Title: Adult Crew Leader in Development (CLDP)– AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Southwest Conservation Corps

Site Location: Salida, CO

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 05/12/2025

• End Date: 10/31/2025

• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 675 Hours

Purpose:

Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) is a non-profit, AmeriCorps-affiliated organization, whose mission is to Engage future leaders who protect, restore, and enhance our nation’s lands through community-based service. The SCC Los Valles (LV) office is located on the ancestral lands of the Ute people, who continue to survive and thrive on these lands today. The SCC LV office is in Salida, Colorado with satellite operations in Alamosa, CO. SCC LV serves the Arkansas River Valley and the San Luis Valley: the two valleys, or los valles. The SCC Los Valles Adult Program engages motivated young adults, ages 18 - 30, to complete challenging and impactful conservation and service projects. Projects may include trail construction & maintenance, habitat improvement, invasive species mitigation, hazardous fuels reduction, habitat restoration, and local environmental service projects. Crews may also complete technical and/or specialized projects depending on project partner needs, including disaster relief if the opportunity arises.

This is an entry level position focused on development. We welcome applications from candidates who may not have all the skills listed below. This position provides extensive training during the spring season, meant to prepare CLDPs for leading summer and fall crews. This position is an opportunity to make a difference in young people’s lives. Roving Field Technicians will be looked to as mentors, educators, and facilitators for young adults, working to increase resiliency, build confidence and to be positive role models for their members.

The Roving Field Technician is an AmeriCorps Position that consists of two phases. The first phase focuses on orientation, training and development during a 4-week crew leader training period. This phase will be done alongside other Roving Field Technicians, Crew Leader and Crew Leaders in Development and will include a Leadership skills week, Chainsaw training (Developing Thinking Sawyers), technical trails training week, and a field prep week. The second phase focuses on implementation, hitch work and continued leadership development. Each Roving Field Technician will then work both independently and under the mentorship and support of Staff to rotate among field crews to provide support. Roving Field Technicians will also be responsible for assisting Crew Leaders in ensuring the physical safety and emotional well-being of crews in the field and function as a liaison between field crew needs and Staff.

Description of Duties:

The Adult Program will consist of 5, 8 person crews that will serve in front and backcountry locations in all weather conditions. The Roving Field technicians will be assigned to join in with crews and participate in the standard schedule of 8 days on-hitch and 6 days off, with some exceptions. While on-hitch, the Roving Field Technicians will be expected to camp with crews, prepare all meals together, and serve together as a group to complete all projects and chores. SCC does not provide accommodations during off-hitch and the applicant will be responsible for their own accommodation during that time. With assistance from Staff, Roving Field Technicians will be expected to conform to the designated crews in which they are assigned each hitch to help with completing technical conservation projects while instilling interpersonal skills and leadership skills. Roving Field Technicians will also be responsible for environmental stewardship, risk management, trauma-informed care, and restorative justice, with supporting crews in the field. The Roving Field Technician may also become a stand-in at any time for any CLDP, Leader or Member, as designated by Staff.

At SCC Los Valles, we hold that social equity and environmental justice are the responsibility of all. We will be running the following crews during the 2025 season and this position will be expected to support them equally:

• Chainsaw crews – A crew for young adults that serves primarily in front country settings, focusing on sustainable forestry, fuels reduction, or invasive species removal (with the potential to use herbicide)
• Conservation/Trail crews – A crew for young adults that serves in both backcountry and front country settings, focusing on trails and a variety of conservation projects.
• Youth Crews - A crew of youth ages 15-18 that serve on both camping hitches and day crews, focusing on trails and conservation projects.

Responsibilities & Core Competencies:

Leadership & Mentorship

• Embody equity, ensure inclusion, and embrace diversity (equity, inclusion, and diversity) within the corps. This includes but is not limited to:

• Lead and participate in Land Acknowledgements that recognize Indigenous communities who have historically and continue to steward the Los Valles region

• Model a restorative justice approach to disciplinary incidents

• Facilitate and engage in environmental education that includes the fraught history of public lands in the United States

• Employ a trauma-informed approach to building crew dynamics and addressing interpersonal conflict

• Be accountable to ensuring the SCC Los Valles community centers the experiences of members of historically marginalized populations, including Black, Indigenous, Queer, Trans and Women of Color (QTBIPOC), and young adults with systems-involvement

• Foster 21st century work skills in corps members, i.e.: collaboration & teamwork, creativity & imagination, critical thinking, problem-solving, flexibility & adaptability

• Model strong communication and conflict transformation skills

• Learn from Crew Leaders and Staff throughout the season, progressively taking on more leadership throughout the season.

• Routinely check-in with Staff and Leaders to create and maintain a culture of feedback

• Follow all SCC policies, maintain professional boundaries, and appropriately represent Southwest Conservation Corps and AmeriCorps. This includes creating a substance free work environment, refraining from the use of alcohol and drugs while participating in the program.

Project Management & Implementation

• Assist with instructing, training & motivating a crew to complete high quality technical conservation projects.

• Implement a 10-hour workday and ensure professionalism is maintained at camp.

• Delegate project work & camp chores.

• Effectively coordinate logistics with project partners, co-leader, other roving field techs & SCC staff.

Safety & Risk Management

• Monitor, manage, and promote crew’s physical and emotional safety on and off the work site.
• Exhibit strong situational awareness at worksite and campsite.
• Transport crew and equipment safely in SCC’s vans and large SUVs with trailers.
• Work independently in a safe manner, ensuring situational awareness and communication at all times.

Environmental Stewardship

• Must have a genuine enjoyment and desire for caring for the land while living and working outdoors in a variety of environmental conditions.

• Desire to learn the technical skills needed to effectively maintain public lands.

Qualifications:

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien

• At least 17 years of age

• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of elementary or 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

• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check.

• Must have had a driver’s license for 3 consecutive years with a clean driving record (insurable by SCC), and a current driver’s license.

• For leading crews with a chainsaw component (Chainsaw crews, LOC and W+): ability to test out at a B-level in chainsaw during crew leader training season.

• Must hold (or be willing to obtain) current/relevant medical certification (WFR, WEMT, or OEC) with CPR/AED.

• Outdoor leadership experience with youth and/or young adults.

Physical Requirements:

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. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Time Requirements:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve 8 days, serving 10 hours each day, followed by 6 days off, but exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service

• Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

• Physically fit and able to serve 40-50 hr. work weeks

Orientation and Training:

This AmeriCorps position requires that the participant spends 4 weeks in a crew leader training period, which will include a Leadership skills week, Chainsaw training, technical trails training, and prep week.

• Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Trainings provided include: Forest Service-recognized Chainsaw & Cross-cut training, Technical Trails Training, Restorative Justice Training, Trauma-Informed Care Training, QPR training, & other development opportunities.
• Wilderness Medicine: Roving Field Technicians are provided with Wilderness First Aid/CPR/AED training.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $3697.50 available at completion of service term. Award amount dependent upon length of service term.

• Living Allowance of $600/week

• Additional Benefit of $250/week

• Healthcare Coverage if Eligible

• Childcare Coverage if Eligible

• Loan forbearance if Eligible

• Interest Payments if Eligible

• Other Benefits:

• 5 paid days off in August between summer member season and fall member season.

• Food provided while in the field, uniforms, protective equipment, access to Employee Assistance Program provided.

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of 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.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

Adult Program Director Contact information:

Alix Jensen ajensen@conservationlegacy.org

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the recipient shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages.

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with AmeriCorps requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.