Title: Fossil Creek Survey Lead ( 1 opening)

Start/End Date : May 20, 2024 – November 15, 2024 (anticipated)

Living Stipend: $800 per week ( $600 per week living stipend + $200 housing stipend)

Term : 26 weeks , Full-Time (40 hours per week)

Reports To : Rebecca Miller (Fossil Creek/Wild & Scenic Rivers Coordinator, Coconino National Forest)

Location: 300 East Highway 260, Camp Verde, AZ 86322

Status: 900-hour AmeriCorps Service Term, full-time, temporary

Benefits: AmeriCorps Education Award of $3,247.50 ; Public Lands Corps Certificate*; both with successful completion of the service term. The Corps Network health insurance provided by Cigna, AmeriCorps childcare assistance . Housing may be available.

*To be eligible for a Public Lands Corps certificate, members must be between the ages of 18-30, inclusive, at the time the member begins their term of service.

Arizona Conservation Corps (AZCC):

Arizona Conservation Corps, a program of Conservation Legacy, aims to continue the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930's. AZCC is focused on connecting youth, young adults, and recent era military veterans with conservation service work projects on public lands. AZCC operates programs across Arizona that engage individuals and strengthen communities through service and conservation. AZCC has program offices in Flagstaff and Tucson.

Coconino National Forest:

One of six National Forests in Arizona, the Coconino National Forest comprises 1.856-million acres in northern Arizona, with elevations ranging from 2,600 feet to the highest point in Arizona at 12,633 feet (Humphrey's Peak). Coconino National Forest contains diverse landscapes, including deserts, ponderosa pine forests, flatlands, mesas, alpine tundra, and ancient volcanic peaks. The forest surrounds the towns of Sedona and Flagstaff and contains all or parts of 10 designated wilderness areas.

Fossil Creek:

Fossil Creek, one of two "Wild and Scenic" rivers in Arizona, seems to appear out of nowhere, gushing 20,000 gallons per minute out of a series of springs, known as Fossil Springs, at the bottom of a 1,600 foot deep canyon. Over the years these calcium laden waters have laid down huge deposits of a type of limestone called travertine. That rock-like substance encases whatever happens to fall into the streambed, forming the fossils for which the area is named. Most people come to Fossil Creek to swim, wade, hike and birdwatch. The lushness of the riparian area strikes a sharp contrast to the brittle desert that surrounds it. In 2005, Arizona Public Service (APS) decommissioned the Fossil Creek Dam and Flume, restoring full flows to Fossil Creek. Fossil Creek is a rare riparian area within an otherwise arid landscape. Many plants and wildlife depend on Fossil Creek for habitat, including otters, beavers, leopard frogs, and common black hawks. Fossil Creek has a number of Dilzhé’é (Western Apache) cultural sites. The Dilzhé’é lived along Fossil Creek for generations and several families consider this to be their homeland.

Position Summary:

The Red Rock Ranger District is responsible for gathering an accurate picture of visitor satisfaction every five years to measure and make improvements to their visitor services and permitting systems. This year with the help of the Aldo Leopold Research Institute, the Red Rock Ranger District is looking to create a position to support the administration and data collection of its visitor satisfaction survey along the Fossil Creek permit area. This position will act as the Survey Lead and will be responsible for conducting surveys through a structured exploratory survey method. Methods of collection may include paper handouts, in-person conversations or interviews, and digital online surveys. The collection of this survey information directly impacts the improvement of the Forest Service permitting system in Fossil Creek.

Fossil Creek is a high use visitor area with a varied group of users and interests. It is a protected Wild and Scenic River with many outstanding recreational values, including Yavapai Apache culture, geology, biology, recreation, and water. This survey will directly inform management actions to better protect and conserve this unique resource, along with providing for the best visitor experience possible. Visitor use directly correlates with the health of the Fossil Creek River Corridor, and by collecting this data it will help preserve the entire Fossil Creek ecosystem.

This position will lead, conduct, and collect data for the Fossil Creek visitor satisfaction survey which will require the intern to be out in the field for up to 8 hours per day talking to visitors, asking them to take a survey, and collecting completed surveys. The intern should be comfortable speaking to strangers, being out in the field for hours at a time and exposed to the elements, and be comfortable in the office one or two days a week, entering collected data. Ideally the intern will be able to collect between 250 and 400 completed surveys during their term and have all of that data entered into an online spreadsheet. Interns will receive training in visitor contact, data entry, data management, basic first aid, radio and situational awareness safety, and Forest Service defensive driving.

Essential Responsibilities and Functions:

+ Act as a representative of the Forest Service.

+ Administer surveys through visitor contacts in Fossil Creek to at least 800 Individuals or groups by the end of the term.

+ Collect and organize paper surveys and enter the data into an Excel spreadsheet at Forest Service office.

+ Secure all documents and digital data related to the Fossil Creek survey to ensure confidentiality and data integrity.

+ Supply visitors with information and answer questions about Fossil Creek resources, facilities, and permit system information in order to provide visitors with the best experience possible.

+ Maintain professionalism while working with a diverse and at times challenging user base.

Required Skills

Minimum Qualifications:

+ High School diploma.

+ Experience with Microsoft suite programs (Word, Excel, etc.).

+ Customer service experience and skills such as working, engaging, and interacting with the public.

+ A self-starter that demonstrates professionalism, both in demeanor and appearance.

+ Applicants must pass a criminal history background check and possess a valid driver’s license with a clean driving record.

+ Must be over 21, OR, if under 21, must have had driver’s license for 3 years.

Preferred Qualifications:

+ Possessing a background in the study of natural resources management, recreation management, or social science.

+ Detail oriented.

+ Having an interest in using science for public lands management.

+ Independence and self-motivation.

+ Experience working in hot weather conditions.

Physical Requirements:

+ To successfully perform essential functions, the individual is required to sit, stand, walk, speak, hear, etc. May be required to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl for significant periods of time and be able to safely lift 50 pounds on a routine basis.

+ Ability to hike and work in extreme weather/heat, uneven terrain, and poorly maintained roads and trails. Intern may be subject to a hot and exposed working environment for up to 4 hours each day.

+ Reasonable accommodations may be made for qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Participant Essential Eligibility Requirements:

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 agency/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.

+ Appropriately represent Arizona Conservation Corps, the United States Forest Service, and AmeriCorps to the public and partners at all times.

+ Learn and practice ‘Leave no Trace’ outdoor living techniques.

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. 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 techniques to manage hazards.

+ Stay alert and focused for several hours at a time while traveling and working in varied weather conditions.

+ Respond appropriately to stress or crisis.

+ If taking prescriptions medications, participants must be able to maintain proper dosage by self-medicating without assistance from others.

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.

Interns will have access to government facilities and systems, and will be supplied with access to gov’t vehicles, equipment, and materials needed to work on the projects and activities as outlined above. Interns must adhere to all government regulations and policies for operating equipment, vehicles, security awareness, and safety.

To Apply: Please submit a resume and cover letter along with filling out the online application, by clicking the APPLY button below . If you have questions, contact AZCC’s Individual Placement Coordinator Preston Sands at [email protected] .

For more information about Arizona Conservation Corps, please visit https://azcorps.org/ . Arizona Conservation Corps is a program of Conservation Legacy.

Required Experience