Watershed Specialist Intern

Job Type
Full-time, Temporary, Internship
Description
ABOUT TROUT UNLIMITED
Trout Unlimited takes care of the rivers and clean water that trout, salmon and communities
around the country depend on. We are a nationwide network of advocates, outdoor enthusiasts, volunteers, anglers and staff dedicated to protecting places where trout and salmon thrive and recovering rivers and fisheries that need help. We want to make sure healthy rivers and fisheries are available for all people to use and enjoy. Trout Unlimited has 300,000 members and supporters supported by a respected staff of organizers, lawyers, policy experts, and scientists, who work out of more than 45 offices across the country.
Trout Unlimited's CA Inland Trout Program, based in Truckee, works to improve CA's wild and native inland trout populations across the Sierra Nevada, Eastern Sierra, and parts of Southern California. We work to improve headwater habitat, primary located on public land, with a variety of federal, state, natural resource agency, industry and other NGO partners. We also work to protect and improve high profile recreational sport fisheries so that they can support the anglers, businesses and rural communities that depend on them.
The CA Inland Trout Program is excited to announce a collaborative internship position in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service - Inyo National Forest Watershed Program. The Inyo National Forest (INF) covers 2 million acres, mostly on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, of some of the most beautiful and remote terrain in California. The Watershed Program works on a variety of projects to protect and restore watershed condition throughout the INF.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Watershed Specialist position will serve as a core member of the INF Watershed Program Team. They will work on a variety of projects throughout the INF, as well as support collaborative ongoing TU-INF meadow restoration projects. The person will participate in various land management assessments, project effectiveness monitoring, implementation, and restoration across the INF (Eastern Sierra Nevada). This position is approximately 80% field-based and requires frequent travel and some camping in distant and remote locations. Field work includes but is not limited to: Off-Highway Vehicle road assessments and restoration, timber and fuels reduction work, Best Management Practices (BMP) evaluations and water rights data collection. The person will ideally be based near the Bishop Supervisors Office and report to the Watershed Program Manager at the Inyo National Forest.
Requirements
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assist the Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Program with assessing OHV roads and prescribing prescriptions to minimize erosion.
• Assess decommissioned OHV roads that have been restored and recommend if more restoration work is needed.
• Assist the Watershed Program with fuels treatments. Work would include project design layout and effectiveness monitoring.
• Aid in implementation of the National Best Management Practices (BMP) Program. This would involve looking at various Forest management activities and assessing if BMPs have been effective or not.
• Help with collecting Stream Condition Inventory data and Forest Plan Monitoring data.
• Assist with water rights data collection and data entry.
• Assist with watershed restoration projects.
• Participate in field trips that last between 3 and 8 days that include remote backcountry setting with hike-in access only and wilderness area designation restrictions.

This is not an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities.
QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in the physical sciences or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of 1 years of experience conducting scientifically robust fieldwork.
• Willingness and ability to travel at least 85% time.
• Positive outlook and ability to work independently as a self-starter.
• Understanding of California and Nevada wild and native trout, watershed science and restoration, and Sierra Nevada ecology.
• Valid driver's license and own vehicle required (field vehicle will be supplied, but must be able to travel to hub locations)

Salary Description
$22 - $30/hour