Job Description

Summary:  American Conservation Experience, a Nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), is seeking a Fellow to assist the USFWS Midwest Region Realty Division with their land acquisition program with an emphasis on records management. The Fellow will gain an understanding of USFWS realty practices through interactions with a professional staff comprised of realty specialists, land surveyors, cartographers, and a paralegal specialist.

 ACE EPIC placements provide recent young adult graduates with focused, hands-on opportunities to work alongside and under the guidance of agency mentors as they apply their knowledge of resource management on their path to becoming the next generation of resource and land managers. 

For more information about ACE, please visit: www.usaconservation.org.

Start Date:  February 28th, 2022

End Date:   52 weeks later

**52 week commitment required**

Location: USFWS Midwest Regional Office, Division of Realty, Bloomington, Minnesota. The Region includes the states of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Infrequent travel (1-2 trips, by car) may be required throughout the term.

Currently, the region is in a maximum telework situation. The employee will be allowed to telework from home as much as the position allows with oversight through office visits, calls, and emails. We are looking for an organized, independent person who can succeed in this work environment. As pandemic numbers decrease, employees will return to the office following guidelines of the region until 5-days a week are reached.

Project Website: To learn more about the USFWS Midwest Region please visit: www.fws.gov/midwest/  

Work Schedule: Duties will be carried out Monday-Friday. Bi-weekly totals should not exceed 80 hours. Time off may be granted and requests should be directed to ACE and the FWS for approval.

Living Allowance:  The ACE Fellow will contribute ~40 hours/week and receive a living allowance of $900/week paid biweekly for food, housing, and incidental living expenses. Finding housing is the responsibility of the fellow (ACE & USFWS will help provide local knowledge of the rental market, where possible).

Housing: Housing is the responsibility of the member and not provided by ACE or the USFWS.

Public Land Corps (PLC) Non-competitive Hiring Authority: Members serving on this project may be eligible to receive a Department of the Interior (DOI) PLC non-competitive hiring authority certificate upon completion of their term of service. Eligible members must meet standard requirements of completing at least 640 hours (16 weeks at 40 hours/week) and utilize their certificate when applying for qualifying federal positions within 2 years of receipt. More information can be provided upon request.

Position Description:  

The Division of Realty supports the growth of the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) in the eight states of the Midwest Region by acquiring land (and interests in land) through easements, purchases, donations, exchanges, and transfers from private landowners, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. The Division further serves as the technical expert on issues regarding post-acquisition real property management and administration, such as boundary disputes and the granting of public rights-of-way. The daily operation of the Division involves a voluminous amount of documents (both paper and electronic) and records management is the primary focus of this fellowship. In addition, the Fellow will learn about and support the Division’s land acquisition process by working with realty staff on specific projects as needed. Occasional day or overnight site visits to National Wildlife Refuges may occur. Specific duties may include but are not limited to: 

Records Management (80%)

• Organizing paper and PDF files produced by digitization
• Assisting with the digitization and transfer of Realty paper records to the National Archives and Federal Records Center 
• Assisting with research and database entry of rights-of-way records  

Land Acquisition Support (20%)

• • Observe and support Realty staff during negotiations to acquire real property interests for the USFWS; this may include accompanying realty specialists on site visits with landowners, collecting and examining documents, and assisting with due diligence

• Proofread purchase agreements, deeds, easements, leases, rights-of-way permits, and other realty documents 

• Assist Realty Specialists with closings and post-acquisition tasks
• Assist Realty staff with general research topics and specific issues related to our current land holdings, including data requests from USFWS headquarters in Washington, D.C. and Freedom of Information Act requests from private citizens

Physical Requirements: This position may require physical exertion such as walking long distances over wet and rough surfaces; bending, crouching, stooping, lifting or reaching. 

Environmental Conditions/Hazards:  The member may encounter environmental conditions/hazards including extreme heat or cold, rocky terrain, swamp or wetland conditions, biting insects, and potentially dangerous wildlife. The member is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow staff/members or resources.

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety: If a vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, one will be provided by the USFWS or ACE.  Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the USFWS. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the USFWS, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it. Strict adherence to USFWS and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.  

Qualifications: 

Required:

• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner. 
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
• A valid driver’s license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).
• Willing to undergo and must pass required criminal history checks.
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent computer skills (word processing; digitizing; translating data; and editing PDF’s in Microsoft Office and Adobe suites).
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail (file management and ability to meet strict deadlines).
• Being cognizant of, and practicing safeguards to protect, Personal Identifiable Information (PII) at all times. 

Preferred:

• Competitive applicants for this position can hold a minimum of a high school diploma or GED and/or have interest in subject areas such as natural resources, biology, ecology or a related subject.
• Coursework or experience in real property, real estate principles, rules, regulations and practices, environmental law; familiarity with Federal environmental laws/policies. 
• Ability to read and understand legal documentation associated with real property such as deeds and title commitments. 
• Interest in learning and working with current processes as well as developing new methods of data collection and documenting realty acquisition projects; evaluate different processes and protocols in an effort to produce more efficient and effective solutions. 
• Experience and/or knowledge in the mission of the USFWS and other federal land management agencies.
• Strong desire to enter the public service field.

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Temporary. Salaries: 40,000 - 60,000.

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