Land Steward

**RCLC Land Steward**

**Position Description**

Redwood Coast Land Conservancy (RCLC) is a 501(c)(3) California nonprofit organization founded in 1992 to preserve the natural coastal landscapes and native habitats of southern Mendocino and northern Sonoma Counties. RCLC properties provide coastal access and include a segment of the California Coastal Trail. RCLC purchased Mill Bend Preserve in 2021, where native habitat restoration and public access improvements are currently underway.

**Position Summary**: The Land Steward’s top-line priority is to protect, improve, and manage RCLC properties. This includes restoring native plant and wildlife habitats, and ensuring safe and enjoyable visitor experiences to RCLC’s publicly-accessible properties and trail easements. Mill Bend Preserve (MBP) will be the primary property responsibility, but tasks may also include Gualala Bluff Trail, Cooks Beach, Hearn Gulch, and the Gualala Cemeter

The hire of a Land Steward comes at an inflection point for RCLC. With the acquisition of Mill Bend Preserve in 2021, the completion of the Conservation Plan in 2022, and two recent grant awards from the California State Coastal Conservancy and one from the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, RCLC is shifting to a new level of restoration activity at Mill Bend Preserve, previously the site of multiple timber mills. The Land Steward will be asked to coordinate and implement these initiatives, toward realizing the Preserve’s potential as a regional hub for celebrating the vitality of native habits and inspiring natural lands enjoyment and education.

The Land Steward will work closely with and report to both the Executive Director and the Project Manager (depending on the task), and will also work collaboratively with multiple groups and individuals, including the Mill Bend Preserve Working Group, Board Directors, volunteers, outside contractors, and others. The position will require balancing the need to take general direction and acting with independence, initiative, and good judgment.

**Core Responsibilities**
- Use the Mill Bend Preserve Conservation Plan, State Coastal Conservancy’s Wildfire Resilience grant objectives, and the Forest Management Plan to guide on-the-ground native plants restoration efforts, including the removal of invasive plant species.
- Use above resources as points of reference to develop implementation strategies to ensure highest-level-possible fire safety at MBP, including removing flammable debris and non-native plants.
- As native plants restoration plans develop, participate and potentially guide replanting efforts.
- Employ the wood chipper, biochar kiln, and lop-and-scatter techniques to dispose of unwanted woody debris.
- Maintain the safe and attractive condition of MBP trails.
- Use and maintain, or help maintain, RCLC vegetation management equipment, including the chipper, trailer, water trailer, chainsaws, brush cutter, lawn mower, weed whip, and hand tools.
- Organize and manage the equipment shed, including safe and efficient placement of tools and equipment.
- Coordinate biochar kiln burns, including notifying MendoAir and managing burn-day activities.
- Improve appearance and visitor safety within MBP’s building envelope, including around houses and near/within the cemetery.
- Periodically assist in the maintenance and improvement of House 1, as necessary.
- Work collaboratively with, and potentially oversee, volunteers and contractors.
- Assist in day-to-day security for MBP, including regular walks of property trails and boundaries, identifying unauthorized campsites, fire hazards, and other risks to MBP’s natural, built, and equipment assets. Pick up and remove trash, as needed.
- Meet contractors and others requiring entrance into MBP, as needed.
- Write periodic reports and updates, for purposes of internal records, grants reporting, and perhaps newsletters and social media.
- Periodically provide support to Gualala Bluff Trail, Cooks Beach, and Hearn Gulch efforts, as needed.
- Perform other duties, as assigned, to support RCLC operations and growth.
- Continually ask how RCLC, and its conservation efforts, can be improved. Think creatively about how to do the job more effectively, or beyond the scope of current job boundaries.

**Position Skills & Abilities**
- Strong work ethic, including eagerness to tackle wide-ranging tasks and perform demanding physical labor
- Deep understanding of, and professional background in, natural resource management
- B.S. or A.A. in environmental studies/science, natural resource management, botany, natural history, or related field
- Highly organized and efficient project manager
- Strong mechanical aptitude
- Good communication skills, both verbal and written
- Mid-level proficiency in Microsoft Office suite and Google online tools
- A passion for the natural world
- A people-person who enjoys sharing their passion for nature
- The ability to safely lift, push, pull, and carry