2023 – 2024 SCA USACE GIS Inventory Team (PO-00734362)

The 2023-2024 SCA USACE GIS Team is part of a multiyear effort to create a national geospatial dataset for US Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) recreation and transportation assets. Since 2018, SCA has been performing GIS inventories of lands managed by USACE to create a unified national dataset that will provide important decision-making information to local managers and, at a federal level, help determine how to allocate millions of dollars in federal aid for maintenance and improvements.

We are looking for detail oriented, highly motivated, and independent people for our 2023-2024 cohort. This unique, SCA-managed program is comprised of an 8-intern team and 2 dedicated, remote SCA staff members. Interns will spend most of their term of service field verifying geospatial information at USACE facilities; inventorying and cataloging roads, parking areas, and a selection of recreation assets such as trails, trailheads, picnic sites, campsites, boat ramps and traffic counters.

During your term of service, you will be extremely mobile over the course of the 8-month season, moving housing on a weekly basis and conducting inventories in several hundred different recreation areas. Interns typically stay in vacation rental homes (90%), due to the technological needs of the program, but there are also times when camping will be required (10%), due to the remote nature of the worksites. Interns should prepare to work in a wide variety of climate conditions; ranging from extreme cold in the winter, to hot & humid conditions during the summer.

In addition to creating the national dataset, the goal of this program is to provide GIS training for people with field collection experience; and field experience to people who have primarily worked with GIS software in classroom environments. No previous GIS experience is required. We provide training for industry standard Trimble and ESRI products (ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, Field Maps), as well as field collection techniques.

Crew Dates & Location:

• Dates:  July 24, 2023 – March 15, 2024
  • Members will begin the season remotely, attending online trainings from home until July 27, at which time all membes will travel to the field training site. 
• USACE Districts: Omaha, Chicago, Huntington, New England, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Seattle, St Paul, and Walla Walla  (reference https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Locations/ for more information)

Additional Intern Responsibilities: 

• Fully engaging in all work projects and community activities
• Communicating in a professional manner with the public
• Recording work totals and writing reports for submission to USACE partners
• Promoting safety and maintaining conservation values/ethics
• Additional miscellaneous tasks supporting project and team outcomes

Work Breakdown: 

• GIS data collection throughout Army Corps districts (65%)
• Data processing and written reports (25%)
• Team building/Group dynamics (5%)
• Other duties as assigned (5%)

Qualifications:

• Desire to live and work out of a suitcase.
• Desire to perform data collection, and data cleaning, which includes parsing through spreadsheets for errors that were made in the field.
• Ability to work independently and think on your feet.
• Commitment to living and working within an intensive crew environment; interpersonal skills and community living experience are strongly desired
• Commitment to service in working conditions that will include extreme temperatures, high humidity, precipitation, and busy public areas
• Valid driver’s license and ability to pass Motor Vehicle Records check
• Ability to walk up to 10 miles per day, unassisted, over rough terrain in remote areas. 

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Benefits: 

• Health Insurance
• Living allowance of $600/week
• 1200hour AmeriCorps award ($4546.50)
• Housing provided for duration of program
• Transportation provided for duration of program; personal use of company vehicles possible with limitations

Provided Trainings & Certifications:

• SCA & USACE Orientations and Histories
• ESRI Software Trainings – ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, ESRI Field Maps App
• Teamwork, Leadership, and Conflict Resolution Skills Trainings
• Wilderness First Aid & CPR (provided by Aerie Backcountry Medicine)