U.S. Forest Service Forestry Technician

The Utah Conservation Corps (UCC) in partnership with the Ashley National Forest is advertising a Forestry Technician Corps Member. This is a 3 month (12 weeks) full-time work experience from approximately mid-early June through late-August 2018. The Utah Conservation Corps (UCC) is Utah's award-winning, and nationally-recognized statewide Conservation Corps headquartered in Logan, Utah at Utah State University's main campus. The UCC has been Utah's largest environmental AmeriCorps program since 2001, completing service work on public lands, in communities, and with various organizations throughout the state. https://ucc.usu.edu/

If you have questions about this Forestry Technician Corps Member position, please contact James McRae, Timber Management Officer on the Ashley National Forest, james.mcrae@usda.gov, 435-781-5123, or the or the Utah Conservation Corps at 435-797-0964 x1.

This position will be located out of Vernal, Utah.

A Forestry Technician Corps Member performs developmental assignments in support of the Timber program located at the Ashley National Forest Supervisors office in Vernal, UT. Candidates should have basic knowledge of Forestry or related ecological field of study. The work is primarily performed in a field environment. Field work often requires moderate to strenuous physical exertion, including walking, bending or climbing in rugged terrain under adverse conditions for long periods of time. The work involves presale duties including timber marking, traversing, and basic tree measurements.

Assignments are designed to provide training for the timber functions for which the unit is responsible. Assist hirer-grade specialist in projects of limited difficulty to become familiar with laws, policies, and regulations in the targeted specialized series. Corps Members receive on-the job training in planning, organizing, and implementing various timber projects on the unit to develop experience in various phases of timber management. Under close supervision, Corps Members will: Serve as tally person and may operate electronic field data recorders. Assists in the measure of limiting distances, tree diameter, tree height, estimation of defect and quality, and related fundamental timber cruising procedures.

·       $14.54/hour along with health care coverage (if needed), workers compensation, and FICA/Medicare.

·       Camping on or near field work sites will frequently be required. Camp trailers will be provided when camping is required.

The Ashley National Forest

Steep canyons, high mountain peaks, glaciated basins, large open meadows, and desert badlands produce a rich diversity of vegetation and wildlife. The grasses and shrubs of the high mountain desert are replaced by pinyon and juniper as the elevation rises. In mid-elevation areas, aspen dominates and becomes mixed with conifer. Higher up, the vegetation changes to conifer forest composed of ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, fir, and spruce. Wildlife is abundant. Larger species include black bear, mountain lion, moose, elk, mule deer, pronghorn, mountain goats, and bighorn sheep.

Neighboring lands include the Uinta and Ouray Indian Reservation to the south, the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest to the west and north, and a mixture of Bureau of Land Management, State of Utah, and private lands to the east and southeast. Compared with other National Forests, relatively few small tracts of private land lie within the Ashley's boundary.

The High Uintas Wilderness, established by Congress in 1984, comprises nearly one-half million acres in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache and Ashley National Forests. Within the wilderness, elevations range from 8,000 feet to 13,582 feet at the top of Kings Peak, the highest mountain in Utah. The Uinta Mountain range runs east to west, from the Wasatch Mountains into Colorado. Pre-Cambrian rock formed from sediments laid down 600 million years ago makes up the core of the range. Glacial activity carved deep canyons and left a spectacular landscape of rolling, treeless peaks and stratified ridges interspersed with broad meadows and numerous lakes.

The Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area lies in the northeast part of the Forest. Flaming Gorge Reservoir extends almost 90 miles into Wyoming, and offers outstanding fishing and boating opportunities. Record-breaking German brown trout and large lake and rainbow trout have been taken from its waters. The Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area has three marinas and many campgrounds, some of which are open year-round.

The Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam is a world-famous blue-ribbon trout stream. The Little Hole National Recreation Trail parallels the river 7.3 miles from the Dam to the Little Hole Recreation Complex.

Vernal is situated in northeast Utah south of Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and west of Dinosaur National Monument, and is the county seat of Uintah County. Vernal has a population of approximately 10,000 people. When combined with the residents of surrounding communities, the population of the Ashley Valley is approximately 15,000. Vernal is 180 miles east of Salt Lake City and 300 miles west of Denver.

http://www.vernalchamber.com/                              http://www.city-data.com/city/Vernal-Utah.html

Vernal sits at approximately 5,000 feet above sea level. Vernal enjoys four beautiful temperate seasons; the climate is semi-arid with low humidity. Annual precipitation averages 15-20”, mostly in the form of winter snow and spring/fall rain. Winter temperatures usually hover in the 20s-30s during the day, but will occasionally drop to sub-zero. Mid-summer temperatures can reach 100 degrees, but generally average in the low-mid 90s, dipping into the 50s at night.