apply on or before the date indicated below to receive first consideration. Thereafter, applications may be considered as needed, during the open period of the announcement:

11/13/2018
Panther Junction, TX (Big Bend NP)
Fritch, TX (Lake Meredith NRA)
Salt Flat, TX (Guadalupe Mtns. NP)
Woodville, TX (Big Thicket NP)

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

The Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) published two new syntheses: Fire regimes of mountain big sagebrush communities and a Species Review about Pacific ponderosa pine/Columbia ponderosa pine. Each publication is a synthesis of information from several hundred articles and reports and provides the best available science to support management decisions.

• The Fire Regime Synthesis covers historical patterns and contemporary changes in fuels and fire regimes in mountain big sagebrush communities.
• The Species Review covers two varieties of ponderosa pine: Pinus ponderosa var. benthamiana and P. p. var. ponderosa. It includes information about these varieties’ distribution and plant communities, botanical and ecological characteristics, regeneration processes, and successional status, in addition to the effects of fire on the species, historical fire regimes in ponderosa pine communities, and considerations for fire management.

YOUR POSITION WITH TNC

The SC Prescribed Burn Crew Manager oversees a squad of Burn Crew Members in wildland fire activities, as directed by a Burn Boss, or other command position. Position will begin on January 2, 2019 and terminate on April 26, 2019.    

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The South Carolina Prescribed Burn Crew Manager serves as a part of a seasonal crew of four. The crew travels extensively throughout the coastal plain and piedmont of South Carolina. The seasonal crew works with Conservancy staff in preparation and implementation of prescribed burns at various preserves which may be owned by either TNC or its public or private partners.  The Crew Manager is responsible for leading the crew during non-fire activities including fire line preparation, staging, transportation, and equipment maintenance.  The work schedule is weather dependent and may be highly irregular at times. Routine preserve management activities such as fencing, boundary posting, removal of invasive species, forest management, ecological monitoring and other related stewardship activities may be performed during periods when the weather is unsuitable to conduct burns.  The Conservancy provides the crew members with vehicles and lodging.  Lodging includes rustic lodges and often camping.

The Crew Manager supervises three seasonal, nomadic Prescribed Burn Crew Technicians.  They are the crew’s liaison with the fire management staff in the state.  They are supervised by the Forest Program Manager. They may also act as crew boss on burns as assigned by the burn boss.

The SC Prescribed Fire Crew Manager may assist on wildland fire operations with federal, state, or private partners, or travel to other areas of the state or out-of-state to assist other TNC programs or partners on prescribed or wildland fires.

As part of the incumbent’s ongoing professional development, they will be responsible for keeping abreast of new burn techniques and equipment to enhance skills and maintain/grow professional fire certification credentials.  In addition, they shall work to build and maintain relationships in the professional fire community and in the local community where the Conservancy works.

HOW TO APPLY

For more information and to apply to this position, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 19, 2018.

YOUR POSITION WITH TNC

The Burn Crew Member (BCM) participates in wildland fire operations which include ignition, control, mop-up, suppression, monitoring, and other tasks as assigned. Position will begin on January 2, 2019 and terminate on April 26, 2019.             

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The South Carolina seasonal prescribed burn crew consists of three Prescribed Burn Crew Technicians and one Crew Manager. The crew assists Conservancy staff in the preparation and implementation of prescribed burns at various preserves in South Carolina which may be owned by TNC or other public or private partners. The crew travels extensively as a team in one to two-week blocks between locations within the state. The work schedule is weather dependent and may be highly irregular at times.  Routine preserve management activities such as fencing, boundary posting, removal of invasive species, forest management, ecological monitoring and other related stewardship activities may be performed during periods when the weather is unsuitable to conduct burns.

The three Prescribed Burn Crew Technicians are supervised by the Crew Manager who travels with the crew.  The crew works closely with Conservancy staff. The Conservancy provides vehicles and lodging.  Lodging includes rustic lodges and often camping near the preserves.

The SC Prescribed Fire Crew Technicians may assist on wildland fire operations with federal, state, or private partners, or travel to other areas of the state or out-of-state to assist other TNC programs or partners on prescribed or wildland fires.

As part of the incumbent’s ongoing professional development, they will be responsible for keeping abreast of new burn techniques and equipment to enhance skills and maintain/grow professional fire certification credentials.  In addition, they shall work to build and maintain relationships in the professional fire community and in the local community where the Conservancy works.

HOW TO APPLY

For more information and to apply to this position, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 19, 2018.

YOUR POSITION WITH TNC

The Burn Crew Member (BCM) participates in wildland fire operations which include ignition, control, mop-up, suppression, monitoring, and other tasks as assigned. Position will begin on January 2, 2019 and terminate on April 26, 2019.             

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The U.S. Forest Service-TNC Interagency Burn Crew consists of three Crew Technicians and one Crew Supervisor. The crew will focus on fire-related activities, including prescribed fire implementation in and around the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests.  When not committed to the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, the crew will work with The Nature Conservancy and other partner agencies in South Carolina.  The work schedule is weather dependent and may be highly irregular at times.  Routine management activities such as fencing, boundary posting, removal of invasive species, forest management, ecological monitoring and other related stewardship activities may be performed during periods when the weather is unsuitable to conduct burns.

The three U.S. Forest Service-TNC Interagency Burn Crew Technicians are supervised by the U.S. Forest Service-TNC Interagency Burn Crew Manager who travels with the crew.  The crew works closely with U.S. Forest Service and TNC staff. The Conservancy provides vehicles and lodging.  Lodging includes hotels, rustic lodges and often camping.

The U.S. Forest Service-TNC Interagency Burn Crew Technicians may assist on wildland fire operations with federal, state, or private partners, or travel to other areas of the state to assist other TNC programs or partners on prescribed or wildland fires.

As part of the incumbent’s ongoing professional development, they will be responsible for keeping abreast of new burn techniques and equipment to enhance skills and maintain/grow professional fire certification credentials.  In addition, they shall work to build and maintain relationships in the professional fire community and in the local community where the Conservancy works.

HOW TO APPLY

For more information and to apply to this position, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 19, 2018.

YOUR POSITION WITH TNC

The U.S. Forest Service-TNC Interagency Burn Crew Manager oversees a squad of Burn Crew Members in wildland fire activities, as directed by a Burn Boss, or other command position. Position will begin on January 2, 2019 and terminate on April 26, 2019.       

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The U.S. Forest Service-TNC Interagency Burn Crew Manager serves as a part of a seasonal crew of four. The crew will focus on fire-related activities, including prescribed fire implementation in and around the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests.  When not committed to the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, the crew will work with The Nature Conservancy and other partner agencies in South Carolina.  The Crew Manager is responsible for leading the crew during non-fire activities including fire line preparation, staging, transportation, and equipment maintenance.  The work schedule is weather dependent and may be highly irregular at times.  Routine management activities such as fencing, boundary posting, removal of invasive species, forest management, ecological monitoring and other related stewardship activities may be performed during periods when the weather is unsuitable to conduct burns.  The Conservancy provides the crew members with vehicles and lodging.  Lodging includes hotels, rustic lodges and often camping.

The Crew Manager supervises three seasonal U.S. Forest Service-TNC Interagency Burn Crew Technicians.  They are the crew’s liaison with the U.S. Forest Service and TNC fire management staff in the state.  They are supervised by The Nature Conservancy of South Carolina Forest Program Manager. They also take leadership positions on burns as assigned by the burn boss.

The U.S. Forest Service-TNC Interagency Burn Crew Manager may assist on wildland fire operations with federal, state, or private partners, or travel to other areas of the state to assist other TNC programs or partners on prescribed or wildland fires.

As part of the incumbent’s ongoing professional development, they will be responsible for keeping abreast of new burn techniques and equipment to enhance skills and maintain/grow professional fire certification credentials.  In addition, they shall work to build and maintain relationships in the professional fire community and in the local community where the Conservancy works.

HOW TO APPLY

For more information about and to apply to this position, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 19, 2018.

• Applicants for permanent fire positions, including Wildland Firefighter Apprentices, must apply on USAJOBS by October 15. Duty locations are available across the country.
• Regional/local outreach for FY 2019 temporary positions should be ongoing now before vacancy announcements are posted on USAJOBS in September. Application deadlines vary by location and position.
  • Major changes to the temporary employment hiring process, including the federal requirement to conduct background investigations (which includes fingerprinting) and issuance of LincPasses, have accelerated the timeline for temp hiring.

• HRM intranet: Fire Permanent Employment
• Public website: Careers in Wildland Fire

• HRM intranet:National Collective Recruitment & Hiring
• Public website: Temporary Jobs

• Logging into ConnectHR and clicking on the HR Help link. For detailed instructions, visit the HR Help How-to Add a Case Guide.
• Sending an email to: hrm_contact_center@fs.fed.us, or
• Calling the HRM Contact Center at 1-877-372-7248, Press 2.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The NFL Land Conservation Steward maintains preserve areas frequented by the visiting public and performs land management activities.  The Steward removes non-native invasive species and conducts species monitoring.   The Steward assists in prescribed burns and maintains related fleet, tools and equipment.  The Steward maintains preserve records using a PC and mobile devices.

HOW TO APPLY

For more information about and to apply to this position, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 12, 2018.

The Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) provides “an online collection of reviews of the scientific literature about fire effects on plants and animals and about fire regimes of plant communities in the United States.” The staff from FEIS are looking to partner with instructors and academics to develop and update species specific synthesis. Instructors: consider how you could fit FEIS into your next course (students could write factsheets, update species reviews, and more.)

Contact Ilana Abrahamson for more information

Learn more about FEIS from our SFE FEIS factsheet and webinar recording.

Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) works with communities to reduce wildfire risks through improved land use planning. CPAW is a grant-funded program providing communities with professional assistance from foresters, planners, economists and wildfire risk modelers to integrate wildfire mitigation into the development planning process. All services and recommendations are site-specific and come at no cost to the community.

Click here for more information.

The Lake States Fire Science Consortium (LSFSC) is committed to ensuring that the ‘best available science’ is available for planning and managing northern fire-dependent ecosystems of the Lake States. Where there are current gaps in the science, the goal of the LSFSC is to assist in filling those gaps so that science informs practice and vice-versa. Unfortunately, for many local fire management issues, there are few resources available to bring managers and scientists together to solve these important issues.

In an effort to enhance the opportunities for managers and scientists to work together, and to expose future professionals to opportunities of management and research collaborations, the LSFSC requests proposals to fund research internships that address relevant fire science and management issues associated with northern fire-dependent ecosystems of the Lake States region (See the LSFSC Ecosystems page for a description of fire-dependent ecosystems that are the focus of the Lake States Fire Science Consortium). Proposals must be developed by joint manager-scientist teams (i.e. both must be listed as co-PIs and equally contribute to proposal development) and outline how the research internship will address a critical need that will help improve management of fire-dependent ecosystems locally. Preference will be given to partnerships that have not yet received funding from the program.    

The LSFSC anticipates awarding several $4,000 research internship awards. It is expected that 100% of the funds should go to support the undergraduate internship experience (preferably for salary though a limited amount of funds may be used to purchase materials and supplies needed to complete the project - funds should not be used as a supplement or summer salary for graduate students). All proposals must be submitted by 5:00 PM Eastern / 4:00 PM Central on Monday, December 3, 2018 by email to Jack McGowan-Stinski. There will be no exceptions to this closing date and time.

Click here for more information.

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension at the University of Nevada, Reno seeks to fill a 12-month, full-time, tenure-track faculty position as a Natural Resource Specialist at the Assistant/Associate Professor level. This position will be an integral component of the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, and should have extensive collaboration with the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, and the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources.

The Extension Specialist position involves teaching, research, and service efforts addressing the issue of wildfire in Nevada through the Living With Fire program (http://www.livingwithfire.info/) and other initiatives. The program and initiatives focus on facilitating the implementation of the Nevada Wildland Fire Cohesive Strategy by providing needed information to cooperators and public to:

• Reduce the wildfire threat to Nevada communities through implementation Fire Adapted Community concepts.
• Increase the resiliency of natural landscapes through appropriate vegetation and fuel management
• Support the safe and effective suppression response to minimize wildfire losses to life and property.

Teaching activities include: neighborhood/community workshops, media interviews, social media, websites, train the trainer opportunities, production and distribution of peer-reviewed publications (peer –reviewed Extension and journal venues), presentation at professional conferences, organizing statewide conferences, one-on-one teaching opportunities, assisting local, state federal agency partners, and demonstration projects.

Research activities may include but are not necessarily limited to hazardous fuels management, management actions to reduce the risk if large catastrophic fire; social acceptance of wildfire hazard mitigation actions, fire adapted community program development and sustainability, Wildland Urban Interface trends in Nevada.

Service efforts include: Serving on University and cooperator committees and providing technical support to stakeholder organizations including, but not limited to the Nevada Network of Fire Adapted Communities, Nevada Fire Board, Nevada Division of Forestry Advisory Council, Nevada Fire Chief’s Association.

Click here for more information.

FEMA announced the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 application cycle on August 3, 2018.  The application period is October 1, 2018 through January 31, 2019.  The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is posted on www.Grants.gov.  The FY 2018 PDM Fact Sheet provides an overview of the agency's priorities for this year.  FEMA will offer NOFO webinars for potential applicants prior to opening the application period. View the complete webinar schedule.

Click here for more information.

The National Interagency Prescribed Fire Training Center (PFTC), located in Tallahassee, Florida has announced their FY 2019 training sessions. Applications for FY2019 Sessions are now open and must be received at PFTC by October 15, 2018.

These 20-day sessions facilitate the completion of prescribed fire task books. The Center provides opportunities to participate in prescribed burns involving the lands of land management agencies in Florida and several surrounding states. A variety of applicable prescribed fire objectives and situations will be encountered in a field environment.

Applications from disciplines other than fire management are strongly encouraged. While our primary mission is the training of individuals with task books related to RX quals, the Center encourages all levels and disciplines of applicants who are interested in furthering their knowledge of prescribed fire.

Click here to apply.

With all of the tools, supplies and gear that fire managers need, the last thing you would expect them to take to a wildfire is a book. But Steve Taylor’s little red book, Field Guide to the Canadian Forest Fire Behavior Prediction (FBP) System, has been part of fire manager and fire crew leaders’ toolkits for over 20 years. Taylor and retired fire researcher Marty Alexander, have blended the complex series of mathematical equations that make up the system with their own knowledge and experience in the 120 page guide.

Read more in the Natural Resources Canada 'Simply Science' article

View the FRAMES Resource Catalog record

The Wildland Firefighter Apprenticeship Program (link is external) develops the knowledge and basic skills necessary to work as a wildland firefighter. Selected applicants will attend a 3,000 hour on-the-job learning program, which includes a two month-long residential firefighting academy at the Wildland Fire Training Center in McClellan, California. Apprentices will be paid and all costs of training will be covered by the Forest Service.

Click here for more information.

The primary purpose of this position is to assist the PCD staff in delivering conservation services. The successful applicant must be a team player who values building partnerships in a voluntary approach to natural resource conservation activities, including a proven commitment to agriculture working-lands and public lands stewardship. The three main goals of this position are: 1.)To improve water quality by achieving increased survivability of riparian buffer and upland plantings (25%) 2.)To coordinate volunteer participation at watershed restoration projects (25%) 3.)To educate and raise community awareness on the importance of riparian buffers and the impacts of non-point source pollution within our local watershed (50%).

Click here for more information.