Planning and Environmental Intern

Title:  Planning and Environmental Intern

Start/End Date: Summer 2023 – Fall 2023/Winter 2024

Term Length:  36 weeks

Stipend: $520/week

Reports To: Ty Allen, Assistant Field Manager -- Resources

Location: BLM Carlsbad Field Office (620 E Greene St, Carlsbad, NM 88220)

Status: 1200-hour AmeriCorps Service Term

Benefits: Housing allowance $200/week; Professional development funds $1,000; AmeriCorps Education Award $4,546 and Public Lands Corps Certificate* - both with successful completion of the internship; health insurance eligible

Conservation Corps New Mexico (CCNM)

Conservation Corps New Mexico, a program of Conservation Legacy, aims to continue the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930's. CCNM is focused on connecting youth, young adults, and recent era military veterans with conservation service work projects on public lands. CCNM operates programs across southern New Mexico and western Texas that engage individuals and strengthen communities through service and conservation. The CCNM Las Cruces office manages the Individual Placement Program.

Position Summary:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Carlsbad Field Office (CFO) manages more than 2 million acres of America’s public lands and roughly 3 million acres of its subsurface mineral estate for the benefit of current and future generations. To guide efforts, Resource Management Plans (RMPs) are developed that serve as blueprints to keep public landscapes healthy and productive. The Planning Program coordinates the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of land use plans and subsequent National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) requirements. The program also provides planning and NEPA support to several other programs: Wildlife, Cave Resources, Hydrology, Recreation, Archaeology, Rangeland Management, Fluid Minerals, Renewable Energy, Realty, and Geology; and also supports the management team.

The intern will largely work with interdisciplinary teams, including project leads and natural and cultural resource specialists and will play a key role in overseeing the BLM’s NEPA National Register, best known as ePlanning. They will assist in a variety of projects and will participate in a variety of meetings with interdisciplinary teams that may include contractors, community leaders and other stakeholders’ participation. The work also includes field work with interdisciplinary teams and BLM training opportunities.  Intern will benefit the local community by ensuring that quality scientific data are used to support management decisions for local public lands.

Essential Responsibilities and Functions:

• Work with the Planning and Environmental Specialist to gain an understanding of the job that they will be performing as well as learn the NEPA process.
• Work with other Resource Specialists within the office to learn the resources on the ground and identify resources that would need to be protected.
• Receive mentorship from the Planning and Environmental Specialist on day-to-day duties.
• Create and present report to supervisors at the end of the term, highlighting work and what was learned throughout the internship. Other opportunities may arise to address related interests the interns may want to pursue. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Experience in a program (minimum BA/BS) with a focus in Environmental or Land Use Planning, Natural Resources, Ecology, or a related field.
• Strong writing and editing skills
• Demonstrate strong organizational skills, have experience working as part of a team, and be able to work well with others in a professional setting
• Applicants should have a general understanding of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Effectively communicate ideas and concerns as they arise directly to supervisors, colleagues, and organization staff.
• Ability to drive an off-road vehicle on rugged and/or unimproved gravel or dirt roads.
• Familiarity with hot, desert environments.

Physical Requirements:

• To successfully perform essential functions, the individual is required to sit, stand, walk, speak, hear, etc. May be required to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl for significant periods of time and be able to safely lift 50 pounds on a routine basis. He/she must be able to operate office equipment, telephone, and computer and reach with hands and arms.
• Ability to hike and navigate in rough terrain.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made for qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Participant Essential Eligibility Requirements/Participation and Expedition Behavior:

• Participant will be based out of the BLM Carlsbad Field Office and can expect to perform work in an office environment, with some fieldwork.
• Work effectively as a member of a team despite potentially stressful and difficult conditions. This may require problem solving on an interpersonal or group level as well as a willingness to accept
• Contribute to a safe learning environment, no harassment of others for any
• Willingness and ability to complete all aspects of the program including conservation projects, education, training, and national
• Effectively communicate ideas and concerns as they arise directly to supervisors, colleagues, and organization
• Appropriately represent Conservation Corps New Mexico, the BLM and AmeriCorps to the public and partners at all
• Flexibility, adaptability, and capacity to work in a fluid, changing work

Safety and Judgment: 

• Effectively communicate danger to others in the form of either a warning of danger others may be encountering or a notification of personal distress, injury or need for assistance. Must be able to do so at a distance of up to 50 meters and in conditions with limited visibility or loud background noise such as darkness or high
• Effectively perceive and understand significant and apparent hazards and follow direction by others so that you will be able to successfully execute techniques to manage hazards. These directions may be given before the hazard is encountered or may need to be given during the exposure to the hazard. Ability to respond appropriately to stress or
• Stay alert and focused for several hours at a time while traveling and working in varied weather conditions.
• If taking prescription medications, participants must be able to maintain proper dosage by self- medicating without assistance from

Substance Free:

• In accordance with a drug free workplace, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and program activities and while on organization property.

Background Check:

A DOI background clearance must be completed before the selected candidate may report to duty. The BLM will provide instructions for completion of the clearance after an intern has been selected and will notify them when they have been cleared to start the internship. This process will determine the internship’s exact start date.

Interns will have access to government facilities and systems, and will be supplied with access to gov’t vehicles, equipment, and materials needed to work on the projects and activities as outlined above. Interns must adhere to all government regulations and policies for operating equipment, vehicles, security awareness, and safety.

*To be eligible for a Public Lands Corps certificate, interns must be between the ages of 18-30 (35 for veterans), inclusive, at the time the individual begins the term of service.

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, political affiliation, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

To Apply: Please submit an updated resume and cover letter along with the online application at https://corpsnm.org/individual-placement-openings . If you have questions, contact CCNM’s Individual Placement Program Coordinator, Kati DePaola at kdepaola@conservationlegacy.org.

For more information about Conservation Corps New Mexico, please visit www.corpsnm.org. Conservation Corps New Mexico is a program of Conservation Legacy.