- Looking to gain hands-on experience in fish and wildlife ecology, vegetation and habitat monitoring and management, historical restoration, natural resources planning, GIS, or related areas?
- Interested in learning more about conserving the incredible natural and cultural resources found on our nation’s military lands?
- Want to earn college credits (and dollars!) while living in unique areas close to military bases?
Early-career Development Program Overview
CSU’s Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands (CEMML) early-career development program is offering paid internship, mentorship, and workforce development opportunities on military installations.
If you are a student, recent graduate, or early-career professional who is interested in learning more about federal land management, these technician positions are the perfect opportunity to build connections, meet mentors, and gain hands-on experience. Working under the guidance of seasoned natural or cultural resource specialists, you will learn practical application and techniques. You’ll learn about careers in military lands management and have an opportunity to contribute to military conservation efforts. You will also increase your understanding of the regulatory framework and the complexities of managing natural and cultural resources. These opportunities will help you excel in your chosen field.
Each technician position varies in duties and scope. Current Early-career Development Program opportunities are listed below. New opportunities will be posted throughout 2023, so be sure to check in often. Opportunities are removed as they are filled. Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply for more than one position.
Include the name(s) of the military installation you want to be considered for in your cover letter or statement of qualifications and follow the instructions in the job posting.
Current Early-career Development Program Opportunities
| Position | Installation | # of Positions Available | Duration | Salary Range | Location | Desired Start Date | Primary Projects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Resources Technician | Altus Air Force Base | 1 | 7 months | $35,000-$37,000 | Altus, Oklahoma | 5/1/2023 | The Natural Resources Technician will provide support for a variety of natural resources and wildlife management projects. These will include managing and maintaining a pollinator garden and community garden, conducting inventories on tree stands, assisting with surveys for reptiles, amphibians, bats, and macroinvertebrates, and assisting with small mammal trapping efforts. Additional office-based opportunities will include managing and advertising for outreach events, managing survey data, and preserving wildlife specimens. |
| Wildlife and Vegetation Management Technician | Avon Park Air Force Range | 2 | 7 months | $35,000-$37,000 | Avon Park, Florida | 4/1/2023 | The Wildlife and Vegetation Management Technician will assist the Avon Park AFR Environmental Chief through fish, wildlife, and vegetation management and surveys. Fish and wildlife tasks may include habitat maintenance and monitoring for threatened and endangered species. The technician may also support the outdoor recreation program through vegetation management. Additional tasks will include surveys for invasive vegetation species. |
| Natural Resources Management Technician | Barksdale Air Force Base | 1 | 7 months | $35,000-$37,000 | Shreveport, Louisiana | 5/15/2023 | The Natural Resources Technician will provide support to Barksdale AFB’s natural resources program through a variety of forest, wetlands, and wildlife management and monitoring projects. Forest-based tasks will consist of campground, road, and hiking trail maintenance, in addition to forest timber sales and cruising efforts. The technician will also monitor logging efforts and gas wells found on the installation. Wetlands tasks will consist mainly of impoundment flooding monitoring. The technician may also monitor the construction and maintenance of natural gas wells. Wildlife-related tasks will include the monitoring of threatened and endangered species, including alligator snapping turtles and tri-colored bats. Once the hunting season starts in September, the technician’s responsibilities will expand to support the Barksdale AFB hunting and fishing program by selling permits and assisting visitors as needed. Additional opportunities to shadow natural resources staff may be included. |
| Natural Resources Management Technician | Columbus Air Force Base | 1 | 7 months | $35,000-$37,000 | Columbus, Mississippi | 4/1/2023 | The Natural Resources Technician will provide support through a variety of invasive species, threatened and endangered species, and wetlands management projects. Invasive species management tasks will mainly consist of GPS mapping and field surveys, and may include GIS work in the office using collected data. Threatened and endangered species tasks will support snapping turtle and bat management, through the collection of water samples and the maintenance of bat boxes respectively. Finally, the wetlands work will produce wetland delineations using field surveys with GPS equipment. |
| Wildlife and Land Management Technician | Dover Air Force Base | 1 | 7 months | $35,000-$37,000 | Dover, Delaware | 5/15/2023 | The Wildlife and Land Management Technician will provide support for the Dover AFB natural resources program through various land management and wildlife survey projects. Land management tasks may include vegetation management and habitat maintenance with the use of hand tools, and wildlife surveys will focus on native and threatened and endangered species. |
| Wildlife and Outdoor Recreation Technician | Eglin Air Force Base | 1 | 12 months | $35,300-$38,500 | Valparaiso, Florida | 4/10/2023 | The Wildlife and Outdoor Recreation Technician will be tasked with a variety of natural resources projects, including maintaining and creating fences and pens for gopher tortoises, monitoring shorebirds and sea turtles during the nesting season, and maintaining recreation areas by repairing fences and picnic tables, and mowing and maintaining the grounds. The technician also will assist with special-opportunity hunts and fishing rodeos. The technician will be required to operate gas-powered tools, augers, tractors, welders, and other special equipment. The variety of projects that technicians will be working on will provide valuable wildlife, outdoor recreation, and natural resources management experience. |
| Wildlife and Outdoor Recreation Technician | Eielson Air Force Base | 1 | 6 months | $37,000-$40,000 | Fairbanks, Alaska | 5/15/2023 | The Wildlife and Outdoor Recreation Technician will provide support to the Eielson AFB Natural and Cultural Resources Manager through a variety of wildlife and natural resources projects. The wildlife support may include the monitoring and management of migratory birds and other threatened and endnagered species. Tasks may also include the maintenance of hiking trails, skiing trails, and campsites, and may include clearing brush, cutting down trees, and repairing/installing fire rings. |
| Forestry Technician | Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson | 1 | 6 months | $37,000-$40,000 | Anchorage, Alaska | 5/15/2023 | The Forestry Technician will support the JBER natural resources program by assisting with a variety of forest management projects. These may include conducting inventories of urban forests, assisting with the felling of trees to limit the spread of invasive spruce beetles, conducting firewood surveys, and tracking firewood inventories. |
| Ecology Technician | Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson | 1 | 5 months | $37,000-$40,000 | Anchorage, Alaska | 5/15/2023 | The Ecology Technician will support the JBER natural resources program through a variety of wildlife, wetlands, and forestry tasks. Wildlife tasks may include the monitoring of various avian species, including bald eagles. Wetlands tasks may include the delineation of wetlands and other waterways using GPS and ArcGIS. Additional forestry tasks may be presented in support of the forestry technician. |
| Wildlife Management Technician | Little Rock Air Force Base | 1 | 6 months | $35,000-$37,000 | Little Rock, Arkansas | 4/1/2023 | The Natural Resources Technician will provide support for wildlife and vegetation management projects. Wildlife tasks will include fish and pollinator habitat maintenance, fish stocking, and surveys for birds, bats, and potentially deer. Vegetation management tasks will primarily consist of terrestrial and invasive species mapping, monitoring, and management. The technician will also be tasked with managing trails and trail signage, and may take part in the review and editing of installation environmental management plans. Additonal projects may include the application of herbicides under the supervision of certified natural resources staff. |
| Natural Resources Management Technician | Sheppard Air Force Base | 1 | 12 months | $35,000-$37,000 | Wichita Falls, Texas | 5/1/2023 | The Natural Resources Technician will be tasked with collecting avian data through surveys, in addition to supporting several vegetation management projects. This support will include completing tree surveys, collecting vegetation data through field surveys, and planning the development of a pollinator garden. Vegetation surveys will be focused on identifying different community types and invasive species, which they will then use to develop a series of vegetation maps. |
| Wildlife and Outdoor Recreation Technician | Tinker Air Force Base | 2 | 6 months | $35,000-$37,000 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 4/1/2023 | The Wildlife and Outdoor Recreation Technician will support the Tinker AFB Natural Resources Manager through a variety of natural resources projects. These may include the monitoring of native, threatened and endangered, and game species. Tasks may also include the management of recreational and hunting areas by clearing trails and the surrounding areas of vegetation. |
Program Housing
Housing is not provided for Early-career Development Program positions, though Furnishedfinder.com is a great resource for finding short-term rentals near the respective installations. In addition to searching your desired cities, you can create a Housing Request and property owners that meet your availability and criteria will reach out to you. Housing options include houses, apartments, extended stay hotels, and extra rooms. The turnaround for short term rentals can be as short as 1-2 weeks if needed.
Please review Furnishedfinder.com or other housing sites (including Apartments.com or Apartmentfinder.com with the short-term filter) prior to applying to ensure you can meet the needs of the position.