Vegetation Management Intern - Yellowstone National Park

Vegetation Management Intern - Yellowstone National Park

Summary
American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the National Park Service, is seeking 1 Member to contribute to resource management projects alongside NPS Staff.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date: June 1, 2026
Estimated End Date: October 16, 2026

*a 20-week minimum commitment is required. Start date can be flexible*

Location Details/Description: On March 1, 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park for all to enjoy the unique hydrothermal and geologic features. Within Yellowstone's 2.2 million acres, visitors have unparalleled opportunities to observe wildlife in an intact ecosystem, explore geothermal areas that contain about half the world’s active geysers, and view geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Home to more than 1,500 plant taxa, the vegetation communities of Yellowstone National Park include overlapping combinations of species typical of the Rocky Mountains as well as of the Great Plains to the east and the Intermountain region to the west. Forests made up of lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, whitebark pine, and limber pine cover roughly 80% of the park.

For more information about Yellowstone National Park, please visit the NPS website.

Position Overview:  This ACE member will become part of a coordinated vegetation management program at Yellowstone National Park. Member will be selected to work with vegetation management staff. This is a developmental position in the biological sciences, working closely with NPS vegetation staff and learning directly from other practitioners. The ACE member will be provided direct technical training in safe park operations and then in vegetation management practices. Most field work will involve hiking to research plots and restoration areas, use of field equipment, and recording of data on forms and digital tablets that use GIS databases. The intern may also assist with public outreach regarding efforts to protect and recover park vegetation resources. This position is approximately 80% field work and 20% office work.

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

Primary duties include: 

• Conduct revegetation techniques of areas disturbed by construction and visitor impacts including seed collection and cleaning, restoration plantings, nursery work, broadcast seeding, watering, etc. 

• Assist with nonnative plant surveys and control efforts using both manual and chemical (i.e. herbicides) methods. 

• Assist other staff to assess, fell, and remove hazardous trees from priority visitor use areas.

• Conduct treatment effectiveness monitoring throughout both front country and backcountry areas of Yellowstone NP.

Schedule: A typical work schedule is four, ten-hour days followed by three days off.

Position Benefits:

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $625/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

This position is part of the Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement must meet the PLC Eligibility Requirements to be considered for this position. Members may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the completion of the term may be eligible to be combined with hours accrued from another PLC-eligible term to meet the 640 hours requirement. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age (You must be between the ages of 16 and 30. Some agencies also interpret these guidelines to include veterans up to age 35) and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general eligibility information on our website.

Housing: Housing (private bedroom, shared kitchen and bathroom) will be provided by the park. The intern will need to provide linens and dishes. Pets (including ESAs) and spouses/partners are not allowed in park housing. If, for some reason, the park isn't able to offer housing, there are shared and single, even furnished, unit rentals available in Livingston, MT (60 miles north) and Bozeman, MT (90 miles north) and a commute will be necessary. ACE members will be provided with an additional living stipend as rents outside the park range from $850-900/month, which might reduce the length of this internship by several weeks. 

Park housing availability will be determined by April 1st.  A personal vehicle will be necessary for these positions.  

Gear Allowance: ACE members will have up to $200 to spend on eligible gear purchases. Eligible gear for this position must be approved by ACE staff prior to purchase. 

Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support. 

Qualifications 

Required:

• Members must be authorized to work in the United States. ACE does not provide sponsorship for employment visas. 

• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner. 

• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.

• A valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request). Members must be 21+ to drive due to ACE’s insurance and liability requirements.

• Willing to undergo and must pass the required criminal history checks 

• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

• ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets, beginning of term feedback forms, end of term evaluations and for longer terms, a mid-term evaluation. 

• Member may not participate in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.

• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website located on our Indeed homepage.

Preferred:

• Competitive applicants for this position must hold or be pursuing a minimum of a bachelor's degree and/or have relevant experience in subject areas such as botany, forestry, plant ecology, biology, natural resources, environmental science, or a related field

• Experience in vegetation monitoring, invasive plant management, or working in nursery settings. 

• Experience using GPS and GIS software.

• Ability and willingness to work with others in a team setting.

• An ability to hike long distances carrying a light to medium-weight pack in inclement weather.

• Deep interest in fieldwork and a respect for nature.

Physical Demands, Work Environment and Working Conditions: 

• Physical Demands: Requires frequent walking, hiking, carrying, using hands to handle or feel, reaching with hands and arms, talking and hearing. Manual dexterity required for use of various tools, computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment. Required to stoop, kneel, climb stairs, and/or crouch. Ability to hike miles over rough terrain, and camp overnight under field conditions.

• Vision Requirements: Requires close, distance, peripheral and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus. 

• Weight Lifted or Force Exerted: Frequently moves up to 25 lbs., ability to carry up to 45 pounds long distances.

• Environmental: Outdoor and indoor conditions. Work environment conditions can change frequently; working under adverse weather conditions and in various climates. 

• Noise Environment: Moderate to high noise such as gas-powered chainsaws and other hand and power tools. 

• Travel: This position may require domestic travel.

Environmental Conditions/Hazards:  The ACE member(s) may encounter environmental conditions/hazards including extreme heat or cold, rocky terrain, swamp or wetland conditions, biting insects, and potentially dangerous wildlife. The member is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow staff/members or resources. 

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety:If a vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, one will be provided by the NPS or ACE.  Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the NPS. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the NPS, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it.  Strict adherence to NPS and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.  

To Apply: Please submit your resume, a cover letter demonstrating your interest and experience, and contact information for three professional/academic references to ACE’s online application page for this position on our website. Early consideration will be given as applications are received. This position may close at any time. If you have any questions regarding this position please feel free to contact ACE EPIC NPS Western Member Manager, Sabrina Caruso.

If you meet at least 70 percent of the qualifications, we want to hear from you!

ACE participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information when you are enrolled in a program to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

EEO:  Employment or Service with ACE is based upon ability, qualifications, attitude, and job-related factors. Every qualified employee, member, or applicant has the same opportunity for recruitment, hire, training, transfer, promotion, compensation, demotion, termination, benefits, employee activities, and general treatment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, creed, national origin, pregnancy, ancestry, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran or military status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital or parental status, political affiliation, ethnicity, hair texture or style, arrest record, caste, hereditary status, endogamy, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal law.