Leadership Development Program

DescriptionMember Position Summary

Members in the Leadership Development Program (LDP) will serve on a recreation & restoration crew, gaining hands-on experience in conservation work alongside targeted training and mentorship in leadership, safety, and technical skills. Service projects may include trail construction and maintenance, hazardous fuels reduction; wildfire fuels reduction and hazardous tree removal, habitat restoration, invasive species treatment, fence installation or removal, cleanup of illegal dumping sites, and decommissioning unauthorized motorized routes.

In addition to restoration work, members will participate in comprehensive crew leadership training. Topics covered will include conflict resolution, mental health first aid, prioritization, performance management, accountability, collaboration, team development, decision-making, and goal-setting. Training is delivered through a combination of classroom instruction, mentorship, and practical field experience.

Upon successful completion of the program and the leadership retreat, members will be eligible to serve as a restoration crew leader, equipped with the skills and confidence needed to lead a crew in the field effectively.

Member Schedule & Location

Members will report to the Great Basin institute’s Offices (field stations) for departure to and return from project sites. Members may serve in the field on 4-day tours, 8-day tours, or a mixture of the two, in an outdoor setting, usually camping in the field for the duration of the tour. Camping locations are often in "front country"

Term of Service & Time Requirements

Members will begin service on February 1st, 2027 and will serve quarter time (450-hour) terms of service. This is an AmeriCorps position; the living allowance is a fixed amount, not an hourly wage or a salary.

•Living Allowance: $676.92/week before taxes

•Per Diem: $15/day spent in the field. This is in addition to your Living Allowance and on average is $120.00 biweekly. Crews typically combine per diem funds and shop/prepare meals as a team

•TOTAL BIWEEKLY ALLOWANCE: $1,473.84 (pre-tax)

Shared Housing Option:

Shared housing may be available for non-locals upon request. Housing will be sourced locally in the field station city (i.e. Las Vegas area).

Segal Education Award:

Members who successfully complete their term of service are eligible to receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $1,956.35. You can use the award to repay qualified student loans and to pay current educational expenses at eligible institutions of higher education and training programs.

Student Loan Forbearance:

If you are currently paying on any federal student loans you have the option to put those loans into forbearance during your time as an AmeriCorps volunteer, that will allow you to cease payments while serving.

Interest Accrual Repayment:

As an AmeriCorps alum, you are eligible to have the National Service Trust pay all or a portion of the interest that accumulated on your qualified student loan(s) during your term of service. These payments are made in addition to the Education Award, and are not deducted from your Education Award balance. To be eligible to have accrued interest paid: The loan must have been placed in forbearance for the service period, and you must have successfully completed a term of service and received an Education Award.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Eligibility:

AmeriCorps Volunteers qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Insurance:

Health, Dental, Vision insurance, and $25,000 Life/AD&D policy paid 100% by GBI. Eligible to enroll first day of month following first day of service

Statement of supplantation, duplication or displacement of staff:

These positions do not duplicate work of previous or existing employees or volunteers, supplant the hiring of workers, or include service or duties that have been performed or were performed by a current employee, an employee who recently resigned or was discharged, an employee subject to a reduction in workforce, or an employee who is on leave.

Service Environment Description and Inclusive Position Description Statement: Inclusive Position Description:

This program prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, gender, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or disability. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. The functions of this position may be completed with or without reasonable accommodations.

Program Mission and/or Goals:

Nevada Conservation Corps harnesses the energy and idealism of youth to meet the needs of Nevada public lands and communities. The NCC promotes ecological literacy through field research and direct conservation service. The NCC provides students and young professionals opportunities to make meaningful contributions toward protecting and conserving Nevada’s natural heritage, while also gaining valuable work experience in the natural resource management field.

Additional Guidelines or Expectations:

While serving in the field, members will adhere to a strict uniform and personal protective equipment policy as dictated by the specific project requirements and as outlined in NCC or partnering agency policy, including the display of an AmeriCorps logo while in service. Members will be required to participate in any additional service events as required by AmeriCorps. Arrangements for service events will be made by NCC staff, and members will be notified well in advance of the service event.

Evaluation & Reporting:

Members will receive an end of term performance evaluation, and mid-term evaluation if serving for 6 months or more. Members must submit a weekly member service log (timesheet) in OnCorps for review by their Host Site Supervisor. Members are also expected to provide or contribute to a weekly or quarterly report of work accomplishments and service provided. The frequency of these reports will depend on the members? service activities and the report contents will be discussed in the member’s orientation to the program.

Fire Mitigation.

To help reduce fuels and fire hazards and to create defensible space in the wildland-urban interface, regional land managers have conducted thinning-piling-burning treatments that have effectively demonstrated the value and need of addressing forest conditions through varied fuels reduction strategies. In efforts to reduce high surface fuel loads and potential wildfire severity, a variety of fuel treatments have been applied, evaluated, and assessed for viability and positive conservation outcomes. Studies of common fuels reduction management practices have offered researchers opportunities to quantitatively measure their efficacy in wildfires. Using the availability of data on pre-wildfire conditions, data collected after a fire offers necessary information to assess the effects of different types of fuel treatments. Such research considers tree mortality and tree damage in the context of wildfire severity and is evaluated in randomized controlled trial (RTC) study units, with thin-only treatments, thinning followed by prescribed burning treatments, and no treatment (Chambers et al. 2014). Such comparative field trials have provided resource managers with definitive evidence to determine which fuel treatment methods will be the most successful at reducing fuels and mitigating wildfire severity. Research also indicates fuel treatments favorably impact fire behavior, vegetation, water, and overall diversity within the riparian areas. Corps members will reduce fuels through varied prescriptions, thereby improving forest health and lessening fire risk.

Fire Restoration.

As the number, size, and severity of wildfires escalate across the western U.S., so does the need for post­ fire rehabilitative efforts. With the increase in post-fire restoration, researchers examined and quantified the effectiveness and ecological effects of these treatments. Studies included an evidence-based review of post-fire seeding literature and an assessment of Forest Service Burned Area Reports to examine seeding trends and the probability of successful restoration actions. Forty papers and sixty-seven Burned Area Reports dated between 1970 and 2006 reflect an increased use of native species during seeding treatments over time and reveal marked improvements to rangeland recovery (Chambers et al. 2014).