Position Website and Application Information
Mission
We conserve, care for, and connect with lands and waters essential to life in the Inland Northwest.
Vision
We envision a future of interconnected natural habitats throughout the Inland Northwest, supporting thriving populations of native plants and wildlife, respected and enjoyed by all who call this region home.
Position Summary
The Inland Northwest Land Conservancy (INLC) is pleased to announce the opening of a new staff position in the organization. We are seeking a highly motivated individual who is dedicated to the conservation and stewardship of lands in the Inland Northwest.
The Stewardship Assistant would be responsible for managing Inland Northwest Land Conservancy’s owned lands: Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve and Saltese Uplands Addition. Land management includes basic land management tasks like treating weeds and maintaining the forest for habitat, but also involves communicating and coordinating with the community to care for the land and harnessing the power of volunteers to steward INLC lands in perpetuity. Additionally, the Stewardship Assistant position will support other stewardship work, like preparing baseline resource reports, monitoring conservation easements, and maintaining our stewardship database and digital files.
This position, like all positions at INLC, may evolve to fit the needs of conservation and stewardship in our region. The ideal applicant will be able to learn and grow in their position, be flexible as situations change, and voice interests and strengths so the position can evolve in a compatible manner.
Duties and Responsibilities
Preserve Management (50-60%)
- Develop and maintain preserve management and habitat enhancement plans that can be used both internally and externally to communicate about our work, and work with local experts to create effective plans.
- Hands-on management of INLC-owned land:
- Fence repair
- Designing and posting boundary and interior signage
- Weed management
- Forest health management
- Native species planting and maintenance
- Addressing hazards like slash piles, dumping, and illegal uses
- Communicating with neighbor groups, volunteers, and other interested parties to help care for the land or provide information about our work.
- Coordinating and communicating with contractors and partners
- Weed management
- Washington Conservation Corps Crews
- S. Fish & Wildlife Service
- Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
- Spokane County & Public Works
- Tools & Supplies management
- Limited budgeting for preserve management work
Volunteer Coordination (20-30%)
- Support the current Volunteer Land Steward (VLS) Program by training and orienting new stewards, and coordinating and communicating with trained stewards.
- Plan and lead all work parties needed to support Preserve Management (ex. native species planting, doghair thinning, weed pulling)
- Update website (WordPress) and donor database (Little Green Light) with work parties and volunteer events.
- Maintain stewardship database (Landscape) for VLS use.
Other Stewardship Tasks (20-30%)
- Assist with writing baseline resource reports for new protected properties
- Monitoring and stewardship of conservation easements and communicating effectively with easement landowners
- Land protection records archiving and file organization
- Landscape database maintenance
Required Qualifications
- A demonstrated commitment to land conservation and stewardship and INLC’s mission and vision.
- Bachelor’s Degree in conservation, ecology, or related natural resources field.
- Excellent speaking, written communication, and presentation skills.
- Ability to be flexible, multi-task, perform under pressure, and work both independently and as part of a team.
- Ability to work with diverse people and develop positive working relationships with co-workers, agencies, and other partners and stakeholders.
- Practical problem-solving and organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to walk over two miles over rough terrain, navigate in remote areas, sometimes in dense vegetation.
- Ability to work independently under physically demanding conditions, including extreme cold and heat, and be able to lift 50 pounds.
- Must be able to work some non-standard hours, including some evenings and weekends.
- Must be competent with standard computer software including Word, Excel, Zoom and other remote-work platforms, internet, and email. Experience working with Esri products like ArcGIS and/or databases is preferred.
- Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation are required.
Desired Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities
The ideal applicant will have knowledge of:
- Basic forest management and/or habitat enhancement or restoration practices
- How to effectively lead volunteers
- Land management plans and how to write them
- How to handle troublesome or illegal use of public land – dumping, graffiti, or non-permitted uses like ORVs
- Local native species and methods of promoting their community development
- Local noxious weeds and how to effectively treat them, ideally without chemical
- Creating opportunities for partners, supporters, and grantors to invest in on-the-ground projects
