Forest Monitoring Crew Lead at Colorado State University in CSFS Foothills

Job description

Job Description Position Summary: With direct guidance of the Forest Monitoring Measurement Specialist (FMMS) and Forest Monitoring Program Manager (FMPM), as well as CSFS personnel from the Forest Planning and Implementation (FP&I) the FMCL will manage a seasonal technician crew during the field season, and aid in monitoring program planning, data maintenance and training development during the winter. This work entails working with the FMMS and FMPM to design and implement long-term monitoring projects associated with grant awardees within the Forest Restoration and Wildfire Risk Mitigation Grant Program (FRWRM), as well as help the FMPM expand existing monitoring projects to other programs and collaborations. The incumbent will conduct a variety of field measurements including, but not limited to, those involving tree/sapling/seedling data, vegetation diversity, fuel loading measurements, stand treatments and disturbance delineation, land ownership, and other assorted natural resources-oriented data collection in collaboration with a wide variety of partners. The incumbent will be required to be knowledgeable with general forest management practices within the region, as well as have experience with a wide variety of forestry measurement tools. The FMCL is expected to ensure safe working practices for themselves and their crew and be an advocate for productive team development. This person will be responsible for supervising maintenance and upkeep of the crew vehicle and all crew supplies and equipment. The FMCL will work closely with the FMMS to plan and execute pre- and post-treatment monitoring throughout the state, and work closely with the FMMS and FMPM outside the field season to plan for the next field season, as well as organize and summarize forest monitoring data as well as assist with other tasks associated with expanding the role of monitoring in the state. A person who fills the FMCL position will operate 4-wheel drive vehicles, UTVs, ATVs, and occasionally other modes of transportation as necessary. Road and plot navigation skills – including use of GIS software and datasets, topographical maps, aerial photos and GPS units- are a must for this position. Crews will use handheld data recorders to gather, encode, summarize, and upload collected field measurements to the monitoring program database. The FMCL and their crew will be required to hike carrying at least 45-pound packs with all related field gear; pack weights can exceed 60 pounds. Crews work at elevations ranging from 3,500 to 12,000 feet when accessing monitoring plots. Crews will be expected to hike long distances to reach plot locations both on- and off-trail, and work on steep and or rough terrain. Crews will be working in sun, rain and snow, across the full range of temperatures which can change rapidly throughout the day. For full consideration, please apply by Monday, December 14, 2026, 11:59 PM (MT). Essential Job Duties: Navigate, locate and conduct extensive forest land inventories across all levels of land ownership. Collect biometric data related to tree species composition (count and measurement of the number, species, size, quality, cull and other characteristics of sample trees), understory vegetation composition (species identification, percent coverage, and quantify horizontal and vertical structure), wildland fuel-loading related to down dead wood (count and measurement of the number, tree species, fuel size, dead fuel moisture, and decay class), and forest floor metrics (depth and volume measurements related to organic matter, litter, duff, mineral soil, and carbon). Hire and supervise seasonal measurement crews. Participate in organizing, summarizing and producing data summaries of monitoring projects for collaborators. Plan daily, weekly, and monthly work to be accomplished by the unit, effectively assign field-tasks and implement quality control procedures in the field, and plan and secure accommodations for field crews during ext