SEASONAL LAND STEWARD
Department: Stewardship
Reports To: Senior Preserves Manager
Pay: $15.00 per hour
Who we are and what we do:
The Lancaster Conservancy is a 501(c)3 private, nonprofit land trust accredited by the Land Trust Alliance. The Conservancy has been successfully preserving and stewarding natural lands in Lancaster & York Counties for over 50 years, culminating in a portfolio of 8,000+ acres across 50+ nature preserves. Recently, the Conservancy has significantly increased its pace in preserving the remnants of interior forest and other natural landscapes within the Susquehanna Riverlands and Pennsylvania Highlands bioregions of Lancaster and York Counties. The Conservancy’s greatest success is its proven ability to connect individually preserved parcels into broad conservation areas; it has done so through strategic land acquisitions, stewarding existing forest, and restoring degraded ecosystems.
Position Description:
The Lancaster Conservancy is seeking outgoing individuals with enthusiasm for physical labor and the great outdoors to work as part of a seasonal land stewardship crew. While not required, we will favor candidates with some experience in equipment operation and transport, use of power-tools, and use of hand-tools. Seasonal Land Stewards will work on a crew, under the direction of a Full Time Land Steward, to implement a variety of conservation projects at local nature preserves including trail work and habitat restoration. Forty hours per week is not guaranteed in event of inclement weather but efforts will be made to accommodate safe and/or indoor work during short periods of such weather events; and therefore, this is a field-based position, but some shop or office work may also be required.
This is a seasonal, hourly, non-exempt position with an anticipated start date of Monday, May 22, 2023, and an anticipated end date of Friday, August 11, 2023. This is an entry-level position, so candidates without all of the above-stated qualifications will still be considered for this position. This position will work up to 40 hours per week, with an anticipated season of 12 weeks. Wage compensation is $15 per hour. Reliable transportation to and from work sites is required. Candidates must be 18 years or older.
Interested, qualified applicants should send a cover letter and resume to Beth Hacker, Operations Manager, at bhacker@lancasterconservancy.org by no later than Sunday, April 2, at 11:59pm. Please list your last name and LCLandSteward as the email’s subject line (i.e. LastnameLCLandSteward).
Lancaster Conservancy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
STEWARDSHIP COORDINATOR
Department: Stewardship
Reports To: Senior Vice President of Stewardship
Status: Full-time, exempt
Pay: $45,000-$55,000 annually commensurate with experience
Who we are and what we do:
The Lancaster Conservancy is a 501(c)3 private, nonprofit land trust accredited by the Land Trust Alliance. The Conservancy has been successfully preserving and stewarding natural lands in Lancaster & York Counties for over 50 years, culminating in a portfolio of 8,000+ acres across 50+ nature preserves. Recently, the Conservancy has significantly increased its pace in preserving the remnants of interior forest and other natural landscapes within the Susquehanna Riverlands and Pennsylvania Highlands bioregions of Lancaster and York Counties. The Conservancy’s greatest success is its proven ability to connect individually preserved parcels into broad conservation areas; it has done so through strategic land acquisitions, stewarding existing forest, and restoring degraded ecosystems.
Position Description:
The Stewardship Coordinator is responsible for managing the Conservancy’s conservation easement portfolio as well as the department’s databases and geodatabases, inventories, and trackers. The Stewardship Coordinator is also responsible for developing baseline documentation reports, management plans, project profiles and project mapping, and other planning documents as well as performing annual monitoring visits; all while ensuring compliance with accreditation and in-house standards and practices. The Stewardship Coordinator also provides program administrative support.
Primary Duties:
- Maintain databases and geodatabases including but not limited to:
- In fee portfolio
- Conservation Easement portfolio
- Inventories, master inventories, asset and other trackers
- Baseline Documentation Reports including but not limited to:
- Co-develop Baseline Documentation Reports with Land Protection Coordinator
- Track Baseline Documentation Report development and associated Management Plan needs; Facilitate transfer of projects from Land Protection to Stewardship while providing for accurateness and completeness in baseline documentation
- Manage Conservation Easements portfolio including but not limited to:
- Identify portfolio management needs, track and prioritize, and perform tasks to bring portfolio management into compliance with accreditation and in-house standards and procedures including developing baseline documentation and Current Condition Report(s)
- Develop Annual Monitoring Visit schedule and make notifications to landowners
- Perform Annual Monitoring Visits and document according to accreditation and in-house standards and operating procedures; Review annually with SVP
- Ensure easement boundaries from encroachment and easement areas from violations
- Develop rapport with landowners as the primary point of contact; Respond to communications, inquiries, requests, violations and resolutions, and document accordingly
- Manage Preserve Annual Monitoring Visits:
- Perform Annual Monitoring Visits and document according to accreditation and in-house standards and procedures and annual goals; Review annually with SVP
- Preserve Management Plans including but not limited to:
- Co-develop, maintain, and update Preserve Management Plans including baseline documentation, site analysis and assessment, preserve planning, and asset tracking through inventories, narratives, maps, and graphics
- Assist in project development and management including but not limited to:
- Develop project profiles/cut sheets including project scope, cost estimates, ordinance/permitting review, and timelines in collaboration with other Stewardship staff
- Develop and maintain project mapping for and throughout project implementation, completion, and reporting
- Grant writing and reporting as assigned
- Work closely with GIS Technician including but not limited to:
- Manage and maintain technology, systems, and equipment for field data collection and cloud sharing between field and office
- Manage data collected in the field to merge into permanent stewardship geodatabases and project documents
- Provide technical support to Stewardship staff
Additional Responsibilities:
- Program and SVP administrative support such as fielding Stewardship calls and emails, taking meeting minutes, packaging materials and mailings, and responding to and communicating information between Stewardship and other programs
- At times, all Stewardship staff is needed for field task implementation, event support, etc.
- The Lancaster Conservancy is a small but rapidly growing land trust that requires all employees, at times, to step into other areas of need
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or proven experience in planning, natural resource management, parks and recreation management, project management, or other related field
- Experience managing a conservation easement portfolio and/or familiarity with land trusts, parks and recreation, or natural lands management and the Land Trust Alliance Standards and Practices relating to Conservation Easements and Fee Land stewardship
- Experience developing baseline documentation reports, management plans, and project profiles
- Experience researching and interpreting deeds, right-of-ways, land and topographic surveys, and construction documents
- Experience developing and managing complex databases, GIS file structures, and geodatabases
- Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office suite including Excel and/or project management software
- Demonstrated proficiency in ArcGIS Pro along with ArcGIS Online and related suite of applications including Survey123, Field Maps, and StoryMaps
- Proficiency with mobile field data collection technology as well as orienteering using a survey with map and compass
- Demonstrated proficiency in Adobe Suite including Illustrator or InDesign and Photoshop or other graphics software
- Familiarity and comfort working with municipal, county, state, and federal agencies as well as communicating with private landowners and the general public
- Experience in grant writing and reporting
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills (including technical writing) and strong interpersonal skills; must have the ability to work successfully in groups and independently
- Goal oriented, self-directed, and attentive to details, with excellent organizational skills and the ability to handle multiple tasks and priorities
- Willingness to perform field work and the ability to hike long distances over varying terrain in all weather conditions
- Experience proofing property boundaries utilizing land surveys
- Must possess a valid PA driver’s license.
- Must provide proof of compliance with PA child abuse background checks (the Conservancy is willing to assist).
This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position with competitive pay and benefits. The Lancaster Conservancy is headquartered in Lancaster City, Pennsylvania. This position allows for some remote work and also requires work being perform on Conservancy preserves across Lancaster County and areas of York County. Additionally, at times, this position may work from our regional stewardship facilities. Travel is reimbursable.
Interested, qualified applicants should send a cover letter and resume to Brandon Tennis, SVP of Stewardship, at bhacker@lancasterconservancy.org (Beth Hacker, Operations Manager and Executive Support). Please list your last name and “StewardshipCoordinator” as the email’s subject line (i.e. LastnameStewardshipCoordinator). Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. Position is open until filled.
Lancaster Conservancy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.