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Program Overview
The Wilderness Fellows Program was created to complete Wilderness Character Baseline Assessments, thereby continuing important assessment work that has been underway since 2001, and fulfilling the USFS Wilderness Stewardship Performance (WSP) element “Wilderness Character Baseline”. The central mandate of the 1964 Wilderness act – to preserve wilderness character.” The Wilderness Character Baseline requires that steps be made to determine a baseline and provide the foundation for evaluating trends in wilderness character. These trends indicate the outcome of management actions and success at ‘preserving wilderness character’ as directed by the Wilderness Act.
Partners
The Society for Wilderness Stewardship (SWS) is a non-profit organization seeking to promote excellence in the professional practice of wilderness stewardship, science, and education to ensure the life-sustaining benefits of wilderness. In other words, we are a professional society working to set the standard for wilderness management.
The US Forest Service was founded by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905, and today oversees 445 wilderness areas, or 33% of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Inaugural Chief of the USFS, Gifford Pinchot, stated that the USFS existed to “provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run.”
The Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute (Leopold) is dedicated to the development and dissemination of knowledge needed to improve the management of wilderness, parks, and similarly protected areas.
Position Overview
Primary Wilderness Fellow Responsibilities
- Write a wilderness character baseline assessment for each wilderness area worked in.
- Research, compile, and analyze legislative and administrative data per wilderness area.
- Meet with USFS personnel to gather information regarding wilderness character.
- Select indicators relevant for each wilderness area to monitor wilderness character over time.
- Compile and analyze data and complete a baseline report for wilderness character monitoring.
- Set and meet goals and deadlines for data collection, meetings, and draft and final reports.
- Implement inventory and monitoring strategies for tracking wilderness character.
- Work out of remote USFS locations.
- Travel to and into wilderness areas.
- Attend trainings to further develop skills for effective wilderness management.
- Participate in weekly conference calls.
Key Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
- Educational background in Wilderness Management, Protected Area/Natural Resource Management, Recreation Resource Management, Conservation, Social Science, Environmental Policy, Natural, Biological and/or Physical Science.
- Deep interest in wilderness/resource management and the U.S. Forest Service.
- Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
- Research skill and attention to detail and organization.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively on projects, a high degree of initiative.
- Understanding and the ability to use GIS is a plus.
- Results-oriented with the ability to set and follow realistic goals and objectives.
- Flexibility to adapt when faced with changing needs and priorities.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, comfort with technology.
- Ability to visit remote field locales (travel paid).
- Must have valid driver’s license and clean driving record (proof required upon request).
Essential Functions: Employee may be required to sit, stand, and lift objects up to 50 lbs. Employee may be required to travel and camp in the backcountry, and to drive or fly to remote project locations.
The Society for Wilderness Stewardship is an equal opportunity employer.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status.