Summer Forestry Internship (Forestry, Logging & Mill Operations)

  South Dakota Family Forests Association

  Rapid City, South Dakota, United States

The South Dakota Family Forest Association (SDFFA) is seeking a motivated forestry student looking for a unique and exciting opportunity for summer employment.

SDFFA has partnered with the South Dakota division of Resource Conservation & Forestry (SD RC&F) to provide this opportunity. SD RC&F regularly hires summer forestry interns to support a variety of efforts.

For the next three summers, however, a summer intern will be hired by SD RC&F as usual, but with added focus to support the SDFFA’s main program, South Dakota Tree Farm.

With funding from the American Forest Foundation, sponsors of the American Tree Farm System, the SDFFA will provide an additional hourly stipend and a monthly housing stipend for a qualified candidate.

This position will work under the supervision of the SD RC&F Forest Stewardship Coordinator and will have duties focusing on supporting both the forest stewardship program and the South Dakota Tree Farm program. Tasks will range from forestry field work to management plan and prescription preparation to landowner workshop planning. There will be significant opportunities to meet and work with private landowners as well as networking with partnering agencies and organizations. The position will be based in Rapid City, SD. The majority of the work will be in the Black Hills, but there may be requirements for occasional travel to other locations within the state. The Black Hills encompass 1.2 million acres of forested hills and mountains across western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming. The Black Hills rise from the grasslands of the Great Plains into a Ponderosa pine forest to an elevation of 7,246 feet at Harney Peak lookout in the Black Elk Wilderness. The Hills have been described as ‘an island in the plains’ and boast a diversity of landscapes and wildlife ranging from the eastern forests to the western plains. The Black Hills area consistently rates as one of the top five tourist destinations in the country. Four National Park System destinations are located in the Black Hills proper: Mount Rushmore National Monument, Jewel Cave National Monument, Wind Cave National Park, and Devils Tower National Monument. Custer State Park, the nation’s second largest state park, spreads across 71,000 acres of forest and grasslands in the southeastern portion of the Hills. Recreationists will be attracted to a multitude of opportunities for hiking, camping, rock-climbing, mountain biking, hunting, and fishing.

Job Field: Forestry

Job Type: Seasonal, Temporary, Internship

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