Location: Coachella Valley, Central Riverside County
Position: Permanent / Full-time (1.0 FTE); Exempt (Salaried)
Compensation: $64,480 – $74,480 with benefits including, but not limited to, 11 paid holidays annually; three weeks of vacation annually (progressive); sick leave; substantial employer contribution to health insurance plan; dental and vision plans; employer contribution to retirement plan
Application deadline: The position is open until filled, but for fullest consideration please
apply by June 30, 2023.
Position Summary and General Duties
The Preserve Manager – Coachella Valley (Preserve Manager) will be responsible for managing a portfolio of preserves with the anchor preserve being the Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve which is owned by Center for Natural Lands Management (CNLM). This 880-acre Preserve was established primarily for the protection and conservation of the Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard and desert pupfish. Preserve habitats include desert scrub, desert palm oases, desert wetlands, and desert sand dunes. This Preserve also offers public opportunities for walking on trails and natural resource education via informative signs, docent-led tours, and interactions with staff and volunteers onsite. Amenities to support staff, volunteers, and the visiting public include restrooms, trails, educational kiosks, and some buildings for staff/volunteer use. Preserve Manager responsibilities at this Preserve will be largely driven by seasonal variation in natural resources (monitoring, weed control), and in public visitation (November through March being peak visitor season). In addition to this anchor preserve, the portfolio includes two other preserves that are owned and/or managed by CNLM (Dos Palmas, Palm Canyon Wash) and two preserves that CNLM protects with conservation easements but does not manage (CVAG- I10 and Smoke Tree Ranch Preserves). Other significant species within the portfolio include Coachella Valley milkvetch, Casey’s June beetle, and Ridgeway’s clapper rail.
The Preserve Manager will be responsible for biological monitoring, vegetation management, and general management of visitor services. Associated activities include supervision of a full-time Land Steward, docents, and volunteers (including RV Hosts); revising management plans as needed; preparing annual budgets, work plans, and reports; analyzing data as needed; and active engagement of any contractors needed for specialized services. The Preserve Manager will provide resource management in accordance with the conservation values and any regulatory (e.g., U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) requirements of the Preserve, CNLM’s stewardship standards and practices (which also reflect and exceed Land Trust Alliance standards), and the preserve-specific management plans.
The position of Preserve Manager requires maintenance of a home office for which CNLM provides a stipend. A company vehicle may be provided at management’s discretion. There is a considerable degree of autonomy (and responsibility) associated with the position because of CNLM’s organizational structure which focuses on preserve management rather than high levels of administration and supervision. In addition to the management of the Preserve, the Preserve Manager will contribute to CNLM’s expertise and documentation of ‘best management practices’ for managing rare and protected plant and animal species. The Preserve Manager will participate in internal and external stewardship and conservation science events and participate in the acquisition of new preserves as needed.