Lands Resource Specialist

Become part of an organization where you will work with dedicated and extraordinary people who have commitment and skills to manage and protect Idaho's natural resources. The Department of Lands believes in its employees and values teamwork, innovation, quality contributions, and individual initiative and leadership. We strive for a culture where leadership equips, entrusts and expects employees to make decisions in fulfillment of our missions.

Under the direction of the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners, the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) manages over 2 million acres of state endowment trust land under a constitutional mandate to produce maximum long-term financial returns for the public schools and several other state institutions. Leases and other contracts are used to authorize revenue generating activities such as timber harvest, grazing, farming, mining, commercial use, residential use and conservation in a prudent and sustainable manner.

Managing endowment trust lands is only part of our story. We also protect public resources such as water, fish, wildlife, and recreation on public trust lands (beds of navigable lakes and streams) and ensure protection of water quality and other resources by overseeing forest and mining practices across all ownerships in the state. One of our most important resource protection responsibilities is fire prevention and suppression. We also provide assistance to landowners to manage their forestlands and to remediate abandoned mined lands.

Position Overview:

The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) is recruiting a Lands Resource Specialist (LRS) with a specialty of Navigable Waters. The Lands Resource Specialist position is used for recruitment and training purposes for the Lands Resource Specialist, Senior. Through various types of on-the-job training, the employee will learn to carry out the duties of a Lands Resource Specialist, Senior (LRSS). Typically the Senior level requires 2-5 years of experience as a Lands Resource Specialist or equivalent work experience. Lands Resource Specialists are expected to apply his/her technical knowledge and training while learning the state laws and department policies and procedures necessary to achieve the expertise and independence of the journeyman level LRSS - Navigable Waters.

If you feel you are qualified at the Senior level, we encourage you to apply for the LRSS - Navigable Waters as well under announcement number 01074025269.

Responsibilities: 

• The primary duty of this open Lands and Waterways Specialist position is to administer the Lake Protection Act numerous endowment land leasing programs, and rights of way program within the Payette Lakes Supervisory Area through encroachment permitting, submerged land leasing, regulatory enforcement, lease, permit and easement term development, contract term enforcement, and analysis of endowment activities to maximize long term revenue sources for the State Land Endowment beneficiaries.
• Permitting and leasing activities occur primarily in Valley, Adams, Washington, and portions of Idaho County.
• Incumbents are responsible for reviewing and processing encroachment permit applications ranging from single-family docks and rip-rap projects to commercial marinas, as well as administering leases and land use permits for commercial, recreational, and residential leasing programs.Guidance for these activities is provided through existing law and established Department procedures.
• Project work will also include the development of lease provisions for submerged and endowment lands and the enforcement of permit and lease terms.
• The position requires interaction with outside groups, serving as departmental liaison to industry and local jurisdictions, and interacting with the public to develop understanding, acceptance and support for IDL's regulatory and endowment leasing functions.
• Efforts will be focused primarily within the Payette Lakes Supervisory Area, but could include project work in other Supervisory Areas on a regional level.
• Incumbents may travel approximately 10% of the time with occasional overnight stays required. 

Minimum Qualifications:

Some knowledge: 

• Interpreting and applying state and federal laws, rules and regulations in relation to natural resource management activities.
• Evaluating projects and/or data, analyzing alternatives, and making recommendations.
• Communicating effectively both verbally and in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience through technical reports, business correspondence, and oral presentations.
• Interpreting public land survey legal descriptions, aerial photos and topographic and property ownership maps.
• Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to produce maps and analyze spatial data.
• Performing financial analyses to consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions or proposals to choose the most appropriate one. 

Some knowledge of: 

• Public trust land or other public resource regulation or management;
• Processes for issuing permits, leases and/or easements;
• Hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, and riparian soils and vegetation;
• Land use planning and zoning; and
• Computer software such as word processing, spreadsheets, and/or databases. 

Possession of: 

• A valid driver's license.
• Knowledge and experience with public hearings.
• Training and experience with conflict resolution. 

Compensation: Salary Range: $18.31 - $24.41 per hour - Plus Competitive Benefits!

Note: Closing date is July 24, 2013.

How to Apply:

Please click below on the "Apply Here!" link and follow the instructions provided to complete the Application Checklist and Exam for this position. If you are unable to use the Apply Online process, you must respond to the exam questions on this announcement and complete a State of Idaho Application.

When updating your online application information, please select:

• Department of Lands under "Agencies"
• Full-time employment under "Job Type/Shift"
• McCall under "Cities"

When updating your online application information, you must complete all items in the Application Checklist. This includes: (Personal Information, Education, Work History, Cities, Agencies and Job type.) Without this information, your name cannot be referred to the hiring agency.

Examination:

Education and Experience. Enter your responses to the questions in the space provided in the examination. Scoring will be based on the information you provide. A minimum rating of 63 is needed to pass this examination. Notification of your test results will be available online when the review process is complete. Applicants who do not Apply Online will receive written notification.

To preview the exam, click on the "Preview Exam" link below (you will not be able to take the exam from this screen). If you wish to take the exam, click on the Apply Here! link and follow the instructions provided.

Hiring Lists:

If your name has been certified to a hiring list for possible consideration, you will see it listed in the Hiring Lists section of your online application. Supervisors review application materials prior to scheduling interviews. Those applicants who will be offered an interview may receive a phone call, letter or email to schedule a time, be sure your contact information is up to date and accurate. Having your name certified to a hiring list is not a guarantee that you will be contacted for an interview, it simply means you are one of the applicants being considered.

~ Thank you for your interest in employment with the Department of Lands! ~