The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) has an immediate opening for a full-time Travel Planning Policy Fellow. This is a two-year position with the possibility of an additional year. The Policy Fellow will focus on SUWA’s motorized travel management planning campaign. The position will involve a combination of research, writing and advocacy. The Policy Fellow will work closely with other program staff in SUWA’s Salt Lake, Moab and Washington, D.C. offices. The position will require travel within Utah.

SUWA’s mission is to defend and protect the wilderness at the heart of the Colorado Plateau and in Utah’s West Desert. (Read more here).

We are committed to the idea that our commonalities greatly outweigh our differences, and that the redrock is for everyone. Our mission is to protect the redrock for the wonder and enjoyment of all future generations, both human and non-human alike.

The lands we work to protect are the ancestral homelands of many Tribes, including those that were forcibly removed at the hands of the U.S. government in an effort to exterminate their cultures, languages, and ways of life. These injustices are still felt today, but the quest to erase the Tribes failed: indigenous communities continue their traditions and remain an integral part of the landscape and our community. We are committed to working toward understanding this history; to expanding present-day common ground, collaboration, and reconciliation with our Tribal neighbors; and to advocating that Tribes receive a seat at the table when others would exclude them.

The environmental movement has a regrettable history of excluding and oppressing marginalized people. We know that the redrock, humanity, and the future of the planet itself depend on working together to solve our greatest common threat: the climate crisis. As we face the challenges of the 21st century head-on, we recognize we can only do so by including, involving, and elevating Tribes, communities of color, people of diverse economic backgrounds, faith communities, the LGBTQ+ community, and the tapestry of experience that weaves together our common humanity. We are committed to doing this both within our staff and through our daily work to protect the redrock.

Job Description:

The Bureau of Land Management is involved in a multi-year travel management planning process that will determine where motorized vehicles will be allowed to travel across more than 6 million acres of federal public lands in Utah. Achieving successful outcomes from this planning process is critical to protect Utah’s redrock wilderness and to meet the Biden administration’s 30×30 goals.

The Policy Fellow will work with SUWA’s travel planning team to develop and implement SUWA’s travel management planning campaign with the goal of minimizing damage to Utah’s significant natural and cultural resources. Among other duties, the Policy Fellow will research and draft administrative agency comments, meet with agency staff and other decision-makers to influence policy outcomes, and work with diverse stakeholders to advocate for the protection ofUtah’s public lands.

Qualifications:

• A demonstrated interest in environmentalism or conservation—passion for wilderness and public lands preferred.
• Experience with and/or knowledge of public land management planning processes and issues, including familiarity with the National Environmental Policy Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Initiative, self-direction, attention to detail and an ability to meet deadlines.
• Interest in and experience building professional relationships with agency staff, and Tribal and conservation partners.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required; advanced degree in public policy, environmental science, law or related field or equivalent experience highly desirable.
• An awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations.

Interested applicants should send the following materials via email to Laura Peterson at hiring@suwa.org: cover letter, resume, 3-5 page writing sample (original work) and three references. Please direct any questions to this email address as well. The deadline to submit an application is May 10, 2021.

Salary:

• Salary range: $39,000-$48,000 depending on education and experience. SUWA provides vacation, holiday and sick leave; health insurance; retirement benefits; and disability. Relocation reimbursement provided.

Location and Start Date:

• Salt Lake City
• Anticipated start: July 2021

SUWA is committed to workplace diversity and inclusion. SUWA is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.