Title: Open Areas Management Team

Positions: 1 lead and 2 regular members

Location: Based out of Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area, Marion, VA

Dates of Service: April 13th, 2026 – October 2nd, 2026 (25-week term)

Pay: Lead: $800/week ($600/living stipend + $200/additional benefit

Regular: $760/week ($600/living stipend + $160/additional benefit)

Status: This is a full-time, temporary 900-hour minimum AmeriCorps National Service position.

Questions? Contact ACCrecruiting@conservationlegacy.org

Please submit a resume and cover letter with your application. Applications will be accepted through February 28th.

Appalachian Conservation Corps:

Our Individual Placement program works to connect young people to conservation service work across Appalachia and neighboring communities in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, DC, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. ACC is a program of Conservation Legacy, a nationwide network of conservation organizations.

As an AmeriCorps program, participants commit to a term of service at their placement site in order to gain hands-on experience and a variety of benefits to help them succeed in achieving their career goals. ACC welcomes national applicants, but also emphasizes the engagement of local individuals who represent the communities in which they serve.

Position Summary:

The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests (GWJNF) lie in 34 counties in the mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The area covers nearly 1.8 million acres of public land, representing one of the largest blocks of public land in the eastern United States. We have six Ranger Districts and one National Recreation Area. These positions will serve to help the forest recover from storm events in 2023-2024 and build a more resilient forest landscape, from forest health, recreation management, and ecosystem restoration.

The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests and Appalachian Conservation Corps are seeking 3 Open Areas Management IP’s in 2026. The purpose of rangeland management in Virginia is to conserve open areas for the habitat diversity critical to wildlife, the economic value of grazing areas to the community, and the aesthetic value of alpine vistas to recreation. Rangeland management operates within the wildlife department of the Forest Service.

During their term, members will get to work outdoors alongside a crew in the beautiful highlands of Virginia, gaining valuable experience supported by USFS staff. Open areas management in southwest Virginia involves barbed wire fence construction and seeding on grazing allotments, and management of invasive plant species mechanically using brush cutters, chainsaws, and mowing, and chemically through the use of herbicides. Bird and botany surveys, small animal trapping, and water quality monitoring are also key to managing a healthy ecosystem. This is a physically demanding position that will require working outdoors using tools and equipment.