Position Title: Biological Science Technician USFS Fisheries– AmeriCorps Individual Placement 

Conservation Legacy Program: Southeast Conservation Corps

Site Location: Cherokee National Forest

Address: 4900 Asheville Highway, Greeneville, TN 37743

Position Available: 2

Terms of Service:

Start Date: 03/24/25

End Date: 09/12/25

Weeks: 24 Weeks

AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 900 hr

Purpose:

Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC) is a non-profit, AmeriCorps-affiliated organization. This individual placement is in partnership with the National Park Service and is an AmeriCorps Position.

SECC empowers young adults to cultivate compassion, responsibility, and grit through community service and environmental stewardship.  

SECC selects young adults, ages 18-30, to complete conservation projects on public lands throughout the Southeast. SECC programs encourage environmental stewardship, foster community partnerships, and emphasize experiential learning. SECC serves a diverse population that is representative of the Southeast, including youth, graduates, veterans, and a cross-section of ethnicities and income levels.  

The mission of the Watershed and Fisheries Department of the US Forest Service, Cherokee National Forest, is to conserve and restore healthy fish populations and aquatic resources within national forests and grasslands. By managing habitats, serving with partners, and providing opportunities for public enjoyment through fishing and other water-based recreation, the department ensures the sustainability of these ecosystems.

Position Overview:

SECC individual placements will provide individuals with service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Individual placements participate with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits, building institutional capacity, developing community relationships, and supporting ecosystem health.

The individual placement will ensure efficient and effective service assignment completion by assisting the Fisheries Biologist and Hydrologist with field equipment maintenance and condition assessment and reporting any deficient equipment and repair needs. Additional duties may include assisting with fisheries-related stream restoration project tasks and occasional, limited inter-departmental serve with hydrology, archaeology, recreation, fire, wildlife, silviculture, engineering, or administration.

Individual placements will assist the department by maintaining and collecting long-term monitoring site data, including macroinvertebrates, substrate, habitat, large woody debris, canopy, seining, minnow trapping, and electrofishing, all to monitor and ultimately improve aquatic ecosystem health on the forest. 

The aforementioned project tasks and implementation will result in several improved stream miles in target watersheds on forest service property, including aquatic habitat improvement and restoration, improved stream connectivity at road-stream crossing barriers, post-disaster event cleanup of waterways, and more.

Description of Duties:

Support the fisheries biologist and hydrologist to improve aquatic ecosystem health and watershed function.

• Technicians will serve on the North Zone of the Cherokee National Forest (Unaka & Watauga Ranger Districts). The primary duty station will be the Unaka Ranger Station but technicians may be asked to report to any of those duty stations during their tenure. 
• Technicians must possess a valid driver’s license and will be required to pass driver’s history in order to be issued a certification to operate a Forest Service vehicle. 
• The induvial placements will serve a relatively flexible schedule, minimum 80 hours bi-weekly, and are expected to report to the office at 0730 daily unless otherwise discussed, specified, and approved.
• Technicians must be comfortable serving independently outside in terrestrial and aquatic habitats.  Some duties may be physically demanding and occur in a variety of environmental conditions.
• Technicians will be asked to utilize various hand tools and scientific equipment including but not limited to electrofishing equipment, battery powered pruners, grip hoists, etc. to perform fisheries habitat enhancement projects. 
• Technicians should also be comfortable assisting with educational outreach efforts and leading programs with school groups and the public. 
• Duties will include supporting the fisheries and watershed restoration and monitoring program as well as assisting with the freshwater snorkeling program.  Technicians may also be exposed to other resource areas including wildlife, botany, timber, fire, recreation, and engineering. 
• Primary tasks associated with the fisheries and watershed program could include collecting data pertaining to fish population dynamics, assisting with hellbender monitoring surveys, macroinvertebrate biomonitoring, physical stream habitat surveys, and participate in stream restoration projects.  Technicians will learn and use established monitoring protocols and techniques to assess stream health and aquatic biological communities.
• Snorkeling program tasks include assisting groups, leading or supporting educational programs, and handling logistics.

Potential environmental/human risk involved with this service plan activity: Technicians must be comfortable serving independently outside terrestrial and aquatic habitats.  Some duties may be physically demanding and occur in various environmental conditions. 

Qualifications:

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• At least 18 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.
• Ability to lift up to 50lbs.
• You must possess a valid driver's license.
• You must be able to swim.

 Preferred Qualifications:

• Chainsaw experience or formal sawyer training.
• Experience utilizing ArcGIS Pro and GIS applications. 

Transportation:

A personal vehicle is not required but is strongly recommended due to the limited public transportation. USFS vehicles will be provided for forest transportation only. AgLearn (USDA Training Portal) training, in-person driving test, and on-the-job training must be cleared.

Physical Requirements:

Conservation Legacy is committed to fully including 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, the ability to move across varied terrain, and the use of 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 move objects. Some positions may also require the ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Time Requirements:

Typically, this position is expected to serve Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week - but exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service.

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

Orientation and Training:

• Members will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Members will receive on-the-job training for all performed tasks listed above.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award: $3,697.50
• Living Allowance: $680 per week.
• Possible student loan forbearance.
• Members Assistance Program – 3 free support sessions with a counseling or service-life balance specialist.
• Uniform shirts
• Professional development opportunities (mentorship, resume support, etc.) and exposure to natural resource career paths.

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
• Monthly Accomplishment Report
• Narrative Monthly Report.
• Bi-Monthly Check-Ins
• Midterm and Final Evals
• Exiting Task

Substance Free:

Per a drug-free environment, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and program activities and while on organization property. 

If you have questions about the position, please contact:

Andy Balch

NZ Fish Biologist

Cherokee National Forest

andrew.balch@usda.gov

If you have questions about the application process, please contact:

Ray Wilson

Individual Placement Coordinator

Southeast Conservation Corps

rwilson@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.