Position Status: Permanent, full-time, exempt position.
Wage: Starting at $5194 to $6014 per month, Depending on Qualifications and Experience
Closing Date: Open until filled, first review round will occur for applications submitted by April 16th, 2023.

About the Role:

Cascadia Conservation District is seeking a highly motivated and skilled individual to join the District as a Wildfire and Community Resilience Specialist.

This full-time position will primarily serve as a landowner assistance forester for landowners throughout Chelan County. This position will work with private landowners to develop forest stewardship plans, enroll them in appropriate cost-share programs and help them implement forest health and wildfire resilience projects. Our program is focused on implementing highly impactful projects with private landowners where coordination with state and federal partners can help achieve large landscape scale restoration and community resilience goals.

Cascadia’s forestry and wildfire resilience program has been steadily growing over two decades, utilizing current science and partnerships to design a highly effective program assisting residents with resilient landscapes, fire adapted communities, and post-fire recovery.  The District offers boots-on-the-ground, local knowledge when working closely with state, federal, and non-profit partners in the development of creative solutions to address complex ecological and climate resilience challenges. Cascadia CD is located in Chelan County, Washington with physical office space located in the city of Wenatchee. This position is funded through grants from several state and federal grant programs and relies on successful future grant applications to continue its funding. This position reports directly to Cascadia CD’s Executive Director and is eligible for partial remote work opportunities.

About Us:

Cascadia Conservation District’s mission is to encourage wise stewardship and conservation of all natural resources in Chelan County by:

• Working to implement conservation best management practices on the ground.
• Being an active advocate for wise land use and water management decisions.
• Promoting a reasonable approach to environmental problems.
• Providing locally-led, voluntary, non-regulatory solutions to local environmental problems.
• Educating both adults and youth about natural resources stewardship.

Cascadia CD consists of a small team of dedicated staff focused on providing technical assistance, cost share and building programs that serve our community and the natural resources in Chelan County. Cascadia CD is a non-regulatory political sub-division of Washington State and is governed by a 5-member volunteer Board of Supervisors.

Typical Work:

The Wildfire and Community Resilience Specialist will work primarily with private landowners to develop and implement forest stewardship plans for wildfire resilience and forest health. The primary project this forester will be responsible for recruiting landowners interested in implementing shaded fuel breaks on private land in locations deemed as high priority by local, state and federal fire responders. Additionally, the position will coordinate closely with federal and state land managers on the development and implementation of cross-boundary forest restoration and fuel break projects.  Typical daily work will include fielding technical assistance requests, complete site inventories and resource concern checklists, write forest stewardship plans that recommend forest management actions, identify cost share opportunities and assist landowners through the process, and provide advice and guidance during implementation of forest management practices. This position will also provide support to partner organizations around forest stewardship issues, manage the District’s woodchipper program and work with communities on wildfire resilience and recovery projects.

Minimum Qualifications:

A qualified candidate must have:

• Strong organizational and written/verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated the ability to handle multiple projects
• Capability of working with diverse individuals and small groups.
• Experience assisting with implementation of habitat restoration projects such as LWD, culvert replacement, beaver dam analogs, riparian plantings or other watershed restoration projects.
• Able to work in remote and rugged locations under a variety of weather conditions, traverse difficult upland and instream terrain, and carry field equipment necessary to complete required job tasks.
• Ability to lift, pull, carry or push up to 50 lbs
• Strong knowledge of MS Office applications (Word, Excel are essential).
• Valid driver’s license.
• A Bachelor’s Degree involving forestry or forestry related sciences and two years of professional level experience. An Associate’s Degree in forestry or forestry related science or technology or other closely related field may be substituted for a Bachelor’s Degree if the applicant has three years or more of applicable experience.
• Very strong organizational and written/verbal communication skills.
• Experience working with forest landowners
• Demonstrated the ability to handle multiple projects
• Capability of working with diverse individuals and small groups.
• Able to work in remote and rugged locations under a variety of weather conditions, traverse difficult upland and instream terrain, and carry field equipment necessary to complete required job tasks.
• Strong knowledge of MS Office applications (Word, Excel and outlook are essential).
• Competency with GIS software
• Valid driver’s license.
• Experience with basic forest mensuration and biometric tools and techniques.
• Ability to develop and manage contracts between agencies, landowners, partners and forestry contractors.

Preferred Qualifications:

A well-qualified candidate will have some or all of the following qualifications:

• NRCS conservation planner certification
• Experience working with conservation districts, NRCS and WA DNR
• Experience with community groups on collaborative forest management, forest health collaboratives, Firewise USA Communities and Fire Adapted Community coalitions.
• Ability to communicate in English and Spanish
• Wildland Firefighting experience
• Prescribed fire experience
• Experience conducting wildfire home ignition zone assessments
• Fuels prescription development, unit layout and contract administration
• The ability to become a Certified Arborist
• Grant writing and project management skills

Those meeting 50% of the desired attributes are highly encouraged to apply.

Service Area:

The quality of life in Chelan County is unsurpassed, evident by a steadily increasing population and a strong, diverse economy. The area’s natural beauty and abundance of recreational opportunities are two of the many reasons people come to Chelan County. It’s a place characterized by sparkling clear rivers, clean air, flowered hillsides, expansive views, spectacular mountains, brilliant skies, and productive orchards and farms.

From the ridge tops to the valley bottoms, Chelan County is a spectacular place to live, work and play.

Benefits:

• Industrial Insurance
• State Retirement (PERS)
• Medical & Dental Insurance
• Annual Leave, Sick Leave, Holidays
• Optional Aflac policies

Application Procedure: 

Submit cover letter and resume with at least three (3) references to Ryan Williams via the form in our website. Open until filled. First review round will occur for applications submitted by April 16th, 2023. For questions on the position please Contact Patrick Haggerty or Ryan Williams at (509) 436-1601 or via email.