Position: 2026 Short Term Winter Fuels Mitigation Crew Leader – Non-AmeriCorps 

Start/ End dates:  

Los Valles (Salida): January 12th – March 27th, 2026   

Four Corners (Durango): January 5th-March 21st, 2026 

Status: Seasonal, Full-time 

Location: Salida, CO or Durango, CO 

Age: Must be 21 or older or have held a driver’s license for 3 years to be on Conservation Legacy’s Driver Policy 

Stipend: $975 – 1125 week  

Benefits: Optional low-cost housing, food is provided while on hitch, uniform shirts, personal protective equipment, S-130/190 training course, eligible for Conservation Legacy health insurance 

  

Southwest Conservation Corps  

The SCC Adult Program engages motivated young adults, ages 18 - 30, to complete challenging and impactful conservation and service projects. Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) is a non-profit, AmeriCorps-affiliated organization, whose mission is to engage future leaders who protect, restore, and enhance our nation’s lands through community-based service.  empower individuals to positively impact their lives, their communities and the environment.  

 

Southwest Conservation Corps is located on the ancestral lands of the Puebloan and Ute people, who continue to survive and thrive on these lands today. The SCC Los Valles (LV) office is in Salida, Colorado with satellite operations in Alamosa, CO. SCC LV serves the Arkansas River Valley and the San Luis Valley: the two valleys, or Los Valles. The SCC Four Corners (FC) office is located in Durango, Colorado and has crews complete service projects in Southwest Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.  

  

About the Position  

As a crew leader of AmeriCorps program participants with the Southwest Conservation Corps, your office is the great outdoors! Each crew consists of 6 members and 2 leaders. Crews serve for 8 days at a time in front country (access to your crew vehicle and trailer) locations, in winter weather conditions and have 6 days off between hitches.  

 

As wildfires become more common across the American west, Southwest Conservations Corps’ Winter Fuels Mitigation crew provides the opportunity to engage in the important work of fuel mitigation and wildfire prevention within Colorado. For this crew leader position, leaders are expected to hold a minimum of A-Faller chainsaw certification and have 6 months experience running a chainsaw. Projects may include felling, brushing, and/or limbing for the purposes of hazardous fuels reduction in the wildland urban interface. Members will go through S-130/190 training (Firefighter Training and Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior) to be eligible to possibly assist with pile burn operations during their season.  

 

Crew leaders will lead other new sawyers in completing fuel reduction projects while instilling interpersonal and leadership skills. Crew leaders will also be responsible for leading crews in environmental stewardship, i.e. Leave No Trace, and risk management. Risk management is of utmost importance, and all procedures must be always followed. A variety of soft skills and technical competencies are required to be successful in this role. 

 

Projects will mainly include hazardous fuels reduction in the wildland urban interface but may also include trail construction & maintenance, habitat improvement, re-vegetation, weeding, fencing, facility maintenance, and local environmental service projects. Crews may also complete technical and/or specialized projects depending on project partner needs, including disaster relief if the opportunity arises. 

Schedules consist of 10-hour days that are typically 8-days on and 6-days off. There is a possibility you could serve 4 days on and 3 days off, or a variation of schedules. SCC requires that all crew leaders demonstrate flexibility in scheduling. 

Our Salida crew will have housing provided at a low cost for members and leaders for the duration of the program. During project hitches, crews may camp at shelters or may return to their designated housing location in Salida. Our Durango based crew will work on the Cibola National Forest in New Mexico, the crew will have access to bunk houses in Magdalena, NM for the duration of the season or may choose to return to Durango for days off. 

 

Required Skills & Experience: 

A-faller and A-bucker chainsaw certification (B-faller and B-bucker preferred) 

Minimum of 6 months of professional experience felling and limbing using a chainsaw 

Must hold current/relevant wilderness medicine certification (WFR, WEMT, OEC) with CPR/AED certification. 

Regularly lift and/or move up to 50 lbs 

Has a high school diploma or GED 

Experience leading a crew in an outdoor stewardship role or manual labor field (preferred) 

 

Responsibilities & Core Competencies: 

Leadership & Mentorship 

Foster collaboration & teamwork, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, flexibility & adaptability 

Contribute to a safe learning environment; no harassment of any kind 

Model effective communication and conflict-resolution skills 

Participant and Expedition Behavior 

Serve effectively as a leader of a team despite potentially stressful and difficult conditions 

Willingness and ability to complete all aspects of the program 

Appropriately represent SCC and AmeriCorps to the public and project partners at all times 

Risk Management and Judgement 

Analyze, manage, and inform on hazardous conditions and crew health 

Exhibit strong situational awareness at the worksite  

Transport crew and equipment safely in SCC’s vans or trucks with trailers  

Administrative Skills  

Meet all deadlines for documentation, i.e., timesheets, evaluations, incident reports, etc. 

Record all project-related outcomes and deliverables 

Manage food budget and credit card for purchases, providing receipts for all purchases 

Substance Free 

In accordance with a drug-free program, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in SCC activities and while on organization property. 

  

Candidates interested in this position are encouraged to reach out to the respective contact below with inquiries and submit an application on our website. 

 

Los Valles (Salida): Alix Jensen, ajensen@conservationlegacy.org  

Four Corners (Durango): Kristen Barrett, kbarrett@conservationlegacy.org 

 

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.  
  
We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodations due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.