Firewise Community and Restoration Coordinator

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Union Soil & Water Conservation District

La Grande, Oregon

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Description: The Firewise Community and Restoration Coordinator will assist groups of Union County landowners living on working lands and within the wildland urban interface by connecting people with information and resources to become active stewards of their forests, rangelands, and farms by boosting regional landscape health and resiliency. The Coordinator plays two primary yet complementary roles of coordinating Firewise Community development (75%) and restoration project implementation (25%).

The primary role of the Coordinator will be to work alongside community partners to help support a cohesive Firewise Community program in Union County. They will act as a central point of contact among natural resource partners for private landowners to ensure they are able to get access to the resources they need to steward their land. The Coordinator will work with Firewise Communities or groups of landowners in Union County to connect them with the knowledge, skills, assistance and partners they need to live in a fire adapted ecosystem and be active stewards of their forests, rangelands and farms. Where applicable, the Coordinator will assist landowners to coordinate with cross boundary projects on adjoining public, private and Tribal lands, as part of the Northern Blues “All Lands” Restoration Partnership. The Coordinator will also engage with regional Firewise Coordinators in surrounding counties to help support a regional Northeast Oregon Firewise Community peer network and annual workshop/tour.

In a secondary role the Coordinator will assist in promoting the USWCD’s natural resources conservation mission with landowners both within and outside Firewise Communities. For interested landowners, the position will collaborate with other conservation partners, agencies, and funding organizations to provide education, knowledge, technical assistance and financial support, to develop conservation plans and implement conservation actions and management strategies on their lands. The Coordinator will work closely with the Senior Project Manager and Watershed Conservationist to plan and implement conservation and restoration projects.

Qualifications / Experience Level Required:

The following qualifications for this position are required:
  • High school diploma or GED certificate
  • Ability to independently work and set goals/priorities
  • Strong written, speaking and presentation skills in formal and informal settings
  • Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, Google Drive, and basic reporting
  • Willing to learn, have an adaptive and flexible work style, and be an active listener
  • Interest in natural resources conservation and wildfire mitigation and preparedness
  • Reliable automobile transportation with a valid driver’s license and proper insurance

Preferred qualifications include:
  • Bachelor of Science/Arts in forestry, natural resources, fish or wildlife biology, agricultural or range, or wildfire related degree or Associate’s degree with 2 years of comparable experience
  • Knowledge using ArcGIS and having skills in map creation and geographical sciences

Experience Level: Experience or familiarity with the following topics:
  • Experience in community organizing, volunteer coordination, conflict resolution, project management, and managing and prioritizing tasks from multiple sources
  • Consistently demonstrate teamwork and positive day-to-day work relationships and interactions with staff, board members, members of the public, and community partners
  • Familiarity with Northeast Oregon agriculture, forests and wildfire, communities and natural resource/wildfire partners
  • Experience working with rural agricultural landowners of diverse backgrounds
  • Familiar with grant programs available for small and large landowners
  • Familiarity with natural resource sector and issues in Northeast Oregon

How to Apply:
Submit your application to:
Jim Webster, Union SWCD
jwebster@unionswcd.org
or
Mail to:
10507 N. McAlister Rd, Rm #7
La Grande, OR 97850

Include:
  • Cover letter
  • Application Form (PD200) available here or contact us at 541-963-1313
  • 3 professional references
  • Resume

Housing: No

Contact:

Jim Webster

541-969-3126

jwebster@unionswcd.org

Apply for This Position: jwebster@unionswcd.org

Application Closes: 03-26-26

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