Position Description

Stewardship Director, Henry’s Fork Foundation

The Henry’s Fork Foundation (HFF) is a nonprofit conservation organization with the mission to conserve, restore, and protect the unique fishery, wildlife, and aesthetic qualities of the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River watershed. The HFF is located in Ashton, Idaho, at the heart of the watershed.

The HFF divides its operations into two broad categories: research and restoration, and stewardship. Research and restoration describes the scientific work that the HFF undertakes: fisheries and general aquatic research, on-the-ground restoration projects, and other related topics. Stewardship, on the other hand, is best described as the human side of our work, the broad category into which people and their relationship with and potential impact on the Henry’s Fork watershed are grouped. Over the past quarter-century the HFF has established a strong record of success on this broad front, from establishing and maintaining vital links to local water, fisheries, and other resource managers to land use planning efforts to the protection of angler access sites.

Current issues that the HFF Stewardship Director will address include (but are not limited to):

• Land use planning and land management in the face of rapidly increasing development pressure.
• Collaborative work with other nonprofit organizations, in particular with local land trusts, to identify opportunities and work to protect the landscape of the Henry’s Fork watershed.
• Oversight of the network of public recreational access points along the Henry’s Fork, and oversight of the river corridor in general, in an effort to protect public access.
• Oversight of grazing and fencing concerns, and involvement, as needed, with state and federal land managers and ranching interests to mitigate the impacts of grazing.
• Education and outreach work with the angling guide and outfitter community, and with state fisheries managers on a broad range of topics (ie. fishing regulations).
• Water management concerns.

The work undertaken by the Stewardship Director is, obviously, very broad in its scope, and in recognition of this fact there is no specific set of qualifications or experiences that the HFF requires of candidates. We do, however, expect that a successful applicant will have at least three years of relevant conservation experience. Additionally, it is imperative that a candidate have very strong oral and written communications skills, the ability to learn – rapidly – the territory of the Henry’s Fork watershed, and the willingness and the ability to work with a broad group of state and federal resource managers, local government entities, nonprofit organizations, and the public.

The Stewardship Director will also work with a small and tightly-knit staff of six at the Henry’s Fork Foundation, in particular with our research and restoration staff and with the executive director.

Ashton, Idaho is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise, with world-class trout fishing, skiing (cross country and downhill), hiking, hunting, and other activities available in extraordinary abundance. Both Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park are a short drive away. The character of the local area is primarily rural and agricultural, safe, friendly, and very affordable. The towns of Ashton and St. Anthony offer schools, grocery stores, and other essential needs, while Rexburg, about 20 miles south, is a college town with a wide variety of stores, restaurants, and other conveniences, as well as a hospital. The small cities of Idaho Falls, Pocatello, and Jackson, Wyoming, are all within an hour and a half drive of Ashton.

Salary and benefits: $35,000 - $40,000, depending on experience. Health insurance provided (80%) for employees, available for dependents. Retirement plan available to all interested employees.

Please send cover letter and resume to:

Steve Trafton

Executive Director

Henry’s Fork Foundation

P.O. Box 550

Ashton, Idaho 83420

Information may also be sent electronically to: stevetrafton@henrysfork.org

No telephone calls, please.