Position Title: USFS Forest Archaeology Individual Placement – AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Conservation Corps North Carolina

Site Location: USFS Supervisor’s Office Asheville, NC

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: February 2027
• End Date: January 2027
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 Hours

Conservation Corps North Carolina:

Our Individual Placement program works to connect young people to conservation service throughout North Carolina. CCNC is a program of Conservation Legacy, a nationwide network of conservation organizations.

Individual Placements gain hands-on experience at their placement site, and CCNC supports them through their term, as well as provides a variety of benefits to help them succeed in achieving their career goals. CCNC welcomes national applicants, but also emphasizes the engagement of local individuals who represent the communities in which they serve.

Purpose:

Conservation Corps North Carolina, in partnership with the Forest Service in North Carolina are recruiting 1 Forest Archaeology Individual Placement to work on projects in 2027.

This position will support the agency’s mission to protect and sustainably manage public lands and cultural resources through hands-on experience in National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) compliance and policy. Working alongside the Forest Archaeologist, this position will assist with tasks related to NHPA, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Tribal consultation, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA).

During their term, key responsibilities will include drafting and reviewing compliance documentation for Section 106 of the NHPA. This could include compiling background research, analyzing field data, producing maps and drawings, database entries (Heritage NRM), and compiling documentation for consultation packages. Also, attending key meetings with consulting parties such as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs). There will also be limited opportunities to gain experience with fieldwork including archaeological monitoring, survey, and excavation of archaeological resources; and laboratory work processing and analyzing artifacts. Individuals will build skills in research, document preparation, and policy analysis. This position will have a learning opportunity to understand the regulatory and compliance aspects of federal government work in cultural resource preservation.

In addition to archaeological work, projects may include some interdisciplinary work pertaining to natural resource management depending on the needs of the partnering agency. During their terms, these AmeriCorps members will receive training and certifications to be able to participate in various archaeological projects.

Description of Duties:

Field Support:

• Primarily visit project areas in the field as part of interdisciplinary teams, as assisting with cultural resource survey, and/or as specific site visits with consulting parties.
• Flag cultural resources for avoidance

Office Support:

• Attend project planning meetings, consultation meetings, team meetings
• Organize, compile, and maintain cultural resource project data and records
• Compile records for background research and report contexts
• Assist in the preparation and review of Section 106 documentation
• Provide general administrative support including writing letters, reviewing documents, and summarizing information.
• Learn valuable project management skills.
• Assist with curation and cataloguing needs.

Qualifications:

• 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
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check.
• Possess a valid driver’s license
• Physically capable of strenuous field activities (off-trail hiking, monitoring, survey, etc.) for 10 hours in adverse conditions (high heat, high humidity, biting insects, rough terrain, inclement weather) while carrying up to 40 lbs.
• Relevant Bachelor’s degree with educational experience in Anthropology, Archaeology, Cultural Resource Management, or Historic Preservation
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Strong research skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Forms) and aptitude to work with new databases and systems.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and work within a professional setting.

Preferred:

• Experience with North Carolina/Southeastern archaeology preferred
• Students with experience in preparation of cultural resource inventory reports and site forms
• Familiarity with applicable laws: NHPA, NEPA, NAGPRA, ARPA, and Executive Orders.
• Experience and/or interest in GIS: including data collection, site and survey map production, and ArcGIS suite navigation
• Ability to work with planning documents.
• Familiarity with or lived experience in Indigenous communities.
• Interest/experience in Indigenous research methods, cultural preservation, or community engagement.

Our Commitment:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full consideration of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential job functions. Physical requirements may include periodic overnight travel, non-traditional work 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.

Time Requirements:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve Monday to Friday, 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.

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7395
• Living Allowance of $480 per week.
• Additional Benefit of $420 per week.
• Professional Development Fund of $500
• Healthcare Coverage if Eligible
• Childcare Coverage if Eligible
• Loan forbearance if Eligible
• Interest Payments if Eligible

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:

IP Program Manager Contact information: rrobinson@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.