Wallowa-Whitman National Forest - Geologist Resource Assistant

Northwest Youth Corps
United States Forest Service - Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
Geologist Resource Assistant
2 Positions - Baker City, OR
Please respond by October 25, 2024

Delivering Benefits to a Multicultural Public - Resource Assistant Program

The Northwest Youth Corps (NYC) in partnership with the United States Forest Service (USFS) Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is advertising for one (1) Geologist Resource Assistant (RA). The position will be located on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, in the Supervisor's Office in Baker City, OR. This is an 8- month (34-weeks) full-time work experience from approximately January-August 2025. Created in 1984 and modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s, NYC is a non-profit job training and experiential education program for youth and young adults to learn and work in the field of natural resource management. NYC will recruit and hire the selected RA candidates providing personnel and Human Resources needs during the placement.

Duty Location:

This position will be assigned to the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Supervisor's Office, located in Baker City, OR. Though some telework may be allowed, the position will require a presence in the office and in the field. Some travel may be required and is reimbursable through NYC.

The Position:

The Resource Assistant Program is a rigorous and immersive paid internship for individuals interested in Forest Service careers. Resource Assistants (RAs) work with Forest Service staff to complete mission-critical work that demonstrates leadership, critical thinking, and strategic communication. Through direct training, experience, and exposure, RAs gain the tools to launch their natural and cultural resource careers.

Through a partnership with NYC, the selected RA will support the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Minerals and Geology Program. The RA will complete geologic survey and investigation techniques and procedures used to identify management opportunities; and conduct geologic studies and prepare reports of findings to properly identify geologic environment and evaluate mineral resources. The RA will work under the guidance of the Forest Geologist, Forest Staff Officer, and Regional Geology Program Manager and Public Services Program Manager.

This is an immersive professional internship that requires a skillful and confident applicant who can manage a busy workload and learning opportunities with the support of permanent staff. This position will perform work at the equivalent of a GS-05/07 position in the federal service.

Staff Area: Minerals and Geology Program, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

The Minerals and Geology Management program administers mineral and geologic resources. Minerals and Geology program staff oversee mineral exploration, development and reclamation activities related to federal (government owned) and non-federal (privately-owned) mineral estates according to specific authorities, legislation, rules, and regulations. The program also investigates and remediates abandoned mine lands from historic mining, and provides expertise in the geosciences such as geology, geologic hazards, and groundwater.

Position Requirements:

• Degree in Geology with 20 additional semester hours in any combination of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological science, structural, chemical, civil, mining or petroleum engineering, computer science, planetary geology, comparative planetology, geophysics, meteorology, hydrology, oceanography, physical geography, marine geology, and cartography.
• Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents over 19 years old.
• Valid state driver's license with good driving record and ability to operate a motor vehicle by the time of employment. Government vehicles are available for work-related travel, but RAs are responsible for travel to and from duty station.
• Successful completion of a background check.

Program Benefits

• $20,400 stipend, prorated monthly throughout 8-month internship
• $1,200 monthly housing allowance (total of $9,600, Forest Service housing may be available)
• $2,750 for work-related training and professional development opportunities
• $50 monthly commuter allowance (if applicable) (total of $400)
• 56 hours of available paid time off
• Workers' compensation, FICA/Medicare, and optional health care coverage (monthly premiums covered)
• RA will have special United States Forest Service Direct Hire Authority upon completion of a minimum of 960 hours of service, but placement is not guaranteed.

Position responsibilities will include:

• Review Plan of Operations (PO) for completeness and conduct active mining site inspections.
• Work with supervisor on understanding law and policies as it relates to the 1872 mining act and reviews POs in accordance with these procedures. Inspecting mine sites based on these procedures.
• Pre-inspect these sites for accuracy of the plan, which may include Jeeping, OHV use and/or inspecting with other personnel on the Forest.
• Inspections of sites during active mining activities.
• Inspection of sites post reclamation to ensure reclamation is successful and properly reclaiming in accordance with the PO.
• Keep records of sites, record and enter data onto NRM and uploading onto BOX (shared file system).
• Assist with site inspections and documentation of Abandoned Mine sites.
• Keep detailed log of best practices and field methods at abandoned mine sites.
• Hike to potential future sites to note GPS coordinates, terrain, and activity at abandoned mine sites.
• Collaborate with environmental engineering at active and potential CERCLA sites.
• Assist with site inspection of Mineral Material sites, documentation and uploading material on Box drive.
• Catalog and inspect sites of mineral materials.
• Hike/drive to current and potential future sites to note GPS coordinates, terrain, and activity.
• Build foundation for collecting, analyzing, and logging data collected.
• Enter mineral material sales into NRM.

Successful candidates will demonstrate:

• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing. Strong organizational skills. Ability to work independently and with others.
• Skill in using current desktop publishing software and equipment technology applicable to electronic and print publication procedures and word processing, including experience in Microsoft Office and Adobe software.
• Ability to gather and verify facts and to develop information that is clear and meaningful to the intended audience.
• Ability to review and/or edit reports prepared by others and to ensure that material conveys information that the writer intended, and that areas of misunderstanding or ambiguities are eliminated.
• Preferred skillsets, but not required:
• Experience with ArcGIS Pro.
• Understanding of report writing and of mine site activities/general mining.
• Understanding of the 1872 Mining Act and procedures for processing POs.
• Understanding of NEPA.

About the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest (see https://www.fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman/ for more info):

The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest encompasses 2.4 million acres of public lands in northeastern Oregon and western Idaho. Our staff serve the public from offices in Baker City, La Grande, and Joseph, OR; Riggins, ID; and Clarkston, WA. The Wallowa-Whitman is part of the Pacific Northwest Region of the Forest Service (an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture). Our mission is to "sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations."

Baker City is a county seat of Baker County, Oregon, United States. It was named after Edward Dickinson Baker, the only U.S. Senator ever killed in military combat. The population was 10,099 at the time of the 2020 census. The city has a total land area of 7.16 square miles. The city is situated in a valley between the Wallowa Mountains to the east and the Elkhorn Mountains, part of the Blue Mountains to the west, with the Powder River running through the center of downtown on its way to the Snake River.

Baker City has a cool semi-arid climate, with a large diurnal temperature variation most of the year, peaking at 39.3 °F in August. July is generally the warmest month, with a normal mean temperature of 65.1 °F. The highest recorded temperature, 109 °F, occurred on August 10, 2018 and August 2, 2024. December is the coldest month, with a normal mean temperature of 28.6 °F. On December 23, 1983, the temperature fell to −34 °F, the lowest recorded in the city. May is typically the month of highest precipitation, averaging 1.46 inches. Snowfall averages about 27.3 inches a year.

Baker City hosts many annual festivals, including the Miners' Jubilee on the third weekend of July, which celebrates the mining history of the area and the filming of the 1969 Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood musical comedy Paint Your Wagon in the city. The Baker Historic District, on the National Register of Historic Places, is located on about 42 acres centered on Main Street in downtown Baker City. Within its boundaries are more than 130 properties, about half of which include structures built between the late 1880s and about 1915. Many of these as well as others built as early as 1870 are two-story masonry commercial buildings. The city hall, county courthouse, the former post office, former library, former social clubs, a Roman Catholic cathedral, and an Episcopal Church are among notable buildings within the district.

Baker City is served by Baker School District 5J. It includes Baker High School, Eagle Cap Innovative Jr/Sr High School Baker Middle School, Brooklyn Primary, and South Baker Intermediate as well as Keating Elementary and Haines Elementary in rural Baker County. Serving about 1,800 students, 5J is the largest of three school districts in Baker County.

Application Instructions

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Application Deadline: October 25,2024

Interviews: Will occur as qualified applications are received.

Type of position: Individual Placement

Service Dates: January-September 2025

Length of Term: 8-months/34-weeks

How to apply:

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references and completely fill out the application form found at https://nwyouthcorps.workbrightats.com/jobsearch/?job_board_classification=Internships

Please select "Wallowa-Whitman National Forest - Geologist Resource Assistant" when applying.

Additional Information

If you have questions about the position, please reach Northwest Youth Corps Internship Program Coordinator Matthew Schlegel at matthews@idahocc.org , 208-593-7622 or Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Katy Young at Katrina.young@usda.gov, (541) 523-1274 or Regional Minerals & Geology Program Manager todd.griffin@usda.gov, (206) 660-9644.

All job offers are contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check (criminal history and driving history).

Northwest Youth Corps (NYC) and The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination on all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.