Archaeology Technician (USFS Stanislaus National Forest)

The Great Basin Institute in cooperation with the USFS is recruiting four (4) Archaeology Crew Members to complete Section 106 Cultural Resource surveys site recording and monitoring for various projects within the Stanislaus National Forest. These projects all serve the Cultural Resources programs greater mission of helping the USFS in their critical goal of improving forest resilience in the face of worsening climate conditions and increased wildfire threats. The work that you will do directly improves the quality of these forests helping ensure they continue to thrive for generations to come.

This work provides professional development and leadership opportunities in cultural resource management including increased exposure and responsibility enacting USFS processes procedures and compliance measures; assisting in reporting and data entry/quality assurance and control. Expanded opportunities and exposure to additional disciplines (e.g. forestry wildlife hydrology etc.) and projects may exist.

Archaeology technicians perform a variety of activities to support all stages of project implementation. Crew size will range between 2-6 archaeology field duties will include:

• Collaborate with Archaeology crew lead and agency staff to support field safety communication planning logistics quality assurance field implementation and reporting efforts;
• Complete field surveys to document assess and characterize the status of new cultural resources;
• Monitor existing sites and complete site updates and condition assessments;
• Prepare California DPR site records GIS maps and photographic records in addition to inputting data to the USFS heritage database.

Location:

The four counties within the Forests immediate sphere of influence are Alpine Calaveras Mariposa and Tuolumne. These counties are primarily rural in nature and are characterized by rolling foothill and/or steep mountainous terrain very low population density and an attractive and unspoiled natural environment. The latter three are in the heart of Californias historic Mother Lode and contain many historically significant Gold Rush era towns and both historic and prehistoric heritage sites.

Collectively all four counties have an abundance of outdoor recreational sites including numerous rivers lakes and reservoirs two state parks (Calaveras Big Trees and Columbia State Parks) one national park (Yosemite National Park) several alpine and nordic ski areas and portions of several national forests including the Stanislaus El Dorado Toiyabe and Sierra National Forests.

Alpine County is the smallest of these four counties with 465030 acres (727 square miles) of land all at high elevation on the crest of the Sierra Nevada. A total of 423520 acres or 91% of Alpine County is located within national forest of which 124285 acres are within the Stanislaus National Forest (the remainder being located within the El Dorado and Toiyabe National Forests).

Calaveras County has a total of 663290 acres (1036 square miles) of land. Of this total 75072 acres (11%) are located within the Stanislaus National Forest.

Mariposa County is the second largest of the local counties with a total land area of 934690 acres (1.460 square miles). The county contains portions of both the Sierra and Stanislaus National Forests as well as the greater part of Yosemite National Park. Mariposa County has no incorporated cities and 84456 acres or 9% of the total land area is located within the Stanislaus National Forest.

Tuolumne County the largest and most populated of the local counties hasacres or 2293 square miles of land. The county contains Columbia State Park as well as a portion of Yosemite National Park. A total of 611395 acres or 42% of the countys land base is located within the Stanislaus National Forest.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Wage: $25-27/hour depending on experience with overtime at 1.5x hourly rate.
• Shared housing provided.
• Camping Per Diem: $15/night as necessary.
• Uniform Stipend.
• Health Dental and Vision Insurance premiums are covered 100% by GBI. Available on the first day of the month following the start of employment.
• Personal LeaveTime(PLT) accrued (beginning on the first day of employment) at a rate of 0.05hours per hour worked (4hours biweekly)
• $25000 Basic Life & AD&D insurance covered 100% by GBI
• Paid federal holidays

Contract Timeline:

• Desired start date in Spring of 2026
• Full time average 40 hours per week.
• Projects are dependent on the local weather and there is always a chance the season will end earlier if weather prevents safe field operations. Tentatively mid-October.

At least one of the following:

• Bachelors degree in anthropology archaeology or related discipline (by position start date);
• Six months of professional fieldwork experience;
• An accredited archaeological field school and relevant field methods training coursework.

Other required:

• Possess a clean valid state-issued drivers license;
• Ability to work effectively in a team setting with USFS staff GBI staff interns volunteers academic state and federal partners;
• Ability to work safely and productively in remote field settings under adverse conditions. This includes occasionally overnight camping in remote areas for consecutive nights;
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work cooperatively as well as independently;
• Proficiency in navigation using GPS topographic map and compass.

Preferred:

• Fieldwork experience & familiarity with the cultural history and forested habitat of the Sierra Nevada region;
• Familiarity with Section 106/110 NHPA and California and/or Nevada SHPO compliance procedures;
• Advanced skill using specialized software such as Microsoft Office Suite ArcMap GIS and Google Earth;
• Ability to safely operate and maintain a 4WD vehicle on and off paved roads.

TO APPLY
Please submit an up-to-date resume a one-page cover letter that details your interest in the position and any qualifications not fully outlined in your resume and contact information for three
professional references. Qualified applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview. For questions regarding this position please contact

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
This physically demanding work often in remote locations will provide crew members with rewarding exposure to some of Americas backcountry landscapes. These positions require extensive hiking in sometimes steep terrain at altitudes ranging from 750 - 10000 ft AMSL. Archaeology crew members will be expected to carry their own personal gear and water on a daily basis possibly during extreme or inclement weather conditions such as heat snow or rain. Work schedules generally four 10-hour days with 3 days off each week are subject to change depending on weather and project needs. Camping near a work site for several days may be required to meet project objectives.

Archaeology crew members must be able to work in harsh and rapidly changing environments camp in the backcountry for consecutive days work in all types of weather conditions traverse uneven terrain carry a heavy pack in excess of 40lbs and be in overall good physical condition. Prior experience working in similar backcountry settings is preferred.

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the organizations ongoing needs.

NOTE: All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Disclaimer: Although the organization has attempted to accurately and thoroughly describe this position GBI reserves the right to change the same including to change add to or subtract from the duties outlined within the sole discretion of the organization at any time with or without advance notice.