Malta, MT

Position Title: IRA Restoration Landscape Coordinator

Organization: Ranchers Stewardship Alliance

Location: Malta, MT

Organization Overview: The Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA) is a rancher-led, grassroots organization, dedicated to improving the quality of life for rural communities throughout the Northern Great Plains. Through collaborative conservation projects, rancher education events, and local community outreach, Ranchers Stewardship Alliance works to strengthen their rural community, economy, and culture for generations to come. 

Position Overview: This is a collaborative position supporting the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Intermountain West Joint Venture (IWJV) and other local partners. The position responsibility will be to further the delivery and implementation of conservation efforts of the Hi-Line Sagebrush Anchor Restoration Landscape through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The historic Inflation Reduction Act directs $161 million of funding to BLM for once-in-a-generation investments to enhance the resilience of public lands selected for their unique mix of qualities to benefit lives and livelihoods today and for future generations. The BLM selected areas for their mix of intact, unfragmented ecosystems and lands where strategic and coordinated work is likely to accelerate ecological restoration. These areas also hold potential for cross-boundary partnerships for additional restoration at the broad, watershed-level scale. The areas represent coordinated BLM investments, including fuels management, range, wildlife, forestry, aquatics and recreation programs. Selected landscapes also hold potential for additional partner investments: private landowners, non-government organizations, states, local governments, Tribes and other stakeholder groups.

The position will assist the Montana Grassland Partnership in developing and implementing conservation and restoration projects, building robust partnerships, and improving habitat quality and migration corridors on public and private lands within the Hi-Line Sagebrush Anchor Restoration Landscape. This is a full time, 3-year position with the incumbent being an employee of Ranchers Stewardship Alliance. Daily and weekly oversight, guidance, mentoring, and assistance with project prioritization provided by RSA and BLM respectively. This position will be located in Malta, MT and will require travel primarily in Phillips and Valley counties. The incumbent is expected to work closely with Bureau of Land Management, Ranchers Stewardship Alliance, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Pheasants Forever, The Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation, private landowners and other stakeholders in the region.

Duties: 

• Work with BLM, partners and private landowners for cooperative Hi-Line Sagebrush Anchor Restoration Landscape projects. Projects primarily include mesic restoration, fence modification for improved wildlife movement, grazing management, grassland seeding, conifer removal, woody draw enhancement and others.
• Logistics, implementation, partner coordination (e.g., state and federal agencies, businesses, non-governmental organizations (NGO), and private landowners), fieldwork, monitoring and reporting.
• Work with agencies and partners to develop, facilitate, and coordinate local contracts and agreements.
• Work with various partners to develop, compile, and distribute success stories related to projects and partnerships.
• Assist in compiling and communicating project results to local, regional, and national audiences.
• Provide range/wildlife technical assistance, coordination and support for collaborative conservation, and management and restoration efforts.
• Communicate project requirements, complete site visits, and develop contracts/plans for projects and participants, track project timelines and budgets.
• Coordinate and track funding from partners for projects and submit reports to partners who provide funding.
• Facilitate information and awareness on conservation opportunities to all levels of each partner in the partnership including RSA, BLM and IWJV staff.
• Work with agencies and partners to develop, facilitate, and coordinate local contracts agreements, and volunteers.
• Oversight and documentation of project work and develop and track landscape project implementation schedules.
• Showcase information from past and current projects to the public (i.e. presentations showing pre and post data for vegetation and wildlife populations, kiosk displays, social media posts, etc.).
• Communicate program requirements, complete site visits for wildlife field clearances (surveys, inventories, monitoring) on identified projects.
• Seek new partnerships, write and secure grants, and develop agreements as appropriate to build the partnership, and subsequent conservation efforts in the area.
• Work occasional weekend and weekday evenings.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned by supervisor.

Qualifications:

Working effectively with people is fundamental to their success in catalyzing landscape-scale conservation outcomes within the Hi-Line Sagebrush Anchor Restoration Landscape. Although this position requires specific technical skills, there is also a mission-critical human element component. They are reviewing the qualifications for this position in three ways:

(1) Ability to connect, communicate, and learn from people with diverse perspectives, experiences, and values.

• Excellent communication skills—both in the receiving and sharing information. Ability to share information effectively with wide-ranging audiences through appropriate and effective platforms using oral, written, visual, and other manners.
• Demonstrated ability to work with a multitude of partners including, but not limited to, private landowners, tribes, researchers, locally and nationally based organizations, funding entities, industry partners, state and federal agencies.
• Ability to forge lasting relationships and build partnerships to find common ground among those with diverse perspectives on issues involving natural resource management.
• Demonstrated practice of emotional intelligence through self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.

(2) Skills, abilities, and experience expected at the time of hire for this candidate to be proficient in performing.

• Quick learner who is passionate and determined to conserve and restore prairie habitats along the Montana Hi-Line.
• Ability to problem solve and adapt novel approaches to complete on the ground restoration in a variety of situations.
• Ability to work independently and in a team setting with little supervision and with diverse clientele.
• Knowledge of wildlife, range or landscape ecology, and other facets of ecological science utilized in strategic habitat and landscape conservation.
• Previous employment experience working in land or wildlife resource management for a State or Federal land or wildlife management agency or resource focused NGO.
• Experience with contracting or implementing wildlife habitat restoration work.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office, especially Word and Excel. ArcMap, Survey 123 and ArcGIS Online experience is preferred.
• Physical ability to stand and walk for extended periods of time over rough terrain; lift and move material weighing up to 50 pounds; work in all types of weather conditions.
• Valid driver’s license and skillset to drive a 4×4 vehicle on various types of road conditions, and often remote locations, on a regular basis and occasionally during inclement weather.
• Able to obtain BLM Security Clearance.

(3) Experience or knowledge that is desired but can also be learned on the job for the right candidate.

• Knowledge of habitat conservation actions, approaches, and programs utilized to conserve wetland, sagebrush, or grassland along the Montana Hi-Line.
• Basic understanding/knowledge of BLM agency, policy, planning, clearances, regulations, etc.
• Successful grant applications for landscape-scale habitat restoration work.

Training and Experience Guideline:

Any combination of training and/or experience that will enable the applicant to possess the required knowledge, skills and abilities. A general qualification guideline for this position is a Bachelor’s degree or higher in wildlife biology/management, range science, restoration ecology, fire ecology, or related field from an accredited university and/or related field experience.

Start Date: January 2024

Salary/Pay: $50,000 to $60,000 (based on experience) + Benefits Package

Application Deadline: December 15, 2023

How to Apply: Please use the online application to view the full job description as well as how to apply.