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Public Land Name:
BLM Washington Office – Fluid Minerals Program

Position Title:
Natural Resource Scientist, DHA-RAI Program

Agency: BLM

Position Type: DHA

Position ID Number:
2019825

Location:
Washington, D.C.

Accepting Applications? No

# of current Applicants: 0

Position Description:
The intern will gain a foundation of the laws, regulations, and policies that inform how the BLM works, and assist with training development efforts. The intern will also develop an understanding of the role of the different levels of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents utilized by the oil and gas permitting staff, and learn about the most important areas to focus on in the documents. The intern will gain an understanding of the importance of public and NGO involvement in land use planning decisions. The intern will assist with designing a reclamation monitoring & standards database, and with the design of a geospatial permit review tool, the Disturbance Reclamation Tracking Tool, and dataset development.

In addition, the intern will provide input on policy documents and training relevant to this work. The intern will review and comment on Split Estate Handbooks, Gold Book, and Wildlife Protections Instruction Memorandum, Fee/Fee/Fed (IM), etc. The intern will also assist with making the NRS Inspection & Enforcement (NRS I&E) certification class a reality. They will review and assess I&E course curriculum, take notes for meetings, and assist with Automated Fluid Mineral System (AFMSS) I&E testing.

The position is multifaceted and will provide experience with a broad array of other ongoing projects at the office. The intern will be given a brief overview of the role of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and will help implement the 20 recommendations from the GAO audit. The intern will also learn about the relationship of our office to representatives, and become familiar with commonly asked questions and responses. There is an ongoing interest in the Greater Sage Grouse species, and the intern will gain an understanding of LUPs and tracking of metrics for the Fish and Wildlife Service that the office uses to evaluate the effectiveness of land use planning on the species. The intern will also assist with developing a database to better track mitigation. The intern may generate reports and assist with GIS analysis. The intern will also assist with the National Leads Workshop, such as arranging hotel and conference rooms, field visits, discussion topics and speakers.

Goals, outcomes, and deliverables:
In addition to the tasks outlined in the project description, the intern will (1) inform the project coordinator of changes to their work schedule, (2) report out to the group during the Tuesday 1 p.m. classes, (3) provide progress updates every Friday, and (4) will ask clarifying questions that would otherwise impede production of work tasks or affect the quality of finished products. Since the timing of NEPA action items, protests and litigations, representative inquiries, and other assignments are unknown and will have prioritized deadlines, the program timeline will respond to the workload changes. The intern will attend biweekly geospatial meetings, and SDARTT meetings are weekly, monthly and scheduled as needed to coordinate with different states and databases. An important function of the intern is to take notes for the monthly leads meeting and post the agenda and notes on the sharepoint site and email the notes out to the NRS leads within a day of the meeting being held.

Agency involvement (project oversight, mentoring, team building, etc.):
Supervisor will mentor, provide education and guidance, and a solid foundation in the mission and guiding laws, regulation, policies, and process that guide the BLM. This mentor will be the Senior Natural Resource Specialist in the Fluid Minerals Division.

Upon arrival travel arrangements will be made for a trip to an oil/gas field. Possible Field visit to one or two BLM operation sites to meet the variety of field staff professionals, observe oil and gas operations in the field, be mentored for the permitting process by an NRS, meet with operators and stakeholders.

They will sit in on National Surface calls and take notes. They will attend meetings with WO-310, WO-300, other Divisions within WO-300, WO-100 at the Main Interior Building, the Solicitor’s Office. They will also attend Brown Bag luncheon seminars with other DC interns on various subjects. Trips to other agencies in Washington, DC may also occur with Janna or others, but are not expected.

Professional development & learning opportunities: (trainings, certifications, networking, etc.):
The mentor will provide on the job training for basic resource protection and development; and the relationship to the Bureau mission for land management and onshore mineral stewardship. The intern will be able to shadow land practitioners with decades of practical and applied experience. The intern(s) face challenges in a wide variety of situations, scenarios related to policy and oversight diligence and the relationship to work on the ground at the field offices. The mentor will review all written documents prepared by the interns as well as work directly with the BLM states and field offices. The mentor will coordinate with the intern(s) to make sure they understand the tasks, provide coaching and assure that the intern(s) do not become overwhelmed by their project duties.

The DHA Resource Assistant Internship (DHA-RAI) Program at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is a specialized internship opportunity within the Department of the Interior (DOI). The internships bring new and diverse viewpoints to the BLM while working on specific projects targeted for attracting, recruiting, and filling mission-critical and hard-to-fill occupations. The objective of the internship is to build a pathway towards employment in the DOI for highly-motivated students in higher education.

DHA-RA interns who successfully complete the internship requirements will receive a two-year eligibility period (starting from their degree completion date) during which they can be non-competitively hired by the DOI. Successful completion of the internship does not guarantee that the participant will be hired into a federal position. For more information, please visit the BLM Direct Hire Program website.

Leadership Development:
The intern will participate in rigorous projects that focus skills and reveal the work qualities of the individual. The internship project provides the opportunity for the intern to develop or apply personal responsibility in their work. The rigorous schedule of the internship helps develop project management skills. The intern will also work with multiple stakeholders in their project, which will help the intern develop/demonstrate communication skills, and experience navigating organizational hierarchies.

Presenting Project Results:
Intern will present the results of their project to staff near the end of the internship. Participant is also encouraged to present their results at a GSA Annual Meeting or GSA Section Meeting.

Physical/Natural Environment:
The position is based at the Washington Office – Fluid Minerals Program (WO-310) located in Washington, D.C.

Work Environment:
Office environment will have adequate office space for the assigned intern(s).

Qualifications:
Applicants pursuing (or have very recently earned) a degree in natural resources, biology, environmental science, physical science, GIS or a related degree program are preferred.

Candidates should demonstrate interest or experience in the following areas:

  • Skill development
  • Real-world problem solving
  • Critical thinking skills
  • Project management
  • Communication skills
  • Strong work ethic and independence
  • Teamwork and collaboration

In order to be eligible for a DHA-RA Internship, participants must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent legal resident (“green-card-holder”). The DHA-RA internship focuses on ensuring the full representation of women and participants from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) or other schools with diverse student populations, to include African Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans, Hispanics, Veterans, and individuals with disabilities. Applicants must be enrolled in, or recently graduated from an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree program at an accredited institution of higher education. Students enrolled in a graduate certificate program are not eligible to participate in DHA-RA Internships with the BLM. To qualify as a recent graduate, the student’s official graduation date cannot be more than six (6) months prior to June 3, 2019.

Prior to starting this position a government security background clearance will be required.

Vehicle / Driver's License Requirement (If applicable):
Applicant must have a valid driver’s license and a good driving record.

Please note many GeoCorps projects are in remote locations, where a vehicle is necessary or highly recommended for transportation and access to amenities (exceptions include the Washington D.C. area, Alaska, and Hawaii).

Position Dates:
06/03/2019 to 08/16/2019; alternate start date must be pre-approved

Position Duration: 11 weeks, 40 hours/week; applicants must be able to complete 11 full weeks

Hourly Wage: $15.00/hour + $660 allowance for commuting expenses; participant also receives round-trip travel reimbursement up to $700.

Housing Details:
Free, on-site agency housing is generally NOT available. Participants will use a portion of their wage to cover costs of a local rental. If desired, GSA and the agency can provide assistance in locating suitable housing. The selected participant is encouraged to discuss the housing situation with local agency staff.

If you have questions about the application and selection process, please contact GSA's GeoCorps managers.  If you have questions about any aspect of the position — description, qualifications, housing, dates — please direct them to the contact(s) listed in the project description. Remember, application materials can only be submitted online. The project contact(s) will not accept application materials sent to them via e-mail, mail, fax, etc. See the full program details at the GeoCorps homepage.

PRIMARY CONTACT INFORMATION
Lesley Petrie
Education and Outreach Program Coordinator
3300 Penrose Place
Boulder, CO 80301
 (303) 357-1097
 lpetrie@geosociety.org
Website

SECONDARY CONTACT INFORMATION
Matthew Dawson
Education Programs Manager
3300 Penrose Place
Boulder, CO 80301
 (303) 357-1025
 mdawson@geosociety.org
Website