AmeriCorps Crew Member – Advanced Felling & Rigging Crew

Title: Crew Member- Advanced Felling and Rigging Crew

Reports to: Crew Leader, Program Coordinator

Location:  Crew will be based out of Chattanooga, TN, camping and working within the Cherokee National Forest

Start/end date: 1/29/24-4/26/24

Status: This is a full-time, seasonal, 13-week- 450-hour AmeriCorps National Service position

Stipend: $600/week, paid biweekly. A $1,824.07 AmeriCorps Education Award upon successful completion of the program

Other Benefits: Rigging training, Public Land Corps Hiring Authority Certificate (upon successful completion of hours) food & transportation provided while in the field overnight, uniform shirts, personal protective equipment, and other developmental opportunities as available

Crew Structure: 1 Crew Leader, 1 Assistant Crew Leader, 4 Crew Members

Southeast Conservation Corps:
Engaging future leaders who protect, restore, and enhance our nation’s lands through community-based service.

Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC), a program of Conservation Legacy, is a non-profit, AmeriCorps-affiliated organization. SECC selects young adults, ages 18-30, to complete conservation work 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. SECC is also an active member of the AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team (A-DRT), and as such, selected crews may be deployed on Disaster response projects for up to 30 days.

SECC works with various land management agencies in Tennessee and Southeast regions, such as the United States Forest Service, National Park Service, State Parks, and conservation-based non-profits. Projects vary but include trail construction and maintenance, ecosystem restoration, habitat restoration, fire fuel reduction, public land fencing, invasive weed removal, herbicide applications, and many others. The project work is manual labor based, and most projects require a hike into and out of the project site daily carrying tools and a day pack.

Crews work in front-country and backcountry locations in all types of weather conditions. Schedules may vary, but generally are 9 days on and 5 days off for camping crews. Workdays are 10-hour shifts with scheduled breaks throughout the day. Depending on project work and location, other schedule variations may be implemented. While the staff at SECC works to provide consistency throughout the season, personal flexibility is expected and should be prepared for when entering the term, as schedules, times, and work locations are subject to change per project needs.

SECC is an independent, non-residential program. Crew Members are responsible for finding and attaining their housing when not in the field. On-hitch crews prepare all their meals and work together to complete all necessary chores. Community/camp chores will be completed every evening, with many evenings including group discussions, conservation, and/or corps-related topics. The Crew Members must supply their outdoor gear and equipment, such as a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, day pack, multi-day pack, work pants, hiking/work boots, etc. SECC will provide group camp equipment, tools, protective gear, and transportation between SECC Office and project sites.

Expectations of an SECC Corps member:

• Expect to work long days in a frontcountry or backcountry location. Workdays will include hiking and strenuous labor in remote settings in all weather conditions.
• SECC is a non-residential program, meaning crew members are responsible for attaining and paying for their housing when not in the field.
• Crews prepare all their meals while in-field and work together to complete all necessary chores. Community/camp chores will be completed every evening, with many evenings including group discussions on conservation and/or corps-related topics.
• Crew members must supply their outdoor gear and equipment, such as a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, day pack, multi-day pack, work pants, hiking/work boots, etc. SECC will provide group camp equipment, tools, protective gear, and transportation between the SECC office and project sites.
• While serving a term of National Service, SECC crews are expected to work in diverse team settings.  Respect for all members of the program, our partners, the public, and the land they are visiting is expected.
• SECC expects members to represent the program professionally.  Crew life will include our corps values of challenge, stewardship, dedication, community, integrity, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
• Members are expected to be timely, hardworking, flexible, and complete all functions of tasks assigned.

Project Work:

Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC) and the Cherokee National Forest have partnered to host an advanced flinging and rigging crew. The crew will be based out of the SECCs Chattanooga, TN office and travel to the Cherokee National Forest to primarily work along the Citico Creek Watershed. The crew will use chainsaws to fell selected trees and then utilize grip hoist rigging techniques to manually place the trees in pre-identified reaches of streams identified by Cherokee National Forest Fisheries Biologists and Hydrologists. The crew will work collaboratively to aid in the restoration of aquatic habitats for native aquatic species by installing large woody habitat structures in streams of the Cherokee National Forest. Although orientations will be implemented, applicants with a strong background in chainsaw felling and rigging are encouraged to apply.

Crew Life:

SECC Members serve on a crew model variation of 4-6 other Crew Members and 2 Crew Leaders who provide project expertise, mentorship, training, and support for the success of all participants. Food is provided while in the field. Crews work together to plan meals and complete all necessary chores (cooking, washing dishes, etc.). Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated if known ahead of time. Many evenings include group discussions on conservation topics.  Members will camp, travel, work, and eat as a crew when living on-site. No drug or alcohol consumption is allowed during work-related travel at any time.

SECC supports a culture of feedback and growth. Crew Members will set goals at the beginning of the season and review their performance through self-evaluation and a review with their Crew Leader in the middle and end of their season. Evaluations will cover professionalism, responsibility and leadership, communication, engagement, productivity, safety, and equipment use. Crew Members will also be asked to evaluate their Crew Leaders’ performance, the overall program, and their experience at the end of their term.

Hitch Schedule: 

This position will operate on a variable “hitch” schedule, but generally, it will follow 9 days on and 5 days off for camping crews. Workdays follow a 10-hour shift with scheduled time for breaks. While the staff at SECC work to provide consistency throughout the season, personal flexibility is expected and should be prepared for when entering the term, as schedules, times, and work locations are subject to change per project needs.  Applicants should be prepared to camp during hitches for the season, with lodging provided on a case-by-case basis when possible.

While the staff at SECC and partners work to provide consistency throughout the season, personal flexibility is expected and should be prepared for when entering the term, as schedules, times, and work locations are subject to change per project needs.

 Minimum Qualifications: 

• Must be between ages 18 and 30 and up to 35 if a military veteran.
• Must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident and provide primary documentation to support this.
• Must be cleared through an acceptable check of the National Sex Offender Public Registry, as well as state and federal Criminal History Checks
• Must have a high school diploma, GED, or agree to work toward attaining either during term of service (this is essential to obtaining and using the AmeriCorps Education Award)

  Preferred Qualifications:

• Current A Bucker Chainsaw Certification and ready for an A Faller test
• A general comfort and previous knowledge of working/living in an outdoor setting.
• Must have a high school diploma, GED, or agree to work toward attaining either during the term of service (this is essential to obtaining and using the AmeriCorps Education Award)

Compensation:   
AmeriCorps members will receive an AmeriCorps living stipend of $600 per week before taxes, dispersed biweekly. Upon successful completion of the term of service, AmeriCorps members will earn an AmeriCorps Segal Education Award to be used for student loans, qualifying programs/classes, or tuition for traditional Title IV accredited colleges.

Safety and Judgment 

• Effectively communicate danger to others in the form of either a warning of danger others may be encountering or a notification of personal distress, injury, or need for assistance. You must be able to do so at a distance of up to 50 meters and in conditions with limited visibility or loud background noise, such as darkness or high winds.
• Effectively perceive, understand, and follow directions from others so that you will be able to execute appropriate and perhaps unfamiliar techniques to manage hazards successfully. These directions may be given before the hazard is encountered or must be given during exposure to the hazard.
• Stay alert and focused for several hours while traveling and working in varied weather conditions.
• Perceive and comprehend significant and apparent hazards, including those previously identified by others.
• Respond appropriately to stress or crises.
• If taking prescription medications, participants must be able to maintain proper dosage by self-medicating without assistance from others.

Outdoor Skills and Fitness (where appropriate)

• Learn and safely perform fundamental outdoor living/travel and work skills appropriate to the project. Additionally, remain adequately hydrated, fed, and appropriately dressed to remain generally healthy and safe, avoiding environmental injuries.
• Live in a physically demanding, possibly remote environment for an uninterrupted period of up to several weeks. Conditions of this environment may vary significantly and include severe and/or trying weather. The remoteness is such that it may require a minimum of one hour, but perhaps over 12 hours, to reach the nearest advanced medical care.

Substance Free

In accordance with a drug-free workplace, alcohol, and drugs are prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and program activities and while on organization property.

Equal Employment Opportunity

This program is available to all, regardless of 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.

To Apply: Complete the Application and upload a cover letter and resume.

Any questions can be addressed to:

Ray Wilson

Recruitment Coordinator

[email protected]