Discover Your Forest Visitor Services Crew Member

INTRODUCTION

This temporary position is located at the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. The incumbent is a uniformed employee responsible for providing visitors with information, education, and interpretive services for a national monument that the Forest Service administers.

MAJOR DUTIES

The Incumbent will perform any of the following duties:

Lava Lands Visitor Center and Paulina Visitor Center

Rangers will staff an information desk and retail counter. You will answer often repetitive questions daily in person and over the phone. You will eagerly greet visitors, respond to inquiries, guide the public on rules and regulations, and attempt to gain public cooperation in protecting natural resources from damage and pollution. You will monitor and report visitor statistics for annual visitor use data.

Rangers will perform regular daily activities for the visitor centers, including but not limited to daily opening and closing of the facility, raising and lowering the flag, and maintaining the front desk. Monitor public areas and update the status of exhibits. You will instruct visitors on effective security and safety procedures and inform supervisors of visitor needs. You will operate various audio/visual equipment and maintain lost and found. Rangers coordinate with Discover Your Forest bookstore employees with sales, including stocking, sales, inventory, and reporting.

Rangers will check for current information via email to provide the public with the latest, most accurate, and appropriate information. You will create and post informational handouts and flyers concerning safety, events, and other items of importance—update information such as road and recreation closures.

Lava Lands and Newberry Welcome Station

At the welcome stations, you will sell Federal Recreation passes, including the day, Northwest Forest Annual and Interagency Annual passes, and other merchandise, in accordance with handbook requirements. You will be responsible for submitting and accounting for sold passes and collected monies using written records.

Interpretation

· Lead guided hikes

· Patio talks

· Drop-in programs

· Junior ranger programs

· Roving trails

You may arrange informational interpretive displays in the reception area, visitor centers, and kiosks. Vary or change the displays to coincide with seasonal changes and unit program emphases. Provide interpretive answers to various visitor interests, such as identifying local flora and fauna or the location of camping areas and hiking trails. You will visit and become familiar with trails, campgrounds, roads, and other areas on the unit to provide accurate, descriptive information. You will rove popular trails to connect with visitors, complete litter sweeps, and check for proper use.

Rangers will plan and present interpretive talks, guided hikes, drop-in programs, and junior ranger activities for visitors and other groups. Subjects may include but are not limited to geology, flora and fauna, fire safety, environmental awareness, recreation activities, and litter prevention/Leave No Trace. Use various tools, such as drawings, activity-specific tools, and audio/visual equipment, as interpretive presentation aids.

Maintain the inventory of existing publications for public use. Prepares or assists in preparing informational exhibits, including photos, displays, maps, etc. Maintain the site’s audio-visual equipment.

Lava River Cave

Give 5–10-minute cave orientations to groups of 5 to 60 visitors repeatedly throughout the day. Cave orientations will cover cave safety, geology, white-nose syndrome screening, leave no trace, and hiking conditions.

You will also check in vehicles with recreation.gov vehicle reservations or help visitors make reservations online. If the site is sold out, you must turn visitors away.

Rangers will perform a cave sweep where they walk to the end of the cave and back. The cave is a 1-mile long, 2-mile round trip that covers uneven terrain (no crawling or climbing involved).

Misc

Support the site by performing such duties as monitoring field-going personnel for safety purposes; fleet use maintenance and reporting, and other projects and duties as assigned by the supervisor. Monitor the status of office and security equipment and use various office and computer equipment to accomplish project and unit goals.

Help maintain facilities by performing light maintenance, cleaning sites as needed, and regularly cleaning visitor centers.

FACTOR STATEMENTS

Factor 1. Knowledge Required by the Position

Knowledge of many reference sources to locate answers to visitors' questions and ability to use good judgment to recognize when to refer questions to a qualified professional.

Knowledge of the Forest Service mission, general Forest Service policies, and specific unit programs to properly present information to the general public. Understanding of the relationship between Discover Your Forest and Forest Service partnership.

Skill in written and verbal communication to successfully communicate with visitors and staff, to assist in developing written interpretive materials, and to prepare and present interpretive talks that will be interesting to the public and consistent with Forest Service programs and policies.

Skill in using computer programs such as Microsoft Office Suite to create documents and information materials.

Factor 2. Supervisory Controls

The work lead assigns work in terms of project objectives and essential priorities.

The Incumbent draws upon experience and training previously received to perform work assignments. The incumbent resolves routine problems, and unusual or complicated situations are referred to the work lead or supervisor for guidance.

Completed work is reviewed for technical soundness and compliance with instructions by the supervisor.

Factor 3. Guidelines

Guidelines include Forest Service Manuals and Handbooks, written policy and directions, verbal instructions, and Forest Service-provided training.

Guidelines provide general policy in some cases and specific direction in others. The incumbent is required to exercise judgment in locating, selecting, and translating guidelines into actions. The supervisor is available to provide guidance in unusual situations.

Factor 4. Complexity

The work includes various information, environmental education, and internal communications duties. These duties require planning and coordination with several other unit staff members.

The Incumbent decides what needs to be done and how to accomplish it by analyzing the issues involved in the situation and the unit's needs, priorities, goals, and commitments. The incumbent must check and evaluate facts and instructions before distributing information. This responsibility requires data assimilation and determining appropriate action or attitude for effectively responding to the public.

In addition to routine decisions, significant judgment and interpretation are required when confronted with situations that could be clearer-cut or well-established, i.e., guidelines may have to be adapted or modified to one-of-a-kind situations. Incumbent must select from many alternatives to solve various procedural and operational problems in the functional area.

Factor 5. Scope and Effect

The incumbent must provide information to a wide range of visitors and groups while maintaining and applying a sound understanding of the Forest Service mission and Discover Your Forest partnership.

This work contributes to the better understanding and acceptance of Forest Service activities and policies by the general public.

Factor 6. Personal Contacts

Contacts include fellow employees, special interest groups, unit visitors, and interested persons from the general public.

Factor 7. Purpose of Contacts

Contacts are to provide a service, resolve operational problems, and receive, direct, and give information regarding various duties involved. The contacts require considerable tact, diplomacy, patience, courtesy, and credibility.

Factor 8. Physical Demands

The work varies from sedentary to very active. The incumbent must be able to handle long periods sitting at a desk or standing at a counter. However, active physical activity, such as hiking over rough and varied terrain and lifting, bending, standing, and carrying moderate-weight objects, is also required.

Factor 9. Work Environment

The job requires both office and outdoor work. At this monument, you will encounter various extreme weather, including ice, snow, rain, hail, heat, and smoke. Extended activities in uneven and varied terrain will be required, including underground.

Job Types: Full-time, Temporary, Seasonal

Pay: $20.00 per hour

Expected hours: 32 per week

Benefits:

• Employee discount

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Holidays
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Ability to Relocate:

• Bend, OR 97702: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person