Pathways Student Trainee – Forestry at USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service

Are you looking for a dynamic student internship where you can jumpstart a career in forestry management while continuing to work toward your degree? Want to help ensure a climate-resilient, sustainable future for our nation’s agriculture, forests, and natural resources? Become a Pathways Student Trainee – Forestry with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)! Duty Location: We have multiple vacancies available in the following NRCS field office locations: Eureka, CA Merced, CA Petaluma, CA Redding, CA Nespelem, WA Applicants are encouraged to communicate location preferences and availability during the interview stage. Recruitment and relocation incentives may be offered according to Agency policy. Duties and Responsibilities: As a Pathways Student Intern, you’ll receive hands-on, specialized training and professional development across a wide variety of forestry management and natural resource conservation activities. Work assignments are designed to provide practical application of the knowledge and skills acquired by interns during formal training. These assignments and duties may include: Assisting in gathering and assembling preliminary data for use in developing and applying conservation and natural resource plans. Assisting in program and conservation planning for a variety of forestry practices, such as woodland, windbreak, visual resource management, recreation activity, and more. Performing a variety of rangeland management duties including collecting data, maintaining accurate field notes, preliminary drafting, and sketch work. Supporting field personnel in the recording of land features, assembling maps and aerial photographs, identifying and classifying plants, and other related work. Receiving intensive training in the principles, concepts, work processes, and regulations of one or more functional areas of Forestry Management, Natural Resources Conservation, and Biological Sciences. Carrying out program activities according to Agency, USDA, and OPM policies, rules, regulations, and procedures. Tracking, maintaining, and reporting on status of assigned projects. Managing files and data following federal policies regarding secure data. Following successful completion of Pathways program requirements, interns may be eligible for conversion to a permanent professional position within the Agency. Application Instructions: Applications close at 11:59 PM EST on November 17, 2026. To apply, you will need to create a USAJOBS account, complete the online application and assessment questionnaires, and submit any required documents. Please see the full job announcement on USAJOBS for eligibility and qualification information, as well as further instructions to apply.