Position Title: Recreation Internship

Organization: Environment for the Americas

Location: Wellston, MI

Overview: The Recreation Intern will help maintain the area’s developed recreation sites to standard, update and/or develop recreation education and outreach materials, actively participate in various restoration projects, and engage volunteers. The intern will participate in field-going operations including evaluating and maintaining facilities, water systems, trails, fences, signage, and special uses; identifying and treating hazard trees; collecting spatial and tabular data for planning efforts; and building strong relationships with partners and volunteers. The successful candidate will need to be self-motivated, able to work with a wide array of the public in a variety of settings, and capable of identifying and implementing environmental stewardship projects in ways that are consistent with management plans. This work will, at times, be physically strenuous and will be conducted outdoors in variable weather conditions. All interns must be fully vaccinated for covid-19 prior to the start of their internship.

Duties:

• Contact visitors to provide information about recreation regulations, opportunities, and current restrictions. Provide information about resource management practices in the area.
• Maintain contact with Campground Host(s).
• Check for compliance with regulations, issue notices for common violations, and report other violations to supervisor.
• Serve as a fee collection officer. At designated fee sites, collect monies from sale of recreation use permits and safeguard money and unused permits.
• Assure recreation area and trails are maintained in accordance with standards. Construct and rehabilitate minor recreation facilities and trails. Make safety checks of public use areas and take corrective action.
• Clean roadside and backcountry dispersed sites. Naturalize sites where necessary in order to control use and prevent resource damage. Install and maintain information boards, travel signs, regulatory signs, and other signs associated with recreation sites, trails, travel management, and safety.
• Complete campsite, river corridor, and recreation site monitoring using latest technology.
• May be required to obtain Forest Protection Officer certification and perform law enforcement responsibilities using all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), watercrafts, and snowmobiles to patrol unit roads, trails, or waterways ensuring protection of forest property, land, and visitors.
• Plan and implement logistics required for river patrols and river-based projects using Leave No trace principals. Operate an oar/paddle raft, kayak, or comparable water craft.
• Perform other duties as assigned. May be required to wear Forest Service uniform and drive government vehicles including trailers.

Work Environment: The Cadillac/Manistee Ranger District of the Huron-Manistee National Forests is located on the west side of the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Recreation use on the Huron-Manistee National Forests spans all seasons. People visit the forests for camping, horseback riding, swimming, picnicking, biking, and hiking opportunities. Wellston’s location provides access to the beaches and dunes of Lake Michigan and the headwaters of the Wild and Scenic Manistee, Pine, and Pere Marquette rivers. The Cadillac-Manistee Ranger District features 58 miles of designated National Wild and Scenic River and is the home to the 3,450 acre Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area. The Huron Manistee’s proximity to the Great Lakes and the many rivers, lakes, and streams defines the forests as “United by Rivers.” We are very proud of a wide variety of recreational opportunities we are able to provide the American public.

The duty station for this position is located at the newly remodeled Chittenden Nursery, which is located on Chittenden Lake and originally constructed in the CCC era. There are several diverse communities available to live in this area. Wellston is an unincorporated vacation community of approximately 300 people in the heart of the Manistee National Forest. The community has a gas station, convenience stores, cabin rentals, bed and breakfasts, and one restaurant

Salary/pay: $650 per week + support for lodging and transportation

Start and End Dates: June 6  – February 6, 2023 

Application Deadline: March 28

How to apply: Please click here to view the full job description and to view the online application