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A Festivus Miracle
Dec 19, 2012

I have come to discourse on the profound inequities of the American political system.

So, I wanted to see if there's any other wildland workers out there, by which I mean any NPS/USFS/BLM/BIA employees, or Corpsmembers from various youth corps.The California Conservation Corp, American Conservation Experience, Arizona Conservation Experience etc etc etc, seriously there's a fuckload of corps.

Broadly speaking, Wildland workers do everything that involves landscape management. That is, firefighters (and the HUGE industry associated with that), trail workers, parks aides, scientists, loggers, etc. However, this thread is more intended for those who build trails/do fire supression/work the customer service side of Parks.Additionally, I know some goons here are involved in nature work on the science side via a legit job.

I worked for the California Conservation Corps, though I'm about and I graduated. My particular youth corp caters to people 18-25. If you're a fat, lazy, unemployed young goon with nothing else to do, I cannot recommend enough joining a youth corps like mine to get your rear end in gear. There truly is nothing like felling trees as the sun rises in Kings Canyon National Park to make you stop and go "Man, I want to do this for a living". I can answer questions about my particular corps, but keep in mind that life in various corps differs dramatically between the corps. My corps is complete outlier in that it provides housing, decent pay, and an education but the trade off is that center life is often miserable and stricken with stupid rules that make corpsmembers get frustrated and quit. Other corps are notorious for being absolutely fantastic but paying crap. For example,The National Community Civilian Corps, for example, is known to be amazing but pays a measly $300/mo, with housing/food.

I can answer some questions about Americorps, but this thread is more focused toward trail work/trail maintenance/fire suppression/natural science nerds.

A Festivus Miracle fucked around with this message at 03:59 on Jul 29, 2020

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thatguy
Feb 5, 2003
run a business doing trail construction and maintenance, usually for the USFS as a contractor. We have contracts all over, currently doing 4 at the same time in VA, GA, and ID as soon as the snow melts. Hired a guy from here surprisingly enough, he's worked out very well. If anybody's interested, at the very least you'd need transpo to get out there, we'll probably need one more employee for around 60 to 90 days in ID around June-August to do mechanical brushing. Going to need at least a little backpacking experience.

Suspect Bucket
Jan 15, 2012

SHRIMPDOR WAS A MAN
I mean, HE WAS A SHRIMP MAN
er, maybe also A DRAGON
or possibly
A MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM
BUT HE WAS STILL
SHRIMPDOR
I'm a Park Ranger with my city's Parks and Recreation department, but my job is pretty tame and I'm not really in your 'cool kids wildland bearfighter' club. I unfortunately get stuck in the office and front gate booth a lot. It's chill as heck right now, doing a lot of reading and studying at work, but will pick up a lot during summer.

I'd love to get a position with the state doing more conservation stuff. Unfortunately, that state is Florida, FWC is pretty picky, as EVERYONE wants to be a state ranger conservation ninja airboat pirate. And I don't have a relevant degree.

Hope you don't mind if I camp in the corner here and rage about idiots stepping on the very delicate dune ecosystem that saves us from hurricanes.

A Festivus Miracle
Dec 19, 2012

I have come to discourse on the profound inequities of the American political system.

Suspect Bucket posted:

I'm a Park Ranger with my city's Parks and Recreation department, but my job is pretty tame and I'm not really in your 'cool kids wildland bearfighter' club. I unfortunately get stuck in the office and front gate booth a lot. It's chill as heck right now, doing a lot of reading and studying at work, but will pick up a lot during summer.

I'd love to get a position with the state doing more conservation stuff. Unfortunately, that state is Florida, FWC is pretty picky, as EVERYONE wants to be a state ranger conservation ninja airboat pirate. And I don't have a relevant degree.

Hope you don't mind if I camp in the corner here and rage about idiots stepping on the very delicate dune ecosystem that saves us from hurricanes.

I hear a lot of people in the CCC say "I wanna be a ranger". Can you tell me a little about how you got in your job?

And yes, California has its own dune ecosystems that people are a-ok with utterly annihilating in the name of OHVs. We do a lot of work on beaches trying to stabilize dunes. You'd think doing restoration work at beach would be fun but it sucks fatty donger to carry straw bales up the side of a dune face.

thatguy
Feb 5, 2003
can't recommend you giving up on federal jobs enough, unless you have high vet preference scores or at the very least a master's degree and you're willing to wait 2-3 years making $14.50 an hour 4 months a year and laid off the rest.

Suspect Bucket
Jan 15, 2012

SHRIMPDOR WAS A MAN
I mean, HE WAS A SHRIMP MAN
er, maybe also A DRAGON
or possibly
A MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM
BUT HE WAS STILL
SHRIMPDOR

A White Guy posted:

I hear a lot of people in the CCC say "I wanna be a ranger". Can you tell me a little about how you got in your job?

And yes, California has its own dune ecosystems that people are a-ok with utterly annihilating in the name of OHVs. We do a lot of work on beaches trying to stabilize dunes. You'd think doing restoration work at beach would be fun but it sucks fatty donger to carry straw bales up the side of a dune face.

I saw a position opening on the city's website, applied, did an ancient viking luck ritual, interveiwed, got a rejection e-mail, moped, got another e-mail asking "lol nm can you start Monday".

My education is in art and design, but my most recent work experience had been in volunteer coordination and agriculture.

Basically, see if your local big city has a Parks and Recreation department, watch it like a hawk. Apply for anything that's vaguely outdoors, because once you're in, you generally get first dibs on other openings. Don't forget stuff like mosquito control, animal control, surveying, sanitation, and all sorts of other stuff get you at least outdoors, and in the system. And IGNORE those bachelor degree requirements, relevant experience is fine. Just have at least an associates. County level openings could also be a good bet. And don't be afraid to apply for stuff that's not open, they keep those resumes and are obligated to interview.

gently caress people who ruin dunes. Do like the Spanish settlers did, and seed them all with prickly pear.

thatguy posted:

can't recommend you giving up on federal jobs enough, unless you have high vet preference scores or at the very least a master's degree and you're willing to wait 2-3 years making $14.50 an hour 4 months a year and laid off the rest.

Yeah, I've got no realistic aspersions for federal level stuff. State level FWC would be nice though. But I dunno if I'll be staying in Florida for more then a few more years. I'm really enjoying the public sector though, I really enjoy interacting with visitors and working outside. If I don't stay with the city, I'd like to move on to something similar, maybe being a docent, tour guide, or maybe working at a campground. Campers are fun people, they have good snacks.

Suspect Bucket fucked around with this message at 02:11 on Feb 5, 2018

Trauma Dog 3000
Aug 30, 2017

by SA Support Robot
I work for the federal agency that kidnaps kids from national parks.

Morbus
May 18, 2004

Trauma Dog 3000 posted:

I work for the federal agency that kidnaps kids from national parks.

Bureau of Reclamation!

Suspect Bucket
Jan 15, 2012

SHRIMPDOR WAS A MAN
I mean, HE WAS A SHRIMP MAN
er, maybe also A DRAGON
or possibly
A MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM
BUT HE WAS STILL
SHRIMPDOR
A co-worker reminded me that many state Forestry and Agriculture departments are also a good bet for ranger-type work. Many state forests and areas of special interest need patrolling and maitnence. Firefighting and controlled burns in forests is a big responsability.

A Festivus Miracle
Dec 19, 2012

I have come to discourse on the profound inequities of the American political system.

Trauma Dog 3000 posted:

I work for the federal agency that kidnaps kids from national parks.

What's the story behind this?

Fencing trip report: Suuuuuucks. However, working on a beach is pretty beautiful and serves as a distraction from my blister coated hands.

thatguy
Feb 5, 2003
Here's a couple pictures from our bridge reconstruction job we're doing currently in Virginia.


The main glu-lam arches are being refurbished, but everything else is being replaced.


thatguy fucked around with this message at 23:46 on Mar 12, 2018

treat
Jul 24, 2008

by the sex ghost
I'm an IC in Boise, ID working with the USGS on post-fire monitoring in the Owyhee mountains. I've been on this project two years already and It's pretty rough spending the entire summer in a treeless, rocky, burnt-out desert but I can't argue with contracts rounding out to ~50k annually. It's way more than I could reasonably earn in a year as a sole proprietor at just over $15/h with discretionary bonuses, but I'm in no position to hire anybody (not even sure that would fly as I work directly with USGS crews and use their vehicles/equipment).

Aside from the lack of insurance benefits, I love the freedom contracting affords me. I'd really love to keep on this route and build a small team to take modest contracts, but this whole world of sole proprietorship & state/federal contracting is a kafkaesque nightmare for someone with little experience and no actual business assets to speak of. I have no idea how to find and bid for contracts that I'm actually qualified for at this stage and a lot of advising firms out there seem to be downright predatory scams targeting clueless small business owners.

thatguy: I'd appreciate any tips or legit resources if those even exist. What did you do before contracting and for how long? Aside from general field tech, I have experience in fire fighting and trail building but zero organizational experience. Should I just suck it up and find a job in environmental consulting?

thatguy
Feb 5, 2003

treat posted:

I'm an IC in Boise, ID working with the USGS on post-fire monitoring in the Owyhee mountains. I've been on this project two years already and It's pretty rough spending the entire summer in a treeless, rocky, burnt-out desert but I can't argue with contracts rounding out to ~50k annually. It's way more than I could reasonably earn in a year as a sole proprietor at just over $15/h with discretionary bonuses, but I'm in no position to hire anybody (not even sure that would fly as I work directly with USGS crews and use their vehicles/equipment).

Aside from the lack of insurance benefits, I love the freedom contracting affords me. I'd really love to keep on this route and build a small team to take modest contracts, but this whole world of sole proprietorship & state/federal contracting is a kafkaesque nightmare for someone with little experience and no actual business assets to speak of. I have no idea how to find and bid for contracts that I'm actually qualified for at this stage and a lot of advising firms out there seem to be downright predatory scams targeting clueless small business owner

thatguy: I'd appreciate any tips or legit resources if those even exist. What did you do before contracting and for how long? Aside from general field tech, I have experience in fire fighting and trail building but zero organizational experience. Should I just suck it up and find a job in environmental consulting?

I was a CS admin for 5 years, W-2 work mainly. Some side stuff, but I'd worked for the Boy Scouts at Philmont in the late 90s in the conservation department doing trail work, and in 2004/2005 we decided we'd do contracting for the USFS doing the same thing (5 of us started, 2 of us now). Took a break in 2008, but essentially now it's ultra-full time and has been for almost a decade. Have a couple part-time employees and have to juggle multiple jobs at once to keep them busy. It just kind of morphed into that slowly. When we started I would immediately think gently caress no at bidding on a job for 250k, when now I'd have no problem seriously contemplating it.

#1, I'd reorganize as an S-corp if you're alone. It's worth the added cost, you get a similar benefit in dividends vs wages payouts come tax time (LLCs also do, with some limitations.). The liability shield is worth it, accidental bullshit happens and liability insurance only covers so much. It does not involve a required lawyer, you just have to grind through the paperwork.

#2 I'd narrow your scope of what you want to do. If you want to do env consulting, there is 100% going to be a trade group. Env consultants of america or w/e (I just made that name up), and there'll be a branch in idaho. Sign up for that poo poo, even if it's a hefty price tag for membership (Should be under 500/yr I'd guess since that won't be uberprofessional like an engineering trade group). And start going to meetings and w/e. They open a lot of doors at a local and state level that you wouldn't even think about. If you want to hang out and live in the Boise area, you're going to need multiple revenue sources. Federal jobs are the easiest to acquire because they have the least leeway in choosing a preferred contractor (lowest price weighted the most, Contracting officers have this bizarro world adversarial relationship with the fed org they work for). State/municipal that's where the trade group comes in handy, because states and cities give a ton of credence to buying local, word of mouth, local trade groups and expertise.

Those fbo GSA-bullshit type services you get spam for, they aren't exactly a scam. Some of them are more scammy than others, but generally you pay 2k or 2500 a year and they do the legwork at a local/state/federal level to find jobs to bid on in your specific field. I've never used one before because finding fed jobs is ez and we've wanted to move around.

If you want to look for federal jobs specifically, just learn to navigate fbo. Since most of our work is for the USFS, every week I end up reading through every single job the USFS puts out. BLM, NPS, they all do the same thing. I don't exactly know how your specific job is arranged, it sounds kind of like you're a 1099 subcontractor of a much larger contractor maybe? Also it's way more cozy with a federal agency than I've ever dealt with. USFS would sooner set me on fire than let us use one of their vehicles.

If you don't have plat and you want a lot more detailed info and discussion send me an email at lollstein@gmail.com

thatguy fucked around with this message at 03:42 on Mar 30, 2018

Kangra
May 7, 2012

I'd love to hear stories about the CCC (or any similar group), specifically trailbuilding. Is there someone who designs them and guides the whole process, or is it something a team does as it goes depending on conditions/terrain?

thatguy
Feb 5, 2003
When it comes to trail construction on federal lands, every construction project involves a NEPA study. It's a long and involved project that has to balance a lot of different land demands, including historicity of the land, impact such as environmental and also traffic, competing land interests (logging, mining, w/e). The federal agency is responsible for balancing all those interests. Very detailed, and a long process. There's some leeway where a study takes place (a prism within 50 feet of expected construction every time we've seen one). Americorps groups are never involved with that part. They might have a year or two's worth of trailbuilding training/expertise from their leaders but not much more than that.

NPS it's hit or miss on how much direct expertise trails-wise the recreation people might have, it's usually ok and sometimes very good. Forest Service, generally speaking in western national forests they have a great deal of trails expertise and usually have one or more dedicated trails people within recreation departments, and frequently have seasonal trail crews. Eastern forests it's the reverse, contractors and groups such as ATC crews have more expertise because they almost never have a dedicated trails person, and virtually never have a trail crew of any kind. At the forest we're in right now for instance (in VA, Appalachian trail goes through the Ranger district), they have a one man trail crew. He's the only guy who does anything hands-on trails related other than incidental stuff. The guy is 60, and as soon as he retires 100% guaranteed his position will never get filled again.

If you're talking about design, depending on what kind of scale and how complicated, trails are designed by engineers/trail professionals (usually civil servants, depending on scope sometimes a contracted professional engineer) and occasionally contractors

A Festivus Miracle
Dec 19, 2012

I have come to discourse on the profound inequities of the American political system.

Kangra posted:

I'd love to hear stories about the CCC (or any similar group), specifically trailbuilding. Is there someone who designs them and guides the whole process, or is it something a team does as it goes depending on conditions/terrain?


I've never had much direct work with Trail work via the CCC. The vast majority of my trailwork (a grand total of about two miles of actual bench cutting) has been with volunteer groups on the side, and almost of that lead to the creation of some super-questionable trails on the South Yuba river. If you're hiking anywhere in Nevada county and your trail suddenly turns into a giant quicksand pit(or a huge washout), I'm sorry, it was probably me. Most of what I do is tree stuff (felling/bucking/limbing or planting/releasing), but I've also done loads of other projects - 3 months worth of building those ubiquitous wire fences that surround every patch of grass in this country, a very minor amount of disaster response (standing in a parking lot on the Thomas Fire, directing traffic for 14 days), months and months of erosion control, some fire stuff (burn piles mostly, with the exception of one particularly problematic patch of grass), a particularly weird day where we went out and screamed at the National Guard MP trainees to simulate a riot which was an absolute blast.

If you're looking for some of dat rock poo poo, weirdos backcountry people do almost nothing but trail maintenance in the National Parks of California. Actual rock work and trail work is really uncommon inside the CCC - other organizations like American Conservation Experience or any of the other CCs out there do mostly this. The CCC is mostly focused around actual land management - forestry, planting, invasive control, etc.

Though if you want stupid/weird/astonishing corpsmember stories, :holy: mother of fucks have I got you.

A Festivus Miracle
Dec 19, 2012

I have come to discourse on the profound inequities of the American political system.

What's kind of weird about the CCC is that we're somewhat state-funded, but not enough to actually keep us afloat. The CCC has to seek out contracts with other agencies in order to stay afloat, so a lot of our funding comes from private landowners and public agencies who need bodies.

Since Arnold hosed the CCCs and then went off to gently caress his fat maid, the Cs have faced a serious problem in that we are competing directly for contracts with other non-profits: ACE, Conservation Legacy, Americorps (in a weirdly incestuous kind of way that's only possible in the Conservation Corps world), Southwest Conservation Corps, Student Conservation Association, so on and so forth. We also compete for emergency money with other corps - while CalFire will only turn to the CCC to staff their emergency camps during the fire season, outside of the state it's an entirely different world. AZCC, Long Beach CC, Conservation Corps of East Bay, and others compete with the CCC for some of that sweet emergency cash, and we end up going off to do weird poo poo all over the country. This last year, the CCC was present in Texas after Harvey, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands. The year before that, CCC crews demolished and remodeled hurricane damaged homes in Louisiana.

An example of a good ol' fashion Americorps loving: The San Luis Obispo center had this weird problem. In 2014, they failed to make their target for contracts. Consequently, the then-center director turned to other sources of funding. So, he approached Americorps to get some of that sweet guaranteed federal money. This resulted in the Save our Sierra's program which I participated in.

Unfortunately, by turning to Americorps, the center was forced to neglect their other contractors(ie turn down their contracts). The Center can have a maximum of 5 crews. If 3 are out on spike doing tree poo poo for Americorps, and one is permanently contracted with the NPS in Big Sur, who's going to serve State Parks, CalTrans, DWR, and other state agencies that need unskilled labor? By turning to Americorps, the center was forced to create space for other, also-Americorps-funded conservation corps to step in. So now the new center director is nervously chewing her finger nails until 2019, because ACE is now contracted with Oceano State Park, who used to be one of the centers biggest sponsors. Oops.

Good point keep talkin
Sep 14, 2011


Oof, discovered this thread way too late but I'll throw this out there anyway. Been working as a wildlife tech for the past three years. Currently doing beach patrols for sea turtles and shorebirds. Pay isn't amazing and the work is inconsistent but I still wouldn't rather be doing anything else. If anybody stumbles on this thread a month from now feel free to ask me any questions. In the meantime here's a Kemp's ridley sea turtle that came up to nest a couple weeks ago.

RandomPauI
Nov 24, 2006


Grimey Drawer
I don't do any wildland work but I want to thank you all. Especially if you're a firefighter. This year promises to be a bad one for wildfires.

A Festivus Miracle
Dec 19, 2012

I have come to discourse on the profound inequities of the American political system.

CA's fire season should hopefully be chiller than it was last year, the worst year literally ever in CA history.

A Festivus Miracle
Dec 19, 2012

I have come to discourse on the profound inequities of the American political system.

I'm retarded. From CalFires page:

quote:

NUMBER OF FIRES AND ACRES:
Interval Fires Acres
January 1, 2018 through August 5, 2018 3,981 629,531
January 1, 2017 through August 5, 2017 3,662 223,238
5 year average (same interval) 3,599 128,587
2018 Combined YTD (CALFIRE & US Forest Service) 4,723 749,770

This year is already shaping up to be the new worst fire season literally ever. :eng99:

The Walrus
Jul 9, 2002

by Fluffdaddy
Don't Plant Trees In Northern Ontario

just in case anyone was considering it.

distortion park
Apr 25, 2011


The Walrus posted:

Don't Plant Trees In Northern Ontario

just in case anyone was considering it.

is it the idea of planting trees or being the person who actually has to go there and plant then that you recommend against?

wesleywillis
Dec 30, 2016

SUCK A MALE CAMEL'S DICK WITH MIRACLE WHIP!!

pointsofdata posted:

is it the idea of planting trees or being the person who actually has to go there and plant then that you recommend against?

Probably something to do with blackflies and mosquitoes.

Acebuckeye13
Nov 2, 2010


If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling
1-800-GAMBLER


Ultra Carp
Oh hey, just found this thread. Started working for NPS this past May doing social media type stuff, after doing SCA internships for USFWS and NPS last year. In an office most of the time, but I can pretty much head out into the park to take pictures for potential posts any time I want, which is incredibly rad.

treat
Jul 24, 2008

by the sex ghost

A White Guy posted:

This year is already shaping up to be the new worst fire season literally ever. :eng99:

And it's only a fraction as bad as it should be thanks to herculean fire management efforts. The current fire regime isn't quite the new normal, it's going to get way worse. Ever-spreading invasive annual grasses are one thing, but warming climate and widespread changes in precip and weather patterns/pressure systems are likely going to become even more extreme, accelerating both invasive proliferation and fire frequency. This is a badass time to be working in fire (not that it ever isn't), especially for masochists. The take-home message of a research seminar I attended last year on historical climate-wildfire patterns was that fire suppression/prevention will quickly become a game of sisyphean bowling, ultimately forcing us to throw in the towel and simply adapt to massive megafires continuously devastating everything west of the Mississippi year-round. Just a bit of a glimpse at our impending dystopian future.

While on the topic of masochism and sisyphus, I'm currently living out of a hotel in Reno for a month while spending 12 hours a day planting 30,000 sagebrush seedlings near the site of a single Sage Grouse lek, to hopefully support a few hens who *might* nest in said sagebrush stand in 3-5 years time if their group manages to survive that long. All this assuming the sagebrush outplants manage their typical 30% survival rate, another fire doesn't rip through the site in the near future, and a bird with an average lifespan of 1.5 years can successfully rear young in an area without any shrubs larger than low sage and rabbit brush to provide cover from predators until the stand matures. "Unshakable optimism" looks great on a resume if you're looking to get into the conservation field, but nihilism is a lot easier to maintain. On the plus side, I'm earning enough per diem to offset my losses at the blackjack table.

Worst On Team
Aug 8, 2018

12 pints of liquid courage
I'm currently putting in applications for 45 week internships with the US Forest Service through AmeriCorps/Mt Adams Institute. Hoping to end up in VA, but have a few back up positions available in IL. Anybody have any tips or experience with an internship?

treat
Jul 24, 2008

by the sex ghost

Worst On Team posted:

I'm currently putting in applications for 45 week internships with the US Forest Service through AmeriCorps/Mt Adams Institute. Hoping to end up in VA, but have a few back up positions available in IL. Anybody have any tips or experience with an internship?

What are your thoughts on slavery/indentured servitude?

It can be a perfect entry point if you're passionate about the industry and can't find any other way in, but you can expect to work like a horse and sleep on the ground like a dog for almost no pay. Many of my current coworkers came from Americorps via the Great Basin Institute, and they're generally pretty firm on the "it's slave labor" stance. I personally did a 10-month stint in Americorps NCCC right out of high school, which was where I first started with the forest service. I hated it while I was there and did my best to give all of my superiors 3 or 4 steps up the chain-of-command hell. I appreciate it now, in retrospect, not because I got a job with the USFS but because I formed great friendships (bonding through mutual suffering) and had the opportunity to work cool jobs and live in interesting places; e.g., working for a non-profit tax agency with offices near the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago, hurricane Katrina disaster response in Batton Rouge, wildland firefighting in the Colorado rocky mountains. How grueling it can be depends largely on the institute and people you're working for.

I still work with Americorps and GBI kids on large projects occasionally, and they're usually camping on-site for a measly stipend while myself and crews from other agencies are staying off-site in hotels and making bank doing it. It's a hardening experience and I've definitely seen those sorts of conditions break people, but a decent attitude and solid friendships will get you through it even if you're made of tissue paper.

That's just my take on the crews I've worked with/heard about, and NCCC is a whole different beast, so your experience may not be quite so rough. I will say, though, I don't have many memories of digging line in an exhausted stupor or spending weeks covered in dirt, sweat, and sap or sleeping under rain and leaky tarp in tall grass with the bugs because I didn't have a tent. I went through that poo poo, no doubt, but most memories of that time in my life are exceedingly positive.

RandomPauI
Nov 24, 2006


Grimey Drawer
This is only wildland worker adjacent. But the Americorp positions with the Ventura County Red Cross are pretty sweet gigs, and a few used that as a stepping stone to actually get hired by the broader region. They still wind up having to do some sort of disaster response stuff though.

"If you're job is (x) and we need shelter workers, guess what? You're a shelter worker."

Worst On Team
Aug 8, 2018

12 pints of liquid courage

treat posted:

What are your thoughts on slavery/indentured servitude?


I'm pretty open to it. I think deep down I'm looking to recreate my misery in the USMC. I'm also not making any money right now (other than my VA disability for tinnitus and ptstd), so even if I'm just making their lovely stipend and my GI Bill (GI Bill Apprenticeship ($900), lovely stipend (900), Housing (500), and VA Disability 1000 (~3300 a month ), I don't really mind. If I get this internship, sleeping on the dirt and "paying my dues" is fine. Hell, that's kind of what I'm hoping for.

I'm really looking to get my foot in the door here, this is the work that I want to do, but right now getting a traditional education isn't really going to work for me, so this looks like it's my way in.


Thanks for the insight!

treat
Jul 24, 2008

by the sex ghost
So, the US Fish and Wildlife Service is flying 120 entry level biologist positions through USAjobs on January 2nd. I have no idea what the jobs will entail, but this is a pretty massive batch hiring effort and I'm sure there are some people around here who might want to move in that direction. I'm considering jumping on it myself although I'm getting a bit disillusioned with government science.

Worst On Team posted:

I'm pretty open to it. I think deep down I'm looking to recreate my misery in the USMC. I'm also not making any money right now (other than my VA disability for tinnitus and ptstd), so even if I'm just making their lovely stipend and my GI Bill (GI Bill Apprenticeship ($900), lovely stipend (900), Housing (500), and VA Disability 1000 (~3300 a month ), I don't really mind. If I get this internship, sleeping on the dirt and "paying my dues" is fine. Hell, that's kind of what I'm hoping for.

I'm really looking to get my foot in the door here, this is the work that I want to do, but right now getting a traditional education isn't really going to work for me, so this looks like it's my way in.


Thanks for the insight!

Fire jobs with the USFS and BLM don't usually require a secondary education, and you've got a pretty significant advantage with veterans preference. The internship is definitely the safer bet and I definitely think you should do it especially if you're already meeting your financial needs, but you could also try applying for positions just to see if you can get referred. Permanent USFS jobs are incredibly competitive but I don't think you'll have too much trouble as a vet with internship or term employment experience, just make sure to pester hiring supervisors/anyone with sway for a job once your 45 weeks is wrapping up if they don't hand it to you outright.

Atrocious Joe
Sep 2, 2011

So how are all you federal workers dealing with the shutdown? I am now sort of revealed that I accidentally hosed up the USAjobs applications I submitted last year anymore and am still with a contractor.

RandomPauI
Nov 24, 2006


Grimey Drawer
A lot of mitigation and preparedness work isn't being done which has me really worried.

Good point keep talkin
Sep 14, 2011


Poorly! I accepted a job with APHIS right before the shutdown started, but didn't receive an official offer letter beforehand so I'm kinda in limbo at the moment. What's also frustrating is that since I'm not hired yet and my start date keeps getting pushed back I keep losing out on paychecks that I won't be getting back pay for.

thatguy
Feb 5, 2003

Worst On Team posted:

I'm currently putting in applications for 45 week internships with the US Forest Service through AmeriCorps/Mt Adams Institute. Hoping to end up in VA, but have a few back up positions available in IL. Anybody have any tips or experience with an internship?

You don't want to do this. Americorps is not a foot in the door. It's a waste of 3-10 months of your time, Americorps groups will straight up lie saying it leads to something. It doesn't lead to poo poo other than padding their bottom line. The idea that the USFS has permanent jobs in recreation is a pipe dream, and even with vet pref there will literally always be better qualified people running for every job you qualify for.
Here's what Americorps will lead to:

A dead-end job paying $15/hr where you get laid off every single summer come November. Unless you're fire, there's absolutely no guarantee your jobs will even be there the next year.

1. The recreation people in permanent positions have master's degrees with vet pref already or they're old (Right now we're working for one who's got a master's degree and went to Afghanistan)
2. Literally one of them max per district in the east, and usually have mixed responsibilities. They also aren't hiring as people retire.
3. Western forests in the last 3-4 years have had their recreation budgets killed because of how user-based has now thrown more money at eastern forests, so they're never hiring people as they retire unless their jobs are 100% irreplaceable.
4. Eastern forests have used that money to throw jobs to contractors, since they have no or very little rec expertise anymore

Worst On Team
Aug 8, 2018

12 pints of liquid courage
Thanks for the input. What would you recommend in stead?

thatguy
Feb 5, 2003

Worst On Team posted:

Thanks for the input. What would you recommend in stead?

State DNR, state parks, even municipal will all have some kinds of internship programs of some kind. You'll likely be some state parks scumlord making 25k a year to start off with, but your housing will already be paid for and there will be a clear pathway up to managing a large piece of property (especially if you're in the state DNR). You'll be able to do fire management, wildlife management, recreation, just about anything if you want to focus on one thing.

I mean I don't want to talk too much poo poo about how bad off the USFS is, but it's a tiny agency of the USDA (most people don't even know the difference between the USFS and the NPS), and 35% of the US population has been indoctrinated since reagan that federal service = government waste. Routinely we work for USFS people who refuse to retire solely because they know their job positions will go unfilled once they leave. It's loving pathetic.

Worst On Team
Aug 8, 2018

12 pints of liquid courage

thatguy posted:

State DNR, state parks, even municipal will all have some kinds of internship programs of some kind. You'll likely be some state parks scumlord making 25k a year to start off with, but your housing will already be paid for and there will be a clear pathway up to managing a large piece of property (especially if you're in the state DNR). You'll be able to do fire management, wildlife management, recreation, just about anything if you want to focus on one thing.

I mean I don't want to talk too much poo poo about how bad off the USFS is, but it's a tiny agency of the USDA (most people don't even know the difference between the USFS and the NPS), and 35% of the US population has been indoctrinated since reagan that federal service = government waste. Routinely we work for USFS people who refuse to retire solely because they know their job positions will go unfilled once they leave. It's loving pathetic.

Thanks again. I'm not 100% attached to a federal position, and wouldn't mind a state position. A big portion of me wanting to go with this federal internship is that it gets me out of Maryland, and most recently I've found out that I can use my GI Bill in conjunction with this position (under the Serve America Act with BAH based out of DC), I'll be raking in a bit of nontaxable income.

I knew things were bad at the FS as far as mobility and positions, but I guess I didn't think they were that bad.

thatguy
Feb 5, 2003

Worst On Team posted:

Thanks again. I'm not 100% attached to a federal position, and wouldn't mind a state position. A big portion of me wanting to go with this federal internship is that it gets me out of Maryland, and most recently I've found out that I can use my GI Bill in conjunction with this position (under the Serve America Act with BAH based out of DC), I'll be raking in a bit of nontaxable income.

I knew things were bad at the FS as far as mobility and positions, but I guess I didn't think they were that bad.

send me an email to lollstein@gmail.com, I'm going to need at least one guy next summer out in idaho starting in June. Can at least talk about other options even if it doesn't work out

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Good point keep talkin
Sep 14, 2011


I did two seasons with the Forest Service and I had a great time but they were both seasonal. Can't speak to more long term career stuff cause I've only done this a couple years, but for me it's involved a lot of moving around between agencies and locations each year.

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