USFS seeks Desolation Wilderness volunteers

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - Do you love the wilderness? Are you committed to preserving its’ breathtaking beauty? Do you love working with people and spending time in the outdoors? Can you match your motive for volunteering to the mission and priorities of the Forest Service? Most importantly, do you have the time, willingness and dedication to volunteer and help preserve one of our most popular back-country natural areas near Lake Tahoe?

If so, the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) may offer exactly what you’re looking for. The LTBMU is looking for hard-working, dedicated volunteers who love working outdoors, educating wilderness visitors, performing monitoring or administrative duties and are interested in preserving one of our nation’s most beautiful wilderness areas, Desolation Wilderness.

Those committed to volunteering are invited to attend an informational open house on Thursday, March 15, 2018, from 5 – 7 p.m. and/or Saturday, March 17, from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. at the Forest Supervisor’s office, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, California 96150. The open house will include information about different volunteer opportunities, training, minimum requirements and how volunteer help is important to the preservation of Desolation Wilderness.

Desolation Wilderness is approximately 64,000 acres of pristine sub-alpine and alpine forest, granite peaks and glacially-formed valleys and lakes situated in the Crystal Range of the Sierra Nevada, southwest of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Desolation Wilderness was designated in 1969, under The Wilderness Act, and has protections in place that aim to preserve this amazing place for future generations.

Volunteers work closely with Forest Service wilderness staff and can choose from a variety of project based activities including visitor education, wilderness staff support for office and field projects, back-country trail maintenance, campsite restoration and wilderness character monitoring. Field projects involve hiking in moderate to difficult terrain and require an appropriate level of physical ability. Volunteers should be able to commit to a minimum of seven days for the summer season and must be age 18 years or older. Desolation Wilderness volunteer experience counts toward federal work experience and looks great on federal employment applications. Additional information is available at http://www.desowv.org/..

Selected candidates will be required to attend a volunteer training workshop on May 19 – 20, at the Sly Park Event Center at Jenkinson Lake, Mormon Emigrant Trail, Pollock Pines, California 95726.

For more information, contact the LTBMU Wilderness Program Manager, Don Lane at 530-543-2621 or Recreation Specialist, Bob Becker at 530-543-2688.