Purpose of the Position:

The Conservation Coordinator will coordinate District programs and provide outreach and technical assistance to landowners.

General Position Summary:

Soil and Water Conservation Districts are not regulatory authorities. The Conservation Coordinator is fundamentally a landowner driven exercise – providing technical and financial assistance where needed.

This position is funded by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and Oregon Department of Agriculture and requires a focus on Water Quality on Agriculture Lands and the Oregon SB1010 rule.

The Conservation Coordinator is responsible for providing technical assistance to agricultural landowners and occasionally to partner organizations to improve water quality and conserve natural resources in Jefferson County, Oregon. This position will help the District Manager facilitate District programs; plan, implement, and monitor conservation projects; coordinate with stakeholders; and assist partner organizations in prioritizing and acquiring funding for conservation projects. This position will involve outreach to landowners, coordinating the development of proposals, grant writing, budget development, providing oversight of project implementation, reviewing and submitting completion and monitoring reports, and coordinating with funders. Working closely with landowners is a key function of this job, and as such, good people skills are essential. This position exists to provide technical assistance as a cornerstone of the District. The position frequently addresses irrigation water management, tailwater runoff issues, piping projects, and juniper management, to name a few.

Essential Functions / Major Duties:

Coordinator Duties

• Coordinate with Oregon Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Environmental Quality, and stakeholders to implement the Middle Deschutes Pesticide Stewardship Partnership Program
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with private landowners, the Middle Deschutes Watershed Council, local/state/federal agencies, tribal entities, irrigation districts, OSU Extension Service, and other conservation organizations to successfully plan and implement conservation projects, workshops, educational tours, and outreach
• Assess the need for assistance to individual landowners/managers who want to upgrade an existing land management plan or develop a new plan and prioritize where technical assistance will be provided based on limited grant funding
• Plan and organize District water quality and quantity monitoring activities
• Project tracking, management, and reporting as stipulated by funding agencies
• Coordinate and facilitate stakeholder meetings
• Participate in District and Watershed Council Board meetings and provide project updates and recommendations
• Grant writing for projects on privately owned land

Technical Duties

• Schedule and perform site visits with landowners to determine necessary conservation practices to solve resource concerns
• Develop conservation projects with cooperators to address natural resource concerns
• Communicate program details, identified resource concerns, and technical aspects of conservation practices with landowners
• Provide technical and financial assistance to landowners implementing conservation projects
• Assess irrigation practices, and assist landowners in improving water management for their property
• Complete water quality and quantity monitoring activities and follow DEQ specified measurement procedures
• Compile and analyze data to generate reports
• Prepare presentations and technical reports on monitoring results and annual progress
• Provide in-office assistance as necessary to follow plan through approval process
• Provide follow-up assistance as necessary to cooperators during project implementation
• Determine funding sources that may provide incentives to landowners for conservation projects/practices on privately owned property
• Monitor important aspects of projects as assigned, documenting success and failure

Secondary Functions:

• Develop and maintain landowner and agency contacts
• Promote (market) the Conservation District and its programs
• Participate in educational opportunities, including workshops, tours, youth activities as a district representative
• Participate in community activities and with other organization such as watershed councils and irrigation districts as a district representative
• Assist with fair booth and District displays as needed
• Assist with development and presentation of workshops on conservation topics as part of the district’s public outreach program

Equipment

• Properly care for assigned field equipment, including but not limited to, GPS units, phone, radio, compass, camera, water quality and quantity monitoring equipment, etc.
• Other duties as assigned.

Vehicles

• Use district vehicles responsibly; report maintenance needs to supervisor
• Carry out assigned tasks in annual plan of work

Demands / Complexity:

The Coordinator position is highly complex, requiring familiarity with a wide range of laws that govern district operations including state and federal permitting requirements; NEPA, Endangered Species Act, Privacy Act, and Oregon Ag Water Quality requirements. This position also requires a detailed knowledge of USDA NRCS Technical Standards and Job Sheet, the field office technical guide, conservation planning standards and procedures, and familiarity with the types of conservation practices commonly employed within the district.

The Coordinator must be able to work independently, in a very diverse work environment with minimal supervision, including prioritizing daily work tasks, scheduling field work, and meetings.  This is a very diverse working environment.  The Coordinator is responsible for documenting their own time for monthly reporting purposes.  Conservation project planning involves a working knowledge of soil and water conservation principles, practices, implementation methods and procedures and land use factors that affect soil erosion and water quality.

The Coordinator deals with aspects of agronomy, hydrology and engineering related to the planning and installation of soil and water conservation projects and management practices.  The Coordinator must become familiar with how to research and/or who to contact for detailed expertise as guidance.  The Coordinator must understand the principles and techniques of surveying and drafting, as well as the operation of common farm machinery.

This position works with public employees at all levels both within and outside the Soil and Water Conservation Districts, other government agencies, federal, state and local officials and the public.

Supervisory Responsibility: This job has no regularly assigned supervisory responsibility.

Contacts with Others:

This position has daily, face to face interactions with District and USDA Service Center staff.  Frequent interactions in person, via phone, email, and written correspondence occur with other SWCDs, and many State, Federal, and local agencies with whom the district works.  In addition, similar interaction occurs between the technician / planner and the District’s clientele, primarily local farmers and ranchers.  Typical interactions may include exchange of information, sharing of technical information, coordination of on-going projects or discussion of potential new projects, or providing technical assistance.  Care must be taken to avoid sharing information governed by the privacy act, most of which is private landowner information.

Specific Job Skills:

The ideal candidate will have a good command of the English language and be able to communicate effectively by writing and by speech.  They must be proficient in the use of computers and in the use of certain software including:  Microsoft Office Suite products including Excel, Word, and Power Point; and ArcGIS software. They must have sound math skills including basic mathematics, plane geometry, and algebra.  They must have good problem solving skills.

Physically, they must be able to sit, stand, lift up to 50 lbs., and to walk moderate distances over uneven terrain, and work outside in all seasons.  Occasional overnight travel, primarily for training, is required for this position.  The position occasionally requires work in excess of 8 hours per day or over 40 hours per week.  They must possess a valid Oregon driver’s license and be able to operate vehicles.

Education / Experience:

This position requires:

• A Bachelor’s degree with major course work in natural sciences, natural resource management, agriculture sciences, soils, water quality, or a related discipline or three years’ experience working for a natural resources agency, organization, or corporation
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Experience in collecting and analyzing data; i.e. plant identification, discharge, aquatic conditions, soil erosion indicators, water quality, climate data and maintaining field notes as required
• The ability to use a personal computer for information entry and retrieval, correspondence, development of data spreadsheets, graphs, maps, and conservation practice design. Must be proficient with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; working knowledge of ArcView and/or ArcGIS, Microsoft Access and Outlook
• Education or experience in natural resources outreach that includes working one-on-one, in group settings and/or public speaking
• Grant writing experience is a plus

Job Conditions:

Working conditions for this position are: office environment 49%; local travel and field work 49%; other travel 2%. Employee must be will to work in a variety of job conditions ranging from field work in Summer heat and winter cold to office work. Employee can expect interruptions during their tasks at work to answer questions or fulfill various immediate needs tasks around the office. Job requires a level of public relations that extends into personal time, including answering questions from producers while off duty in the community.