JOB SUMMARY: Positions are TEMPORARY seasonal not-to-exceed 1039 work hours in a service year. The primary purpose of these positions is to perform very heavy physical labor in the maintenance and construction of the trails system in Shenandoah National Park. Performs routine trail maintenance, rehabilitation and construction of graded foot and horse trails. MAJOR DUTIES: Building, repairing, and maintaining erosion control structures, retaining walls, and tread surface and re-blazing of trails. Park boundary line maintenance, removal of vegetation growth, fallen rock and tree obstructions from trails. Trails may include ADA accessible trails with special surfaces, trails in high visitor use areas, foot and horse use trails in remote backcountry areas and trails in designated Wilderness areas. Trail work is performed with a variety of hand tools including shovels, picks, swing blades (grass whip), McLeods, pulaskis, rock bars, cross-cut saws, wheelbarrows, grip hoist, etc. and small power equipment such as chainsaws, weed trimmers, rock drills and jack hammers. Requires frequent strenuous activity. Selectees are required to hike up to 10 miles per day over steep, rough and uneven mountainous terrain into backcountry worksites while carrying work tools. At least ninety percent of work is performed in an outdoor setting. This is an open continuous vacancy announcement. Applicants will be referred periodically throughout the announcement period. Final application disposition will be completed once all positions have been filled or the announcement reaches the end of the open period stated in this announcement. The first cut-off date for referral is 11:59 pm (EST), December 16, 2024. POSITION LOCATION: Shenandoah National Park (SNP) preserves and protects more than 300 square miles of nationally significant natural and cultural resources, scenic beauty, and congressionally designated wilderness within Virginia's northern Blue Ridge Mountains; and provides a broad range of opportunities for public enjoyment, recreation, inspiration, and stewardship. Within just 90 miles of Washington D.C. the Park provides visitors the ability to explore mountain peaks, hidden hollows, cascading streams, accessible wilderness, and stunning natural beauty. Approximately 40% of SNP is designated wilderness with over 500 miles of hiking trails and the iconic Skyline Drive, SNP was established as an eastern Park that provided a "western Park experience". Due to the Park's easy accessibility to D.C and other highly populated areas along the east coast, visitation exceeds 2 million visitors annually which results in significant resource protection and visitor management issues and incidents. Positions are assigned to the Backcountry, Wilderness and Trails Branch in the Division of Natural and Cultural Resources at SNP and work assignments will be throughout the park and will be determined by work projects and agency needs. Park Headquarters complex is located approximately 4 miles from Luray, Virginia; a small rural community located in the Shenandoah Valley with a population of about 4800 with all usual facilities and services. Nearby local towns include Harrisonburg, 33 miles; Winchester, 44 miles; and Charlottesville, 66 miles. Temperatures range from zero to mid-nineties, average maximum is 83 degrees with high humidity and average minimum is 26 degrees with snow and ice. IMPORTANT: Click the 'Apply for this job' button to view a complete job description.
