Position Title: 2026 Short Term Winter Fuels Mitigation Crew Member– AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Southwest Conservation Corps

Site Locations:

Los Valles Office (Salida, CO): 701 E Rainbow Blvd. Salida, CO 81201

Four Corners Office (Durango, CO): 701 Camino Del Rio, Durango, CO 81301

Terms of Service:

Los Valles (Salida): January 12th – March 27th, 2026

Four Corners (Durango): January 12th-March 21st, 2026

AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 300 Hours

Purpose:

Southwest Conservation Corps

The SCC Adult Program engages motivated young adults, ages 18 - 30, to complete challenging and impactful conservation and service projects. Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) is a non-profit, AmeriCorps-affiliated organization, whose mission is to engage future leaders who protect, restore, and enhance our nation’s lands through community-based service. SCC programs aim to empower individuals to positively impact their lives, their communities and the environment.

Southwest Conservation Corps is located on the ancestral lands of the Puebloan and Ute people, who continue to survive and thrive on these lands today. The SCC Los Valles (LV) office is in Salida, Colorado with satellite operations in Alamosa, CO. SCC LV serves the Arkansas River Valley and the San Luis Valley: the two valleys, or Los Valles. The SCC Four Corners (FC) office is in Durango, Colorado and has crews complete service projects in Southwest Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.

About the Program

As an AmeriCorps program participant with Southwest Conservation Corps, your office is the great outdoors! Each crew typically consists of 6 members and 2 leaders. Crews serve for 8 days at a time in front country locations (access to your crew vehicle and trailer) in winter weather conditions. Crews will have 6 days off between hitches.

As wildfires become more common across the American west, Southwest Conservation Corps’ Winter Fuels Mitigation crew provides the opportunity to engage in the important work of fire mitigation and prevention within Colorado. On this crew, members will be expected to have an active A-Faller chainsaw certification or be willing to obtain this certification prior to participating in projects. Projects may include felling, brushing, and/or limbing for the purposes of fire mitigation. Members will go through S-130/190 training (Firefighter Training and Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior) to be eligible to assist with pile burn operations on this crew.

Projects will mainly include hazardous fuels reduction in the wildland urban interface but may also include trail construction & maintenance, habitat improvement, re-vegetation, weeding, fencing, facility maintenance, and local environmental service projects. Crews may also complete technical and/or specialized projects depending on project partner needs, including disaster relief if the opportunity arises.

Schedules consist of 10-hour days that are typically 8-days on and 6-days off. There is a possibility you could serve 4 days on and 3 days off, or a variation of schedules. SCC requires that all AmeriCorps crew members demonstrate flexibility in scheduling.

Our Salida crew will have housing provided at a low cost for members and leaders for the duration of the program. During project hitches, crews may camp at shelters or may return to their designated housing location in Salida. Our Durango crew will work in the Cibola National Forest in New Mexico, where the crew will have access to bunk houses in Magdalena, NM for the duration of the season or may choose to return to Durango for days off.

Description of Duties:

In this AmeriCorps position, you will:

• Serve effectively as a member of the crew.
• Perform strenuous physical tasks related to environmental conservation and restoration projects.
• Serve outdoors in all types of weather and successfully adapt to various surroundings.
• Effectively learn and apply new environmental conservation and restoration skills.
• Actively participate in environmental education activities if they are provided.
• Practice appropriate safety procedures in all tasks assigned.
• Use, maintain and repair hand and power tools as necessary.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this AmeriCorps position, you must

• Have an active A-Faller chainsaw certification or be willing to obtain this certification prior to participating in projects.
• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• At least 17 years of age
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of elementary or secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant, and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award
• Agree to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check.

Our Commitment:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Physical Requirements:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, nontraditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. The ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Participant Essential Eligibility Requirements:

Essential eligibility requirements for the program must be met. If you are unable to meet certain requirements, we may be able to assist you with some modification unless it alters the fundamental nature of the program, compromises the health and safety of participants or staff, or places an undue financial or administrative burden on the organization.

Participant and Expedition Behavior

• Serve effectively as a member of a team despite potentially stressful and difficult conditions.
• Willingness and ability to complete all aspects of the program.
• Contribute to a safe learning environment; no harassment of any kind.
• Appropriately represent SCC and AmeriCorps to the public and project partners at all times.

Risk Management and Judgement

• Follow directions from others so that you can successfully manage hazards.
• Ask clarifying questions when you do not understand a task.
• Maintain focus during workday, both while traveling and serving in varied weather conditions.
• If taking prescription medications, participants must be able to maintain proper dosage without assistance from others.

Environmental Ethics & Outdoor Skills

• Learn and safely perform fundamental outdoor living and skills as appropriate to the project.
• Live in a physically demanding, possibly remote environment for up to several weeks.

Substance Free

• In accordance with a drug free program, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and SCC activities, and while on organization property.

Time Requirements:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve 8 days, serving 10 hours each day, followed by 6 days off, but exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service
• Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.
• Members must be physically fit and able to serve 40–50-hour work weeks.

Orientation and Training:

• Members will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Members will participate in S130/190 training during their first week of service.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $1,565.08 available at completion of service term. Award amount dependent upon length of service term.
• Living Allowance of $480 per week.
• Additional Benefit of $120 per week.
• Healthcare Coverage if Eligible
• Childcare Coverage if Eligible
• Loan forbearance if Eligible
• Interest Payments if Eligible
• United States Forest Service-recognized Firefighter Training S130 and Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior 190 certifications
• Food provided while in the field, uniforms, and protective equipment
• Employee Assistance Program provided.

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.

Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

Stephen Lokos, SCC Four Corners (Durango) Program Coordinator: Slokos@conservationlegacy.org

Greta Binzen, SCC Four Corners (Durango) Program Coordinator: Gbinzen@conservationlegacy.org

Emma Karlok, SCC Los Valles (Salida) Program Coordinator: ekarlok@conservationlegacy.org

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodations due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.