Watershed Restoration, Forestry, and Outreach Specialist

Organization: Essex County Natural Resources Conservation District

Location: Hybrid – Based at the Nulhegan Basin Silvio O. Conte Wildlife Refuge in Brunswick, VT with travel around Essex County, VT, and telework as work responsibilities allow

Hours: Full-time, 40 hours/week

Date Posted: 5/27/25

Ideal Start Date: Approximately 7/30/25 (pass of federal background check required)

How to Apply: Email cover letter and resume as a single PDF to smayne.essexnrcd@gmail.com. All applications submitted before June 24th will be considered, with later applications considered on a rolling basis. Interviews anticipated to be held in late June 2025. Only digital applications will be accepted without prior arrangements.

A PDF version of this posting is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HcxJ6NFdIiUW0a-Y0U02RJy9n47wTyOq/view?usp=sharing

 

Position Summary

Essex County NRCD seeks a Watershed, Forestry, and Outreach Specialist to be based out of our office in Brunswick, Vermont who is self-motivated, organized, creative, and excited to build community with land stewards and conservation organizations in Essex County. The position will focus on carrying out Essex County NRCD’s forestry and watershed restoration programming and conducting community outreach in-person and online. The ideal candidate will be motivated to take on the strategic and financial planning of these District programs over time, with support and training from the District Manager and other District staff.  The candidate will work closely and collaboratively with ECNRCD’s other two employees to carry out ECNRCD’s mission of community-based environmental stewardship in Essex County, VT.

This position will focus on education, technical assistance, and project-based restoration work in Essex County. You will work one-on-one and in group settings with District forest managers and land stewards to improve natural resource management on their properties. This will include providing land management advice, helping land managers apply for state and federal cost share programs, planning educational workshops, and carrying out individual restoration projects. This position is grant-funded and is under the general supervision of the ECNRCD District Manager. The ideal candidate will quickly be able to work independently, with the expectation that eventually this position will have broad latitude to direct ECNRCD’s forestry and restoration programming in response to available funding and local needs, in cooperation with the District Manager and Working Lands Specialist.

The ideal candidate will also be interested in coordinating and improving the District’s outreach efforts.  This will include direct individual outreach to Essex County land stewards, putting on educational programs for adults and students, and managing ECNRCD’s social media accounts and website.

This position includes a seasonal mix of computer-based and field work. Computer work may include long periods sitting, typing, and reading from a computer screen, while field work may include extended periods of physical exertion. Candidates should expect to work according to the direction of the District Manager for approximately a year, with additional managerial duties and independence taken on over time.

Who We Are

The Essex County Natural Resources Conservation District (ECNRCD) was established in 1946, after Vermont passed the Soil Conservation Act, with an original purpose to drive locally-led voluntary conservation through contacts with farmers. In 1968, the Vermont State Legislature amended the Soil Conservation Act, broadening our scope to conserve all natural resources. The mission of ECNRCD is to sponsor and coordinate technical and financial assistance to address issues relating to ecosystem health, water quality, stormwater runoff, erosion, soil quality, watershed planning, and conservation education. ECNRCD is an independent, non-regulatory municipal sub-division of state government, governed by a Board of Supervisors. We are served by two statewide leadership entities, the State Natural Resources Conservation Council (NRCC) and the Vermont Association of Conservation Districts (VACD).

Conservation Districts function much like non-profits, which means that landowner engagement with the District is voluntary and incentive-based. ECNRCD works closely with all Conservation Districts in the state to collaborate, share resources, and provide continuity of services. We also work closely with many other partners, including the VT Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets (VAAFM), USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), UVM Extension, US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), VT Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), VT Fish & Wildlife Department (VFWD), NorthWoods Stewardship Center, and others. Conservation Districts receive a small amount of operational funding from the State of Vermont, but primarily support their work through securing project and program funding through grants.

Minimum Qualifications

Eagerness to work collaboratively with District staff to improve the natural resource management and viability of working lands businesses in Essex County. Work experience or education in environmental science, natural resource management, or forestry. Strong communication skills in a variety of professional settings, the desire to build relationships with land users to improve natural resource management, the ability to understand, communicate, and work within federal and state guidance, and a commitment to maintaining positive working relationships with coworkers and partners.

Willingness to travel throughout Essex County and willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends. Access to a District vehicle will be provided to candidates with a clean driving record; some travel will be required in a personal vehicle and will be reimbursed at the federal mileage rate. This position will have an assigned desk, phone, and laptop computer at the USFWS Refuge Office in Brunswick, VT, but remote work will be possible when it does not conflict with assigned duties. The District aims to have all staff present in-person at the office or in the field 50% of the time to facilitate collaboration.

It is essential for the person occupying this position to pass a low-level federal security check to be able to access the USFWS office.

Wages and Benefits

This position is funded for full-time, 40 hours per week. This is an at-will, non-salaried position starting at $22/hr with an increase to $24/hr after one year of service and additional raises expected over time. Benefits include paid federal holidays, personal and sick time, and generous flexibility. ECNRCD provides a SIMPLE IRA retirement plan hosted by Fidelity Investments and contributes a 1:1 match on contributions, up to 3% of annual earnings. The District will adopt health insurance coverage upon hire of an interested candidate, with up to $4,000 annual contribution to health insurance costs.  The District provides up to 12 weeks of family and medical leave to full-time employees.

Project/Program Responsibilities 

All ECNRCD staff share responsibility for completing District work.  An approximate distribution of the anticipated workload for this position is listed below. The exact distribution will change over time in response to available funding and existing staff skills and interests.  

Habitat & Clean Water Programming (approximately 50% of time)

This position will assist with the implementation of habitat and clean water restoration projects in cooperation with our partner organizations. Initially, you will assist with existing projects, and you will take on additional planning and management responsibilities as experience and opportunity allows. You may:

• Coordinate invasive species management activities in the Upper Connecticut River Basin, including mapping, landowner and town outreach, treatment follow-up, and treatment.
• Identify, design, and carry out restoration work which may include tree plantings, wetland hydrology restoration, invasive species removal, lakeshore & stream restoration, and stormwater management systems. 
• Coordinate with partners and other staff to ensure successful completion of active projects.
• Assist partners in completing restoration projects within the region
• Conduct assessments to prioritize restoration priorities
• Participate in regional coordination meetings, collaborate regularly with partner staff, and assist in identifying restoration priorities
• Receive continued training in restoration techniques and design, project identification, and funding
• Secure funding, contractors, and permits for projects 

ECNRCD Forestry Programming (20% of time)

ECNRCD’s forestry programming is primarily funded through NRCS Farm Bill programs. You may:

• Develop new and existing relationships with forest owners and managers in the county to ensure working lands business viability and reduced environmental impacts
• Work to develop, expand, and diversify relevant forestry services to better serve more Essex County land managers
• Assist landowners, foresters, and loggers with navigating various technical and financial assistance programs; assistance may include identifying resource concerns on individual properties, sending out notifications of programs and deadlines, assisting with grant applications, and coordinating multiple partners and contractors who may be involved in a project
• Develop outreach methods and materials – i.e. workshops, field days, publications, newsletters, flyers, press releases – to inform producers of best management practices, available financial assistance, and District programs
• Participate in regional coordination meetings related to NRCS programs and collaborate regularly with partner staff
• A wide range of training opportunities from the District Manager and partners will be available for expanding your skillset to meet District needs, including NRCS Conservation Planner training

ECNRCD Outreach Coordination (20% of time)

This position will coordinate ECNRCD’s outreach activities, working with other staff where appropriate. You may:

• Manage the District website, social media pages, and quarterly newsletter
• Provide educational programs for Essex County schools
• Produce educational materials about District programs and conservation topics
  
• Conduct outreach activities to increase landowner and citizen participation in conservation. This may include presentations to community groups, hosting workshops, writing press releases, and coordinating demonstration projects or tours
• Cooperate with neighboring Districts, VACD communications staff, and other partners to amplify outreach efforts
• Communicate with funders and legislators about District programs
  

Other Duties (approximately 10% of time)

This position will participate in other District activities, as needed. You might:

• Assist in nursery management at the direction of the ECNRCD Nursery Manager, including planting, pulling, and caring for trees.
• Assist in agricultural soil and crop testing offered by the District to Essex County farmers
• Assist partners in a variety of initiatives
• Assist in technical assistance provided to municipalities for road and environmental management

Desired Skills

• Knowledge of forestry management for timber, maple, fish & wildlife habitat, and other environmental benefits
• Knowledge of watershed management practices to enhance fish & wildlife habitat, clean water, flood resilience, and working lands business viability
• Invasive species management experience
• Relevant project management experience including budget and work plan development, deliverables and cost tracking
• Commitment to thorough and high-quality work, but also ability to manage many projects and initiatives while maintaining positive working relationships
• Ability to independently set work priorities, manage time effectively, complete program deliverables on time, anticipate and identify obstacles, and create solutions
• Comfortable with public outreach and skilled at organizing, planning, and presenting to citizen groups, organizations, and committees
• Experience designing restoration project, including knowledge of design software
• Experience in marketing and/or community engagement
• Knowledge of water quality concerns, non-point source pollution, and remediation strategies
• Familiarity with state, federal, and NGO environmental cost share and conservation programs
• Experience raising funds for desired programs
• Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Position Systems (GPS) programs
• Fluency in basic computer programs and ability to quickly learn new software

ESSEX COUNTY NRCD IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), marital status, status with regard to public assistance, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, protected veteran status, disability, age (40 or older), political affiliation, and genetic information.

Other Listings

See the VACD Job Board for positions with other districts or VACD