Job Description and Duties

FORESTRY AIDE – SANTA CRUZ DISTRICT / RESOURCES SECTOR – WILDFIRE AND FOREST RESILIANCE PROGRAM

“Priority consideration will be given to any person receiving State public assistance under the CalWORKs program. Applicants who receive State public assistance need to identify their status as a CalWORKs recipient in the comments area on the application. Applicants must submit a verification of their CalWORKs eligibility status, which may include the most recent Notice of Action showing TANF eligibility or a copy of your last aid check stub. If verification is not submitted with the application, the application will not be processed. (Applicants may obtain verification from the CalWORKs program).”

The reporting location for this position is Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Boulder Creek. This position will work under the direction of the Crew Lead and/or Environmental Scientists. Forestry aides work under the supervision of the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Crew Lead and Environmental Scientist(s) for the Wildfire and Forest Resilience (WFR) program in the Santa Cruz District.

This position is best suited for a person interested in natural resource management, forestry, and prescribed fire. The WFR crew primarily performs manual labor in restoring, protecting, and enhancing CA State Park’s forested habitats, often in remote locations away from roads and facilities. The majority of WFR crew work involves vegetation management, including selective thinning, fuel-reduction, prescribed fire, and invasive plant removal by manual, mechanical, or chemical methods. As a WFR crew member, employees will be trained as needed to perform chainsaw work, including felling, limbing and bucking of trees. WFR crew members will also receive fire training as needed and will participate in prescribed fire operations including pile and broadcast burns. Scheduled work hours are variable, with a typical schedule consisting of 4, 10-hour days with 3 days off. Crew members may also be required to work 8, 10-hour days with 6 days off when deemed necessary for certain projects. Employees may be expected to camp on-site during these 8-day work weeks. Additionally, during prescribed burns employees will be expected to work overnight patrols.

This position may work up to 1500 hours within 12 consecutive months. This position is designated as not telework eligible.

The selected candidate is required to submit to a background investigation process utilizing Live Scan fingerprinting prior to appointment.

This position requires a valid Class C driver’s license. You must answer the questions addressing your driver’s license on your application. Ensure you provide your driver’s license number, class, expiration date, and any endorsements and/or restrictions on your application.

State housing is not available. For further information regarding this position, please contact Dmitrik Berlanga (619) 890-1195 or at Dmitrik.berlanga@parks.ca.gov.

Per California Code of Regulations (CCR) 599.961, this is a sensitive position, and therefore subject to drug and alcohol testing. It should be noted that testing is not mandatory, but is allowed to be conducted only if and when there is a determination of reasonable suspicion as defined in CCR 599.962.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.