Recreation Technician - Eldorado National Forest

Recreation Technician

Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the Eldorado National Forest, is seeking 4 Recreation Technicians. The Recreation Technicians will perform work assignments related to the monitoring, assessment, planning and maintenance aspects of recreation management. This opportunity is intended for candidates with a well-developed working background in conservation, natural resources management, wilderness management, recreation management, or a similar field. The Recreation Technicians should possess a passion for public land management and a professional interest in advancing their career towards natural resource management. 

For more information about ACE, please visit ACE’s website 

Start Date: May 17th, 2025

End Date: September 20th, 2025

Location: Eldorado National Forest, Multiple Ranger Districts (Placerville, Amador, Georgetown and Pacific)

The Eldorado National Forest is located in the central Sierra Nevada region within California and encompasses a total of 798,279 acres, which includes 193,027 acres of private ownership. 

The Eldorado National Forest is bordered on the north by the Tahoe National Forest, on the east by the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and the Humboldt-Toiyabe, and to the south by the Stanislaus National Forest. The Eldorado is within 3 - 4 hours of the San Francisco Bay Area and about 1 - 1 1/2 hours from Sacramento. It ranges in elevation from 1,000 feet in the foothills to more than 10,000 feet above sea level along the Sierra crest. The mountainous topography is broken by the steep canyons of the Mokelumne, Cosumnes, American, and Rubicon rivers. Plateaus of generally moderate relief are located between these steep canyons. 

The forest is also home to 297 lakes and reservoirs (including both public and private acreage), which total 11,994 surface acres. 11 large reservoirs account for 9,000 acres. The rest are mostly small, high mountain lakes. Both the rivers and lakes provide excellent fishing opportunities. The Eldorado National Forest provides diverse recreational opportunities to the public. The Forest offers every visitor the chance to enjoy nature and be outdoors. In addition to two popular wilderness areas (Desolation Wilderness and Mokelumne Wilderness), the forest offers more than 70-day use and overnight developed recreation facilities across the forest for the individual, families and groups. 

For more information regarding Eldorado National Forest, please click here. 

Position Overview:

• Performs minor maintenance of developed and dispersed recreation area facilities, including campgrounds and trailheads (cleans restrooms, cleans campsites, maintains fire-safe areas, paints picnic tables and bulletin boards, etc.). 
• Provides excellent customer service by enthusiastically answering questions, greeting and assisting visitors. 
• Performs patrols of the campgrounds, trailheads, OHV areas and dispersed sites to ensure it stays presentable and address/and or report discrepancies as they occur.
• Ensures visitors comply with rules and regulations. 
• Assists in trail maintenance activities, including but not limited to brushing, tread work and logging out. 
• Collects fees and may assist in the management of group reservations. 
• Performs other duties as assigned. 
• May require camping for up to two nights per week in a remote recreation area without on-site cell phone service. 
• May be required to operate a chainsaw; training provided for members who start early enough in the season. 

Position Benefits

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $760/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

Housing: Housing is the responsibility of the member and not provided by ACE or USFS. A $100/week housing reimbursement will be available to help offset the cost of housing.

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the completion of the term may be eligible to be combined with hours accrued from another PLC-eligible term to meet the 640 hours requirement. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age (You must be between the ages of 16 and 30. Some agencies also interpret these guidelines to include veterans up to age 35) and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general eligibility information on our website.

Qualifications 

Required:

• Public outreach and making contacts with visitors is a key component of this role contact is to educate visitors in recreation management and law enforcement objectives and policies, to obtain compliance with laws/regulations, to resolve problems, and to provide assistance to forest visitors. Contacts will include dealing with some persons and/or groups that may be uncooperative, hostile and who have different viewpoints.
• Members must have a high fitness level and be comfortable in various indoor and outdoor work environments, and at times adverse weather conditions 
• Must have strong communication skills.
• Must be able to work alone and in small groups with minimal supervision, and adhere to instructions, procedure and use initiative in carrying out recurring assignments independently. 
• Members must be US citizen or Permanent Resident, as required to comply with U.S. government contracts.
• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner. 
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• A valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).
• Willing to undergo and must pass required criminal history checks.
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members must verify that they are fully vaccinated for Covid-19 or have requested and been granted a medical or religious exemption to vaccination by the time they start their term.

Preferred Skills:

• Chainsaw and First Aid/CPR Certification highly desired; training may be provided. 
• Have working knowledge of detailed recreation rules and regulations to assist Forest visitors, and to detect and report violations. 
• Have demonstrated skills and knowledge of basic procedures for cleaning and maintaining recreational areas, facilities and/or trails. 
• Experience and/or ability to learn the use of a GPS unit. 

Environmental Conditions/Hazards:  The ACE member(s) may encounter environmental conditions/hazards including extreme heat or cold, rocky terrain, swamp or wetland conditions, biting insects, and potentially dangerous wildlife. The member is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow staff/members or resources.

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety: If a vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, one will be provided by the or ACE.  Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the USFS. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the USFS, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it.  Strict adherence to USFS and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.  

To Apply: Please submit your resume, a cover letter demonstrating your interest and experience, and contact information for three professional/academic references to ACE’s online application page for this position on our website. Early consideration will be given as applications are received. This position may close at any time. If you have any questions regarding this position please feel free to contact Jack Hall, BLM/USFS Assistant Director at jhall@usaconservation.org

EEO:  Employment or Service with ACE is based upon ability, qualifications, attitude, and job-related factors. Every qualified employee, member, or applicant has the same opportunity for recruitment, hire, training, transfer, promotion, compensation, demotion, termination, benefits, employee activities, and general treatment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, creed, national origin, pregnancy, ancestry, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran or military status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital or parental status, political affiliation, ethnicity, hair texture or style, arrest record, caste, hereditary status, endogamy, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal law.