| Public Land Name: | BLM Nevada, Winnemucca District | | Position Title: | Resource Protection Specialist (2 Positions) | | Position ID Number: | 9 | | Location: | Winnemucca, NV | | Position Description: | Recent revision of the surface management regulations (governing operations conducted for the exploration of minerals subject to claim under the General Mining Law) have resulted in many notices expiring (proposals that disturbed less than five acres). These notices were predominately proposals for exploratory drilling. The expired notice sites must be inspected, and any outstanding reclamation requirements must be verified and documented.
In the past two years interest in development of geothermal energy has increased, keeping staff from similar inspections of completed exploration projects. It is likely that some time would be directed to inspections of those sites.
The GeoCorps participant will perform inspections, produce all pertinent documentation, and may draft follow-up correspondence to the operator of each expired notice. The objective is to have every expired notice in the Winnemucca District inspected. Approximately 70 expired notice projects and 20 geothermal exploration sites remain to be inspected.
Specific tasks include the following:
Pre-Field Work: review the notice case file and make copies of appropriate maps; compare with other files in the area to determine any overlapping disturbance.
Field Work: GPS and photograph all surface disturbance; obtain data on vegetation coverage, type and percentage; identify safety hazards (shafts, adits, open pits, open drill holes).
Post-Field Work: download GPS data to Pathfinder Office; export GPS data into ArcMAP; make map of appropriate scale; fill out inspection form; download pictures to servers and/or disks; print copy of pictures as appropriate; submit inspection form, photos and ArcMAP Map.
At the end of the project it is expected that about 30 expired notices or geothermal sites will be inspected, and all outstanding reclamation requirements at those sites be documented. For the participant's professional growth, we may also include participation in compliance work or site visits at other types of mineral development operations, or other land management functions. The participant will learn the basic physical techniques for mineral exploration, principles of reclamation of mineral exploration disturbances, and how to collect, manage, consolidate, and present data in a form that is usable and easily understood.
Prior to starting this position a government security background clearance will be required. | | Qualifications: | The applicant must have an interest in and ability to work in remote locations; an ability to work well independently with little supervision; good organizational skills; knowledge of and ability to use a GPS unit and GIS experience; knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel Spreadsheet; the ability to hike cross-country for extended distances in rugged terrain using topographic maps and a compass for navigation.
The applicant should have or be pursuing a degree in a natural resource field, preferably geology, mining engineering, or environmental engineering; overnight field experience, experience working alone, GPS, GIS skills, field archaeological technician experience, 4WD driving experience, ATV experience w/ safety course completion, excellent safety record. | | Position Dates: | May - Aug; 12 weeks; start/end dates flexible | | Payment: | $2500; plus $1500 housing allowance | | Housing Available: | The participant will be responsible for finding her/his own housing in Winnemucca, and will be provided a housing allowance of $1,500 for 12 weeks in addition to the $2,500 stipend. There are numerous apartment complexes in Winnemucca, but the market is rather expensive and the allowance may not cover the rent and utilities expenses of someone living alone. The opportunity exists for sharing living quarters with other seasonal employees. A personal vehicle is not required but strongly recommended. There is no public transportation but the community is small. The BLM site manager will supply local newspapers and apartment manager contact information to the participant as soon as that information is requested. When other seasonal employees who may need housing are identified, we will provide contact information if shared housing is desired. | Physical/Natural
Environment: | The Winnemucca District Office of BLM manages lands approximately 8.3 million acres of public lands in northwestern Nevada, divided into two Field Offices - Black Rock and Humboldt River. All of Humboldt and Pershing counties and portions of three other counties, including the communities of Winnemucca, McDermitt, Lovelock and Gerlach are within the District boundary. Most of the district is within the Basin and Range physiographic province and the Great Basin hydrologic province. Rock units present span the time from the late pre-Cambrian to Pleistocene.
The transition from the early North American continental shelf to deep-ocean units crosses through the district, and some areas in the western portion of the district are considered suspect terranes. Several major tectonic events have affected the local geology, including plutonic activity and several thrust faulting episodes. The presence of numerous mineral exploration projects, small- to large-scale mining operations for locatable minerals, active sales of mineral materials, and development activities for geothermal energy provide challenges for multiple-use land management concepts and the potential for significant conflicts with other resources. | | Work Environment: | The participant will work out of the Winnemucca District Office, Humboldt River Field Office (HRFO) and be guided and mentored by a staff member, but most fieldwork would be done independently or with another participant. Although assigned to the HRFO, some work may be performed within the jurisdiction of the Black Rock Field Office. The work week is negotiable between 4, 10-hour days or 5, 8-hour days per week. No weekend work is expected. Short overnight stays away from the duty station are possible. These may involve stays at motels (at government expense), government housing, or camping.
The work includes both office and field conditions. Office work often involves periods of intense concentration on technical details, and using a personal computer in a typical office setting. Most fieldwork requires a certain amount of physical stamina under a variety of arduous conditions, including travel by vehicle or foot over rugged, slippery, and/or hazardous terrain, and exposure to physiographic extremes. Fieldwork is often performed in weather conditions most people would consider adverse, such as extremes of temperature, dust, rain, mud, and occasionally snow (as well as fair conditions), both by vehicle and by foot travel. The participant must regularly drive a manual-transmission 4x4 vehicle in those conditions, sometimes over narrow, rough roads. A variety of physical and chemical hazards may exist on sites where mineral development has taken place. The participant will be trained to recognize these hazards, and may occasionally be exposed to this environment while performing compliance inspections for these types of operations.
The district is fairly typical of a semi-arid high desert in the Basin and Range. Elevations range from just below 4000’ to almost 10,000’. Summer high temps are typically over 90s in the valleys, while the overnight lows are often in the 50s.
Winnemucca is a community of about 8,000 people within the city limits. However, “greater” Winnemucca, including surrounding county lands, has a population nearer to 12,000. Winnemucca is a “full service” community whose economy is based on mining, tourism, and agriculture. There is a fairly complete selection of shopping opportunities, and amenities including local restaurants and almost limitless hiking, biking, off-road motorcycling, and other outdoor activities. The nearest city and commercial jet airport is Reno, 165 miles away. | | # of current Applicants: | 8 |
If you have questions about the application and selection process, please contact Anny Jones. If you have questions about any aspect of the position — description, qualifications, housing, dates — please contact the primary or secondary contact below:
| | PRIMARY CONTACT INFORMATION | | Contact Name: | Ken Loda | | Title: | Supervisory Geologist | | Street Address: | BLM Humboldt River Field Office
5100 E Winnemucca Blvd | | City/State/Zip: | Winnemucca, NV 89445 | | Phone: | 775-623-1539 | | Email: | Ken_Loda@nv.blm.gov | | Website: | http://www.nv.blm.gov/Winnemucca/ |
| | SECONDARY CONTACT INFORMATION | | Contact Name: | Fred Holzel | | Title: | Planning & Environmental Coordinator | | Street Address: | BLM Humboldt River Field Office
5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd. | | City/State/Zip: | Winnemucca, NV 89445 | | Phone: | 775-623-1528 | | Email: | Fred_Holzel@nv.blm.gov | | Website: | http://www.nv.blm.gov/Winnemucca |
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