AmeriCorps Individual Placement – Native Lands National Trails, Continental Divide Trail

Position Title:  Native Lands National Trails, Continental Divide Trail Individual Placement – AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps

Site Location: Hybrid: Remote and in-person (preferred Montana based IP)

CDTC Office location: Helena, Montana 59601 

Terms of Service

Start Date: July 2026 (flexible)
End Date: July, 2027
AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 hour

Purpose:

Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps: 

It is the mission of the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps to "lead our nations back to cultural and ecological well-being." The Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps has offices in Acoma, Albuquerque, Gallup (Navajo Nation), Zuni, and Hopi. Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps serves local Indigenous communities in the regions we operate 

 

Native Lands, National Trails:

Native Lands, National Trails (NLNT) is a project that was created in collaboration with the Partnership for the National Trails System, Native Land Digital, Bureau of Land Management and Ancestral Lands Conservation Corp (ALCC). Now hosted with ALCC, NLNT is an introductory, GIS-focused Individual Placement program continues the project work to create and share resources designed to inform the public and help National Trails and their nonprofit organization partners to advance the National Trails System’s knowledge of Indigenous ancestral Lands through partnership and collaboration with Indigenous communities along National Scenic and Historic Trails. 

Continental Divide Trail Coalition: 

The Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) is a 501(c)(3) national, non-profit organization building a strong community of CDT volunteers, enthusiasts, and supporters who want to see the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) completed and protected.CDTC’s mission is to complete, protect, and elevate the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail while engaging in and inspiring stewardship of the trail and its surrounding landscapes. Our vision is that a completed Continental Divide National Scenic Trail establishes a fully protected corridor that ignites love and passion for the breathtaking landscapes of the Continental Divide and unites people from all cultures, communities, and trail experiences.

 

Description of Duties:

This 50-week AmeriCorps position will work with the Continental Divide Trail Coalition and associated Indigenous nations of the trail to create a public GIS project that utilizes GIS skills to share stories of significance along the CDT landscapes that will be hosted on Native Lands, National Trails Resource page. The AmeriCorps position will be provided training on Indigenous Data Sovereignty, ethical research practices, GIS and on the National Trails System. 

The Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) has a growing organizational need for dedicated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) capacity to support the completion, protection, and long-term stewardship of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT). Spanning five states and crossing multiple federal, state, Tribal, and private jurisdictions, the CDT requires accurate, up-to-date spatial data to guide restoration priorities, corridor protection, access planning, and cooperative management. This AmeriCorps position would play a critical role in strengthening CDTC’s spatial data systems, particularly in the areas of cultural resource awareness and ethical inventory practices. 

As the CDT traverses the ancestral homelands of many Tribal Nations, mapping must be approached with care, respect for Tribal sovereignty, and adherence to cultural resource protection standards. The CDT Individual Placement will support the development of internal protocols that clearly distinguish between public-facing recreation maps and sensitive cultural landscape data, ensuring information is handled responsibly and in alignment with federal guidance and Tribal consultation processes. CDTC is intentional about supporting staff and interns in identifying unique areas of interest that align with individual skills, creativity, and professional goals with organizational outcomes. This AmeriCorps position will be encouraged to explore innovative applications of spatial data—such as storytelling maps, community-facing tools, or internal decision-support dashboards—while receiving healthy, supportive mentorship from experienced staff. This approach fosters creativity, adaptive problem-solving, and professional confidence, while ensuring deliverables remain grounded in real stewardship needs. For communities along the Trail, enhanced GIS capacity supports safer trail access, more effective volunteer coordination, stronger grant competitiveness, and transparent stewardship investments. The AmeriCorps position will contribute tangible products—such as updated trail condition maps, cultural resource sensitivity frameworks, interactive story maps, and restoration tracking tools—while gaining hands-on experience in ethical conservation GIS and National Scenic Trail cooperative stewardship. In doing so, the position builds both organizational capacity and lasting community benefit along the CDT corridor.

This Americorps position will have the opportunity to engage in CDTC’s work across Trail Programs including Trail Completion, Field Operations & Stewardship, Community Engagement, Trail Information and Education, and Policy. CDTC’s program in the Montana Region is growing, and this Individual Placement will have the opportunity to make long-term impacts for the CDT in the region. While focused on GIS projects, this position will collaborate across CDTC staff to better understand the intersections of what goes into protecting, completing, and elevating a Congressionally-designated National Scenic Trail. 

CDTC has a number of GIS-specific needs in the Montana Region, and the position will be able to take an active role in activities that align with their skillset, interest, and the priorities of the organization. Below is list of potential projects that the CDT Individual Placement position will have the opportunity to contribute to during their time at CDTC:

Parcel Analysis for Trail Completion Efforts looking at land ownership between private, Tribal, local, state, and federal land management structures  

Documentation of Culturally Modified Trees across the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex segment of the CDT in Northern MT to help ensure protection of cultural resources significant to Tribal Nations and Communities of Northern Montana and Idaho.

Development of trail head Kiosks, including reference maps to be included in the kiosks, to ethically share the stories of the first peoples of the lands connected by the CDT.

Gateway Community Regional Recreation maps for new communities designated as Gateway Communities of the CDT

GIS Renewable Energy Siting Tool for the CDT Trail-wide: expanding the current version for southern New Mexico to the entire length of the CDT.

Understanding the cultural significance of landscapes across Montana with sensitivity to Indigenous values and providing both internal and external references for understanding the CDT landscape from a more culturally appropriate lens

Prior GIS experience is encouraged, and CDTC staff and resources are available to provide additional training and support to ensure successful progress on work activities during the Americorps term as the individual grows their skillset through the ESRI Conference and other opportunities. CDTC’s onboarding process will help gain a better understanding of the National Trail System, public land management, and the role of nonprofit partners in trail stewardship. Time will be split between time in the field collecting data, exploring the trail, and engaging with partners and in traditional office settings in-person or remote. CDTC will also provide training on the organization’s Standard Operating Procedures to promote efficient work both in the office and in the field, ensuring all trail projects are completed safely and successfully.

Minimum Qualifications:

United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
Must be 18-30 years of age, maximum 35 for Veterans with DD-214 due Public Land Corps Direct Hiring Authority
Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of elementary or secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant, and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award
Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check.
Driver's License with a clean driving record within the last 3 years 

Perferred Qualifications: 

Some experience OR dedicated interest and willing to learn  in working with Geospatial Information Systems (GIS)

Experience or at least awareness of the importance and sensitivities of working with Native Nations

Enthusiastic and responsible candidate with a positive attitude.

Experience and/or interest in exploring the outdoors through hiking and other means of recreation 

Experience and/or interest in cultural and natural resource protection

Experience and/or interest in outdoor recreation management, public lands, resource protection, or planning

Resourceful and adaptable in group and independent settings 

Ability to work independently without direct supervision

Strong verbal and written communication