POSITION DETAILS
Position ID(s): 4366
Position Title: Natural Resource Management Assistant - AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Astoria, Oregon
Number of positions available: 1
TERMS OF SERVICE
Duration: 12 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible Start Date: Yes
Start Date: 05/18/2026
End Date: 08/10/2026
AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 450 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve throughout the duration of their position.
BENEFITS
- Segal AmeriCorps Education Award: $ 1,956.35 upon successful completion of position
- Weekly Living Allowance: $ 700.00 per week, fixed rate
- Relocation Allowance: $ 450.00 (distributed as a one-time lump sum with first paycheck)
- Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
- Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)
APPLICATION TIMELINE
Preference given to applicants who submit applications before Sunday, February 15, 2026. Applications will be reviewed after the application deadline passes. Positions will close after receiving 60 complete applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EST on February 15, 2026, whichever occurs first.
KEYWORDS: forests, data management, natural resource management
PURPOSE
This Natural Resource Management Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. In 2005, Lewis and Clark NHP acquired approximately 1,000 acres of industrial second and third-growth forest lands within the Fort Clatsop Unit. Subsequently, the park developed a long-term plan to restore and rehabilitate the forests including a monitoring plan to help continue to inform management of the forests. The strategy developed to meet the goals included variable density thinning, snag creation, and planting of native species to accelerate the forest’s conversion from tree farms to mature forest. The park continues to monitor the effectiveness of these changes before and after restoration through the monitoring protocol, characterizing understory vegetation, coarse woody debris, canopy structure, tree age classes, and species ecological variety within each stand type. This position supports staff in the field to collect data for the second revisits of the forest monitoring plots. The SIP participant will complete an analysis of the datasets thus far to help inform management of the forests and potentially include additional monitoring, inventories, and further research into how to best accelerate the maturity of the forest. The report and data publication would achieve Goal 3 of the LEWI Forest Restoration Plan, “communicate results to stakeholders”.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The Natural Resource Management Assistant will play a key role supporting forest restoration effectiveness monitoring efforts through accurate data collection, analysis, and reporting. They will collaborate with the natural resource team to complete the forest restoration effectiveness monitoring project measuring coarse woody debris, tree recruitment, canopy structure, and species abundance in the Fort Clatsop unit. This position includes hiking off trail in uneven terrain in the temperate rainforest to collect data. The SIP participant will be tasked with entering forest monitoring data into the established Access database. They will publish the dataset to the NPS IRMA datastore with support and help from park staff. The SIP will analyze the dataset to discover trends and help inform future management actions summarizing those results in a report.
DELIVERABLES
The selected candidate will be responsible for entering and performing QA/QC on data within the established forest monitoring database to ensure accuracy and integrity. They will assist in preparing datasets for publication to the Integrated Resource Management Applications (IRMA) collaborating closely with the Program Manager and network staff to meet data standards.
As part of their analytical projects, the SIP will complete a comprehensive analysis of the monitoring dataset and compile a synthesis report summarizing key findings and trends. To enhance professional development and science communication skills, the SIP will be encouraged to share their completed projects with park staff through an informal brown bag presentation at the end of the summer, showcasing results and insights gained during the project.
QUALIFICATIONS
- United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien.
- Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award
- Prior to starting the position, agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check for the employer of record, Conservation Legacy, and a separate government security background check for the host site.
- The applicant must be available to participate for the entire 12 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
A bachelor’s or master’s degree in forestry, Geospatial Sciences, Data Science, Statistics, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, or a related field. Experience with forest systems, metrics, and data analysis. Strong programming skills in R and SQL and working in Microsoft Access Databases are essential. Strong problem-solving skills, creativity, and the ability to complete projects independently and as part of a team.
ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION
POSITION SETTING
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park is located in Astoria, Oregon, a historic, coastal community located at the mouth of the Columbia River in northwest Oregon. Astoria is surrounded by a variety natural landscapes, including temperate rainforests, tidal wetlands, and the Columbia River estuary. This unique environment supports rich ecosystems and offers opportunities for conservation and recreation. There are a few towns nearby which include Warrenton, Gearhart, and Seaside. The park has seven units on both sides of the Columbia river in both Oregon and Washington. This position will be primarily focused on the Fort Clatsop unit in the Natural Resource building where the SIP participant will have a desk in the technician office. Field projects are usually completed by hiking off trail. The dense forests can be steep with uneven terrain.
VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
- Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
- A personal vehicle is REQUIRED for this position.
HOUSING
Park housing is NOT available. The selected candidate will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area.
Park housing is not available however, staff are well connected and will support the selected candidate finding housing in the local area. There will be additional positions hired at the park and may be able to share an apartment or house. In the past, we have had several affordable housing options for the selected candidate.
OUR COMMITMENT
Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions.
TIME REQUIREMENTS
- This position is expected to serve full time each week, but exact service schedules may vary based on project needs. Lunch breaks and days off will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service hours.
- Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.
ORIENTATION AND TRAINING
- Member will receive pertinent project and site training from host site throughout term
- Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
- Access to free professional development webinars led by Conservation Legacy staff
EVALUATION AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of minimum AmeriCorps hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.
Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.
HOW TO APPLY
Apply online, all Scientists in Parks positions are listed at: https://conservation-legacy.breezy.hr/. Complete the application for this position, highlighting why you are interested in the position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position. Be prepared to upload your resume and unofficial transcript as part of completing the application questionnaire.
Once you begin applying for a position, the application must be completed in one sitting. You cannot save and return later to complete it. Applicants can apply for up to five Scientists in Parks positions per season. You need to complete a separate application for each position in order to be considered. You should receive a confirmation email after successfully submitting an application. Sometimes institutional email filters/settings can redirect, or block emails related to the application. We recommend watching spam, junk, and promotional email folders in case your service delivers messages there. Please visit How to Apply for additional resources and information about applying (i.e., learn what materials to have ready for applying, find a worksheet that previews application questions, etc.). Learn more about Scientists in Parks at: https://www.scientistsinparks.org/.
Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants serve with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits to provide institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards in partnership with the Scientists in Parks program will host the Natural Resource Management Assistant at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park.
Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodations due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to Scientists in Parks using the email address at the base of the home page, under “Questions? Contact Us!”
