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ACE: Realty Assistant - USFWS Missouri and Upper Colorado Basins (Interior Regions 5 and 7) Regional Office - Lakewood, CO

ACE: Realty Assistant - USFWS Missouri and Upper Colorado Basins (Interior Regions 5 and 7) Regional Office - Lakewood, CO

Summary:  American Conservation Experience, a Nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), is seeking a Fellow to assist the USFWS Missouri and Upper Colorado Basins Realty Division with their land acquisition program with an emphasis on records management. The Fellow will gain an understanding of USFWS realty practices through interactions with a professional staff comprised of realty specialists, surveyors, cartographers, legal instruments examiner, and a database manager. 

For more information about ACE, please visit: www.usaconservation.org.

Start Date:  October 4, 2021
End Date: September 30, 2022
**52 week commitment required**
 
Location: USFWS Missouri and Upper Colorado Basins Regional Office, Division of Realty, Lakewood, Colorado. The Region includes the states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas. 

Project Website: To learn more about the USFWS Missouri and Upper Colorado Basins Region please visit: https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie.  

Age Requirements: Funding for many ACE positions is provided by a federal program designed specifically for the employment of youth and young adults and therefore is subject to minimum and maximum age requirements of 18-30 (35 for veterans).  
This position may require ACE or FWS vehicle operation in the performance of the duties and therefore the minimum age to be considered is 21.  

Work Schedule: Duties will be carried out Monday - Friday.  Bi-weekly totals should not exceed 80 hours. Time off may be granted and requests should be directed to ACE and the FWS for approval.

Living Allowance:  The ACE Fellow will contribute ~40 hours/week and receive a living allowance of $950/week paid biweekly for food, housing, and incidental living expenses. Finding housing is the responsibility of the fellow (ACE & USFWS will help provide local knowledge of rental market, where possible).
 
Position Description: 

The Division of Realty supports the growth of the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) in the eight states of the Missouri and Upper Colorado Basins Region by acquiring land (and interests in land) through purchases, donations, exchanges, and transfers from private landowners, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. The Division further serves as the technical expert on issues regarding post-acquisition real property management and administration, such as boundary disputes and the granting of public rights-of-way. The daily operation of the Division involves a voluminous amount of documents (both paper and electronic) and records management is the primary focus of this fellowship. In addition, the Fellow will learn about and support the Division’s land acquisition process by working with realty staff on specific projects as needed. Occasional day or overnight site visits to National Wildlife Refuges while accompanied by Realty staff may occur. Specific duties may include but are not limited to: 

Records Management (80%)
  • Organizing PDF files produced from microfiche digitization process
  • Assisting with the digitization and transfer of Realty paper records to the National Archives and Federal Records Center 
  • Assisting with research and database entry of rights-of-way records  

Land Acquisition Support (20%)
  • Observe and support Realty staff during negotiations to acquire real property interests for the USFWS; this may include accompanying realty specialists on site visits with landowners, collecting and examining documents, and assisting with due diligence
  • Proofread purchase agreements, deeds, easements, leases, right-of-way permits, and other realty documents 
  • Assist Realty Specialists with closings and post-acquisition tasks
  • Assist Realty staff with general research topics and specific issues related to our current land holdings, including data requests from USFWS headquarters in Washington, D.C. and Freedom of Information Act requests from private citizens

Qualifications: 

Required:
  • Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner. 
  • Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
  • U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
  • A valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).
  • Willing to undergo and must pass required criminal history checks.
  • Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  • Excellent computer skills (word processing; digitizing; translating data; and editing PDF’s in Microsoft Office and Adobe suites).
  • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail (e.g., file management and ability to meet strict deadlines).
  • Being cognizant of, and practice safeguards to protect, Personal Identifiable Information (PII) at all times. 

Preferred:
  • Competitive applicants for this position can hold or be pursuing a Bachelor's of Arts degree in wildlife biology, botany, natural resource management, or other related discipline appropriate to this position.
  • Coursework or experience in real property, real estate principles, rules, regulations and practices, environmental law; familiarity with Federal environmental laws/policies. 
  • Ability to read and understand legal documentation associated with real property such as deeds and title commitments. 
  • Interest in learning and working with current processes as well as developing new methods of data collection and documenting realty acquisition projects; evaluate different processes and protocols in an effort to produce more efficient and effective solutions. 
  • Experience and/or knowledge in the mission of the USFWS and other federal land management agencies.
  • Strong desire to enter the public service field. 

Please note: Marijuana and other controlled substances are not allowed at any time during the performance of duties including while on federal property or in a FWS or ACE vehicle, regardless of State law or qualified medical marijuana card status.

To Apply: Please submit your resume and a thoughtful cover letter demonstrating your interest and experience, and contact information for three professional/academic references to the online application page for this position through our external application system which Handshake will redirect applicants to.

NOTE: Early consideration will be given as applications are received. This position may close at any time. If you have any questions regarding this position please feel free to contact ACE EPIC USFWS Division Support Specialist, Adam Auerbach, aauerbach@usaconservation.org, 720-812-1619.

EEO: American Conservation Experience provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, American Conservation Experience complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities.