Work in collaboration with the US Forest Service in the Dixie and Fishlake National Forests, approximately one hour from Cedar City, Utah. This 5-month position will occur in the Dixie and Fishlake National Forests with housing provided in a remote location (Duck Creek, UT) whose nearest sizable town is Cedar City, Utah (1 hour drive). The Dixie National Forest straddles the divide between the Great Basin and the Colorado River, providing convenient access to some of the Wests most visited national forests, parks, and monuments; whereas, the Fishlake National Forest features majestic stands of aspen encircling open mountain meadows and the largest natural mountain lake in Utah
This Team of two Members and one Project Leader will use GPS units and pre-made GIS maps to revisit existing fire monitoring plots and install new plots. At times, camping near remote work sites for 4 to 8 days will be necessary. The team will assess surface fuel loading using Browns transects, measure aspen regeneration, and determine the forest composition in order to assist the US Forest Service in assessing forest health and treatment effectiveness. Data will be recorded using FEAT/FIREMON Integrated (FFI) monitoring software. Activities include travel by truck and foot hiking up to 8 miles/day over Utahs rugged terrain to collect/record vegetation and landscape data; managing data; and presenting project information and results in organized formats. The Team will work and live together in primitive housing (no cell phone coverage, no internet access, no TV).