Volunteering and Support
Friends of the Clearwater is, in large part, the hard work and dedication of our amazing volunteers. In fact, we were an all volunteer organization until 1999.
Below are just a few of the many opportunities at Friends of the Clearwater. You may choose one or as many as you would like, as any help is greatly appreciated. We truly value our volunteers and are very grateful for all of their hard work! We hope that you will join us in our efforts to protect and defend the Wild Clearwater Country. learn more about our volunteer group
Do your part to help Friends of the Clearwater by donating your time with one of many volunteer opportunities, including:
Wildlife Research
Off Road Recreation Vehicle Overuse
Friends of the Clearwater has documented off-road vehicle (motorbikes, ATVs) use on trails originally designed for foot traffic. Unfortunately, most of the roadless areas (potential wilderness) on the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forests are open to motor vehicles (including all of them to snowmobiles). We are monitoring these areas by sending out volunteers to endangered hiking trails to gather photographs and other evidence that proves that this use us degrading these lands.
Brochure writing and Research
Some of the topics we need energetic volunteers to look into include:
- Research and Summary on Mining Laws
- A brief summary about wildlife laws and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Timber Sale Monitoring:
We are currently monitoring several timber sales. Environmental guidelines have been designed to minimize the negative impact logging and road-building have on watersheds. Often these standards are ignored by the Forest Service and contracted logging companies. We monitor these sales to record where and when infractions occur. We use digital photos and GPS coordinates to support this work.
Table at Community Events
We set up an informational table at community events throughout the region and at the local college campuses. If you have a favorite event in North Central Idaho please invite us! Don’t worry if you feel like you have a lot to learn; someone will meet you to help set up/take down the table. Its very easy and all the information is at your fingertips! It’s a great way to get outside and meet people too!
Interior Decorating and Design
We have a group of committed individuals heading up the Moscow office face lift. To get involved contact Will Boyd at foc@friendsoftheclearwater.org.
Letter Writing
There are many decisions being made about the fate of our precious wildlands, and we need your voice to be heard on these issues. Sign up for our update, the Big Wild Weekly e-mail to receive current alerts, or refer to our letter writing info sheet with alerts and a sample letter. By writing letters to the editor, Forest Service and elected officials, hopefully together we will influence those who can make positive changes! Log in and read the WildScribes group as well.
Assist With Data Entry or Mailings
We have lots of info just waiting to be entered into the computer! Any help doing so, is huge! We also send mailings throughout the year that go quickly with lots of help. Computer savvy people appreciated but not required!
Get Your Group or Cause Involved With FOC
Get your group to help with any of our volunteer opportunities or invite us to your events and activities!
We are always looking for ways to connect in our local communities! New ideas for local groups to work together are the best ways to get connected.
Fundraising and Donations
We are a non-profit organization and therefore rely solely on grants and donations from our gracious supporters. As prices seem to be rising, any help with fundraising or cultivating donations is greatly appreciated! Creative ways to raise money are always welcome, as well!
Contact Info:
PO Box 9241
Moscow, ID 83843
Phone: 208-882-9755 Fax: 208-883-0727
E-mail: foc@friendsoftheclearwater.org
www.friendsoftheclearwater.org
KEEP IT WILD!
Education & Outreach Director Job Opening Announcement
Friends of the Clearwater Job Opening for the position of Education & Outreach Director (EOD)
Application due: March 15, 2008
Materials to be submitted
Current CV
Letters of reference (2)
Cover letter
Friends of the Clearwater, a recognized non-profit organization since 1987, defends the Idaho Clearwater Bioregion's wildlands and biodiversity through a Forest Watch program, litigation, grassroots public involvement, outreach, and education. The Wild Clearwater Country, the northern half of central Idaho's Big Wild, contains many unprotected roadless areas and wild rivers, and provides crucial habitat for countless rare plant and animal species. Friends of the Clearwater strives to protect these areas, restore degraded habitats, preserve viable populations of native species, recognize national and international wildlife corridors, and to bring an end to commodity extraction and industrialization on our public lands.
Position Abstract
The successful applicant will work side by side with Friends of the Clearwater’s Ecosystem Defense Director to educate the public about, grow grassroots support for, and protect the Wild Clearwater Country. The public wildlands of the Clearwater River Watershed are found within the Clearwater National Forest, Nez Perce National Forest, the southern portion of the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, and scattered lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The EOD advocates for the Clearwater by empowering local citizens as owners of the invaluable public lands in their backyard. The EOD also produces FOC's quarterly newsletter, the Clearwater Defender, conducts fund-raising activities, and other duties as assigned (see Position Description).
Start Date: April 1
Will work side by side with current EOD for 4-6 weeks to make for smooth and effective transition.
Salary & Benefits
$24,960 annual salary ($12/hour, 40 hours/ wk)
Full insurance coverage
4 weeks paid vacation
Flexible hours
Please send all materials to be submitted electronically as pdf or rtf files to:
foc@friendsoftheclearwater.org
Local Conservation
We love the Clearwater and the Palouse! The Palouse is home to giant earthworms, Swainson's hawks, deep fertile soils, and one of the rarest ecosystems on the planet. A number of conservation, organizations make their home on the Palouse. This group has been developed as a tool for cooperation on local environmental issues, to help groups schedule events without competing with other like-minded organizations, and to spur on the growing cooperative movement occuring betwen the many concerned citizens and organizations dedicated to conservation on the Palouse and the Clearwater.Officials and Agencies - Contacts
Fax: (202) 228-1375
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-6611
12730 Highway 12
(208) 983-1950
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815-8363
(208) 765-7223
FAX: (208)765-7307
Spring-Summer 2008 Internships
Summer 2008 Decommissioned Road Research Internship
Summer 2008 Road Research Intern Job Description (1 position available)
This position is in conjunction with Wildlands CPR, based in Missoula, MT. Wildlands CPR is dedicated to educating the public about the threats caused by roads and roadbuilding in our National Forests and works toward decommissioning of unmaintained and ecologically damaging sections of roads. Individual must have a car and be willing to drive 2-3 hours/week. Gas costs will be compensated.
The missions of the Road Research Intern are 3-fold:
1. Make weekly monitoring trips to the sections of decommissioned roads (Clearwater National Forest, near Bovill) to collect and reset track plates and download and reset digital motion sensitive cameras. Keep data in a weather proof and safe location to be returned to Wildlands CPR at end of season
2. Coordinate with Wildlands CPR. Widlands CPR staff and Americorps members will meet up with intern several times throughout the summer.
3. Involved local citizens with help from Education Director in monitoring efforts.
Timing: Mid-May - end of September
Time Committment: 5-10 hours/week approx
Compensation: While Friends of the Clearwater offers these positions as volunteer, financial compensation is possible through Americorps dependent upon number of hours served. Please be sure to mention your interest in this program and we will provide you with more specific information.
To Apply:
E-mail a cover letter and resume to Will Boyd, Education Director at foc@friendsoftheclearwater.org. Feel free to contact us at (208) 882-9755.
Friends of the Clearwater
PO Box 9241
Moscow, ID 83843
Summer 2008 Outreach Internships
Summer Outreach Intern Job Description (2 positions available)
The Summer Outreach Intern(s) are 10-20 hour/week positions with Friends of the Clearwater, from mid-May to mid-August (dates flexible). Often our interns enjoy their work enough to stay on into the fall or as an occasional year round volunteer. Our office is located in downtown Moscow at 116 East 3rd St (above the Shirt Shack).
FOC's mission revolves around 1) the place, the Wild Clearwater country (generally the Clearwater, Nez Perce, and parts of the St. Joe National Forests, which lie within the Clearwater River Basin), 2) the life of the place, such as elk, forest carnivores, wild fish, wild rivers, and ancient forests.
The missions of the Outreach Intern are 2-fold:
1. Work with the Outreach Director to engage people of the Wild Clearwater country for support and protection of Idaho’s wildlands.
2. To organize volunteers to take advantage of summer outreach opportunities.
People
Effective communication skills are an important quality for the Outreach Intern. The Intern working with the Outreach Director will be responsible for helping to develop and maintain relationships with regional communities (Moscow, Lewiston, Kooskia, Orofino, etc.), and other active organizations such as environmental, recreation and wildlife groups, etc.
Working with FOC Outreach Director, the intern will be responsible for coordinating administrative volunteers in conjunction with FOC board members and the Ecosystem Defense Director. This entails organizing volunteers for events and speaking engagements, newsletters and other mailings, special projects, fundraisers, and outdoor activities.
Primary responsibilities:
a. Staffing FOC informational table at community events including Farmer’s Market in Moscow. May also include events in Pullman, Lewiston, etc. Organizing volunteers to assist in these efforts.
b. Newsletter compilation, design, and production
c. News release and article writing
d. Maintaining the membership database and/or website
e. Some administrative duties i.e., assist in mail runs, answer phones, respond to inquiries and other office duties as necessary.
Needed Skills
An ability to write, speak and communicate effectively with the Outreach Director, board and volunteers. Applicants must have excellent organizational skills, a love of the Wild, and a sense of humor.
Compensation
While Friends of the Clearwater offers these positions as volunteer, financial compensation is possible through Americorps dependent upon number of hours served. Please be sure to mention your interest in this program and we will provide you with more specific information.
To Apply:
E-mail a cover letter and resume to Will Boyd, Education Director at foc@friendsoftheclearwater.org.
Friends of the Clearwater
PO Box 9241
Moscow, ID 83843
208-882-9755
printed on 100% reycled paper
Timber Sale Monitoring
Timber Sale Monitoring is the process of making a verified observation of the actual scope of timber cuts and documenting, reporting, ensuring, following through, and maintaining a presence to facilitate the revolution in thinking required to make ours a healthy planet.
We get to do that on the ground, in the woods and from computer screens, now that the technology is emerging into our daily lives.
Join Gary Macfarlane, FOC's forest watch director for a workshop dedicated to the ins and outs of timber sale monitoring from start to finish. Contact Gary at gary@friendsoftheclearwater.org
We are working to bring you detailed, high resolution imagery of the Clearwater Forest in as near to realtime as possible over the coming months. Even now, though, you can see clearly the devastating effects of 'clearcut forestry' that your US Forest Service supports and encourages.
Click to see more detail:
overview: regional image from Spokane to Missoula