Great Smoky Mountains Trail Crew Member

Title: Great Smoky Mountains Trail Crew

Reports to: Crew Leader, Field Supervisor

Locations: Crew will be based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Project work will take place within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Season Dates: May 23 – October 14, 2022

Status: Seasonal, Full-time, Exempt

Crew Structure: 6 Crew Members, 1 Assistant Crew Leader, 1 Staff Crew Leader

Wages: $400 per week, paid biweekly. A $2,417.14 AmeriCorps Education Award upon successful completion of the program

Benefits:

• Food and transportation provided while in the field overnight
• Uniform shirts and personal protective equipment
• PLC Hiring Authority
• Rigging and rock work training
• Other training opportunities offered as available

Southeast Conservation Corps:

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.

Position Summary:

SECC, Trails Forever, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are teaming up to complete a full-scale rehabilitation of Ramsey Cascades Trail. This trail is one of the most popular trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and has long been suffering from severe erosion problems which has led to environmental safety hazards.

SECC’s Great Smoky Mountains Trail crew will work alongside the Trails Forever crew to perform heavy manual labor projects related to trail construction and trail maintenance. Project work may include but is not limited to:

• Technical rock work
• Grip hoist/rigging
• Timber work
• Bridge construction/maintenance
• Tread work/erosion control

“Hitch” schedules may vary, but generally 5 days in the field followed by 2 days off, OR 9 days on followed by 5 days off. Members will be expected to report to the SECC office in Chattanooga on the first day. Transportation from the office to Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be provided. Driving of personal vehicles into the field is not permitted.

The crew will tent camp at a designated campsite while in the field. Workdays are typically 8-10 hours with scheduled breaks throughout the day. Depending on project work and location, other schedule variations may be implemented. 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.

Expectations of an SECC Corpsmember:

• Expect to work long days in a frontcountry or backcountry location. Workdays will contain 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 own housing when not in the field.
• Crews prepare all their own meals and work together as a group 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 own personal 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.
• 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 in a professional manner.  Crew life will include our corps values of challenge, stewardship, dedication, community, integrity, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
• Crew members work together to learn and apply new environmental conservation skills/restoration skills/outdoor-living skills, actively participate in environmental education activities, practice appropriate safety procedures in all tasks assigned, and use, maintain and repair hand and power tools as necessary.
• Members are expected to be timely, hardworking, flexible, and complete all functions of tasks assigned.
• A general comfort and previous knowledge of working/living in an outdoor setting is preferred.

  Minimum Qualifications: 

• Must be between ages 18 and 30
• 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)
• Must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the first day of employment and able to provide proof of vaccination before starting

Compensation:
AmeriCorps members will receive an AmeriCorps living stipend of $400 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.

Participation and Expedition Behavior

• Work effectively as a member of a team despite potentially stressful and difficult conditions. This may require problem-solving on an interpersonal or group level as well as a willingness to accept differences
• Contribute to a safe learning environment; no harassment of others for any reason.
• Willingness and ability to complete all aspects of the program including conservation projects, education, training and national service. Members must commit to participating in all crew/team activities, including service days in local communities where applicable.
• Effectively communicate ideas and concerns as they arise directly to supervisors, colleagues and organization staff.
• Have the cognitive ability to learn necessary skills and apply them to effectively carry out the service work requirements
• Appropriately represent the Program and AmeriCorps to the public and project partners at all times.

 
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 direction by others so that you will be able to successfully execute appropriate and perhaps unfamiliar techniques to manage hazards. These directions may be given before the hazard is encountered or may need to be given during exposure to the hazard.
• Stay alert and focused for several hours at a time while traveling and working in varied weather conditions
• Perceive and comprehend significant and apparent hazards, including those hazards 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 as appropriate to the project. Additionally, remain adequately hydrated, fed, and properly dressed so as 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 may include severe and/or trying weather. The remoteness is such that it may require at a minimum one hour, but perhaps in excess of 12 hours, to reach the nearest advanced medical care.

Substance Free: In accordance to a drug free workplace, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and program activities and while on organization property.

This program is available to all eligible applicants, without regard to race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or religion.

To Apply: Complete the Application by visiting southeastconservationcorps.org/open-positions, upload cover letter and resume if available.

Any questions can be addressed to:

Kelsey Durr, Field Supervisor

[email protected]