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Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of trail sustainability as it relates to physical durability, resource conservation, user expectations and experience, and ongoing management

Full Performance qualifications:

• Apply trail sustainability principles to all components of a trail construction project (i.e. drainage, sheet flow, slope, soil types, users, maintainability)

Expert Level qualifications:

• Assess and integrate local conditions and situations into the application of sustainability principles (i.e. trail users types/skill levels, soil type, localized weather trends, resource concerns, management regimes, stewardship capacity, etc.)

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of and use necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), site and environmental safety precautions, situational awareness, and incident preparedness
• Demonstrate understanding of the areas of resource protection that intersect the trail development process
• Perform construction tasks that meet resource protection goals with supervision

Full Performance qualifications:

• Implement and manage the site safety regime
• Implement required site activities to protect resources and meet permitting requirements

Expert Level qualifications:

• Develop and manage a worksite safety program
• Develop and manage the resource protection plan to meet the land management goals, objectives applicable law, and permitting requirements

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of and use terminology common to trail construction specifications
• Apply trail construction specifications in the field with supervision

Full Performance qualifications:

• Apply trail construction specifications in the field independently
• Demonstrate understanding of and use terminology common to trail construction specifications

Expert Level qualifications:

• Identify appropriate trail specifications for the different types of managed uses and across numerous types of terrain, soils and ground conditions
• Assess trail conformance with the trail specifications and if necessary identify measures to bring the trail/system into conformance and/or alter specifications as appropriate.

Entry Level qualifications:

• Safely remove rocks, stumps, and debris from identified trail corridor clearing limits, using appropriate hand tools with supervision

Full Performance qualifications:

• Use hand tools and power tools, to safely and efficiently remove rocks, stumps, debris and deposit appropriately in preparation for construction independently

Expert Level qualifications:

• Assess the project corridor clearing needs and select and use the most efficient tools and techniques to safely remove/stage rocks, stumps and debris in preparation for construction

Entry Level qualifications:

• Use pruning and brushing techniques to maximize safety, minimize visual impacts and support healthy trailside vegetation with supervision (i.e. avoid damage to growth collar of pruned limbs, cutting saplings flush to ground, deposit clipped limbs cut side away from trail)

Full Performance qualifications:

• Use pruning and brushing techniques to maximize safety, minimize visual impacts, and support healthy trailside vegetation (i.e. avoid damage to growth collar of pruned limbs, cut saplings flush to ground, deposit clipped limbs cut side away from trail) independently

Expert Level qualifications:

• Assess, plan and manage an efficient and safe pruning and brushing operation

Entry Level qualifications:

• Use proper PPE and work safe distance from felling zone
• Perform brushing, bucking and limbing logs of various sizes in minimally complex situations
• Work with a close supervision on felling in minimally complex situations

Full Performance qualifications:

• Demonstrate industry standards of safety, PPE use, and implementation for all chainsaw and crosscut activities for non-complex felling and bucking

Expert Level qualifications:

• Use industry standards for safely and assessing a highly complex or hazardous felling/bucking situation, creating and efficiently executing the plan

Entry Level qualifications:

• Deposit materials and debris removed from corridor using low impact techniques, according to project permits or other resource protection requirements, with supervision
• Demonstrate understanding of low impact techniques related to material and debris management, including reuse of suitable excavated mineral soil and rock for tread building

Full Performance qualifications:

• Deposit materials from corridor using low impact techniques that do not alter natural hydrologic flow independently
• Distinguish natural materials to be used for construction and stage for future use accordingly

Expert Level qualifications:

• Deposit debris from corridor clearing using low impact techniques, taking into account impacts due to erosion, visual impacts, etc.
• Efficiently select natural materials from those being cleared and stage for maximum construction efficiency and minimum impact

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of the concepts of full bench, partial bench, and raised tread trail
• Safely use hand tools to construct trail in various stages and incorporate sustainability principles, with active direct supervision

Full Performance qualifications:

• Safely use hand tools to construct a trail with a full bench, raised tread, and/or combination that meets the construction specifications and trail sustainability principles independently across multiple types of terrain, soils and ground conditions

Expert Level qualifications:

• Efficiently and effectively use hand tools to construct a trail, drawing from a variety of techniques to create a full bench, raised tread or combination trail that meets construction specifications and sustainability principles across numerous types of terrain, soils and ground conditions including difficult and challenging types.

Entry Level qualifications:

• Safely work around mechanized trailbuilding equipment/crews
• Operate basic mechanized equipment (e.g. mechanized wheelbarrow, plate compactor, tracked dumper), with supervision
• Perform basic maintenance on equipment
• Minimize unintended impacts on and off trail, and use techniques to repair unintended impacts with supervision

Full Performance qualifications:

• Safely use and maintain mechanized trail construction equipment to construct full sections of trail that meet construction specifications independently across multiple types of terrain, soils and ground conditions
• Successfully minimize and remediate unintended impacts on and off trail

Expert Level qualifications:

• Utilize a suite of mechanized equipment and techniques to efficiently and effectively construct trail that meet the construction specifications across numerous types of terrain, soils and ground conditions including difficult and challenging types.
• Perform equipment fleet or assemblage safety and maintenance, including field repairs
• Demonstrate precision and accuracy with equipment tasks and/or organization without any unintended off trail impacts

Entry Level qualifications:

• Use hand tools for final shaping of tread, backslope, construction spoils, and other features with supervision
• Use plate compactor for compaction if required with supervision

Full Performance qualifications:

• Use a variety of hand or mechanical tools and techniques to meet specifications for final tread surface, refine shaping, and complete backslope finishing and compaction independently across multiple types of terrain, soils and ground conditions

Expert Level qualifications:

• Plan the trail finishwork to use a variety of hand and/or mechanical tools and techniques
• Ensure that the product meets specifications for final tread surface, refine shaping, and complete backslope finishing and compaction

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of basic natural and stormwater induced drainage effects on trails
• Construct all types of drainage features with supervision

Full Performance qualifications:

• Understand the application of different drainage features for managing water volumes and velocities
• Identify locations and the appropriate drainage feature
• Construct the full suite of drainage features independently and/or with a team across multiple types of terrain, soils and ground conditions

Expert Level qualifications:

• Implement a comprehensive drainage plan for a trail and/or trail system across numerous types of terrain, soils and ground conditions including difficult and challenging types.

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of basic physical signs of water flow and/or inundation
• Identify different types of water crossing structures and their appropriation application
• Perform tasks to further the construction of a water crossing structure (i.e. install decking, measure and cut lumber, haul materials) with supervision

Full Performance qualifications:

• Construct a variety of water crossing structures to meet the hydrologic conditions and construction specifications/engineering plans

Expert Level qualifications:

• Work with engineering plans, drawings, etc. to construct structures according to specifications
• Identify the appropriate water crossing structure if not specified -Implement appropriate tools and techniques to efficiently and effectively construct water crossing features
• Plan to transport and stockpile the appropriate materials for efficient and safe implementation

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of basic retaining wall construction technique (material preparation, stacking, joinery, and fill)
• Safely perform tasks to further the construction of a stone or wood retaining wall with supervision
• Stabilize (set) stone or wood materials with supervision

Full Performance qualifications:

• Safely work to construct a stone or wood retaining wall in an identified location, to construction specifications independently

Expert Level qualifications:

• Provide layout and planning, identifying and/or applying identified construction specifications to retaining wall construction
• Interpret construction specification to be site specific, and plan accordingly (rise/run, batter, core material, etc.)

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of a variety of tread hardening treatments and the trail issues each technique addresses and when hardening is needed and when it isn't
• Safely perform a variety of tasks to further basic tread hardening construction projects, such as materials quarrying, staging, and application with supervision
• Stabilize (set) rocks and wood and perform basic carpentry and rockwork with supervision

Full Performance qualifications:

• Implement construction specifications for all types of tread hardening structures in identified location independently
• Manage crew safety and efficiency

Expert Level qualifications:

• Interpret construction specification to be site specific (if provided) -Identify and implement the appropriate tools and techniques to efficiently and effectively harden trail tread, ranging from basic to complex techniques including surfacing with aggregate addition, various types of rock armoring, turnpiking, rock culverts, boulder causeway, rock drains, chemical additives, etc.

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of the basic techniques of trail decommissioning including stabilizing and revegetating
• Perform material management, staging, tread stabilization including recontouring old trail to original slope as appropriate, and revegetation with supervision

Full Performance qualifications:

• Perform material management, staging, tread stabilization including recontouring old trail to original slope as appropriate, independently

Expert Level qualifications:

• Assess and plan the closure, reclamation, and revegetation toward natural hydrology, slope, and vegetation, along with planning management techniques to minimize further use.

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of trail sustainability as it relates to physical durability, resource conservation, user expectations and experience, and ongoing management

Full Performance qualifications:

• Apply trail sustainability principles to trail maintenance projects (i.e. drainage, sheet flow, slope, soil types, users, maintainability)

Expert Level qualifications:

• Assess and integrate local conditions and situations into the application of sustainability principles (i.e. trail users types/skill levels, soil type, localized weather trends, resource concerns, management regimes, stewardship capacity, etc.)

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of and use necessary PPE, site and environmental safety precautions, situational awareness, and incident preparedness
• Demonstrate understanding of the areas of resource protection that intersect the trail development process
• Perform maintenance tasks that meet resource protection goals with supervision

Full Performance qualifications:

• Implement and manage the site safety regime
• Implement required site activities to protect resources and meet permitting requirements

Expert Level qualifications:

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of and use terminology common to trail maintenance specifications
• Apply trail maintenance standards, guidelines and specifications in the field with supervision

Full Performance qualifications:

• Apply trail maintenance specifications in the field independently

Expert Level qualifications:

• Identify appropriate trail specifications for managed uses
• Assess trail conformance with the trail specifications and identify any necessary measures to bring the trail/system into conformance and/or alter specifications as appropriate.

Entry Level qualifications:

• Safely remove rocks, stumps, and debris from identified trail corridor clearing limits, using appropriate hand tools with supervision

Full Performance qualifications:

• Use hand tools and power tools, to safely and efficiently remove rocks, stumps, debris and deposit appropriately in preparation for maintenance independently.

Expert Level qualifications:

• Assess the project corridor clearing needs and select and use the most efficient tools and techniques to safely remove/stage rocks, stumps and debris in preparation for maintenance

Entry Level qualifications:

• Use pruning and brushing techniques to maximize safety, minimize visual impacts and support healthy trailside vegetation with supervision (i.e. avoid damage to growth collar of pruned limbs, cutting saplings flush to ground, deposit clipped limbs cut side away from trail)

Full Performance qualifications:

• Use pruning and brushing techniques to maximize safety, minimize visual impacts, and support healthy trailside vegetation (i.e. avoid damage to growth collar of pruned limbs, cutting saplings flush to ground, deposit clipped limbs cut side away from trail) independently

Expert Level qualifications:

• Assess, plan and manage an efficient and safe pruning and brushing operation

Entry Level qualifications:

• Use proper PPE and work safe distance from felling zone
• Brushing, bucking and limbing logs of various sizes in minimally complex situations
• Work with a close supervision on felling in minimally complex situations

Full Performance qualifications:

• Demonstrate industry standards of safety, PPE use, and implementation for all chainsaw and crosscut activities for non-complex felling and bucking

Expert Level qualifications:

• Use industry standards for safely and assessing a highly complex felling/bucking situation, creating and efficiently executing the plan

Entry Level qualifications:

• Deposit materials and debris removed from corridor using low impact techniques, according to project permits, with supervision
• Demonstrate understanding of low impact techniques related to material and debris management

Full Performance qualifications:

• Deposit materials from corridor using low impact techniques that do not alter natural hydrologic flow independently
• Distinguish natural materials to be used for construction and stage accordingly

Expert Level qualifications:

• Deposit debris from corridor clearing using low impact techniques, taking into account impacts due to erosion, visual impacts, etc.
• Efficiently select natural materials from those being cleared and stage for maximum construction efficiency

Entry Level qualifications:

• Safely use a variety of hand tools to perform effective maintenance on a range of trail types independently
• Identify the location and appropriate strategy to maintain the trail tread to its desired standards and specifications with supervision.

Full Performance qualifications:

• Safely use hand tools to maintain a trail that meets the maintenance specifications and trail sustainability principles independently
• Identify locations and the appropriate strategy to maintain the trail tread to the desired specifications independently.

Expert Level qualifications:

• Efficiently and effectively use hand tools to maintain a trail, drawing from a variety of techniques to meet maintenance specifications and sustainability principles.
• Implement a comprehensive maintenance plan for a trail and/or trail system

Entry Level qualifications:

• Safely work around mechanized trailbuilding equipment/crews
• Operate basic mechanized equipment (e.g. mechanized wheelbarrow, plate compactor, tracked dumper), with supervision
• Perform basic maintenance on equipment
• Minimize unintended impacts on and off trail, and use techniques to repair unintended impacts with supervision

Full Performance qualifications:

• Safely use and maintain mechanized trail construction equipment to construct full sections of trail that meet maintenance specifications independently
• Successfully minimize and remediate unintended impacts on and off trail

Expert Level qualifications:

• Utilize a suite of mechanized equipment and techniques to efficiently and effectively maintain a trail that meets the specifications.
• Demonstrate equipment fleet or assemblage safety and maintenance, including field repairs
• Demonstrate precision and accuracy with equipment tasks and/or organization without any unintended off trail impacts

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of natural and stormwater induced drainage effects on trails
• Restore the function of existing trail drainage features by re-establishing outslope, de-berming, and clearing organic material and rocks out of drainage features
• Construct all types of drainage features with minimal supervision
• Identify locations and the appropriate drainage feature with supervision

Full Performance qualifications:

• Demonstrate understand the application of different drainage features for managing water volumes and velocities
• Identify locations for appropriate drainage feature independently
• Identify trail drainage features that are not functioning and need restoration independently
• Construct the full suite of drainage features independently
• Oversee a crew that is maintaining and installing drainage features on a trail segment/system.

Expert Level qualifications:

• Create and/or implement a comprehensive drainage plan for a trail and/or trail system

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of trail sustainability as it relates to physical durability, resource conservation, user expectations and experience, and ongoing management
• Demonstrate ability to read a contour map and interpret trail sustainability and control points (e.g.. identify fall-line trail, contour trail, stream crossings, etc)

Full Performance qualifications:

• Assess and integrate local conditions and situations into the application of sustainability principles (i.e. drainage, sheet flow, slope, soil types, user type/skill levels, maintainability, local weather conditions, management and stewardship capacity)

Expert Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate the ability to evaluate complex and challenging trail sustainability contexts
• Demonstrate ability to articulate and communicate the compromises and tradeoffs b/w multiple sustainability issues and principles and inform challenging or controversial management actions

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of primary data (e.g., stakeholder outreach, trail use data, trail counters) and secondary data (e.g., planning documents, natural and cultural resource survey information, and site-specific resource limitations including soils, hydrology, geology, slope) that are considered when defining the project purpose, need, and feasibility

Full Performance qualifications:

• Demonstrate ability to define the project purpose, need and feasibility, integrating primary data, secondary data, and site-specific resource limitations.

Expert Level qualifications:

• Implement a cohesive and comprehensive planning process that results in defining a project purpose, the need that it will meet, and the project’s feasibility based on current and potential resources (human, skills, funding, etc), opportunities, and constraints
• Communicate the project purpose, need, and feasibility effectively to all stakeholders

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of the stakeholder outreach strategy, and assist with stakeholder engagement processes with supervision.

Full Performance qualifications:

• Authentically engage with stakeholders, using a variety of inclusive strategies
• Communicate with stakeholders on how their input informs the planning and design
• Conduct public education on the project and its processes as necessary to further the stakeholder outreach process

Expert Level qualifications:

• Create exemplary processes for transparent, authentic, and meaningful stakeholder engagement that effectively collects input and data
• Model inclusivity and reduce barriers for engagement through strategies that embody JEDI Principles (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion)
• Integrate stakeholder data into the trail planning process and communicate with stakeholders about how their input informed the process, decision and outcomes.

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of the types of plans and guiding documents that should be integrated into trail planning (eg. land management plans, site-specific NEPA decisions that inform a trail planning project)

Full Performance qualifications:

• Demonstrate ability to integrate information from multiple land management plans into the trail planning process
• Identify opportunities and challenges that emerge through land management plan analysis and affect the feasibility of a trail project

Expert Level qualifications:

• Integrate opportunities and constraints identified through the land management plan analysis
• Engage natural and cultural resource specialists, and other related specialists that emerge through land management plan research, into the trail planning process to ensure alignment of the general, forest, and resource management plans and the trail plan
• Identify strategies and compromise to further project goals where/when guidance may provide conflict or discongruence.

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate ability to field check (ground truth) corridors identified through the spatial analysis and identify additional positive or negative control points, with supervision
• Demonstrate understanding of the spatial data that informs the field check of corridors (location maps, slope, soils, hydrology, natural and cultural resource data)
• Demonstrate ability to communicate the results of the field collected data with the project supervisor

Full Performance qualifications:

• - Interpret spatial data that informs the corridor identification including: location maps (boundaries, access), roads/access, topography, slope, soils, hydrology, and natural resource and cultural inventory data
• Demonstrate ability to field check (ground truth) corridors identified through the spatial analysis and identify additional positive or negative control points without supervision
• Implement and supervise the plan to field check (ground truth) potential corridors identified during spatial analysis

Expert Level qualifications:

• Analyze and evaluate complex spatial data (to identify trail corridors that are sustainable, avoid sensitive ecosystems, and meet the project purpose
• Create a plan to field check potential corridors based on the spatial data analysis including: access locations, parking, boundaries; sustainability principles; natural/cultural resource avoidance; special management areas; viewsheds, and adjacent land uses.
• Integrate and evaluate spatial data and field-collected data to identity and recommend trail corridors, delivering GPS coordinates and/or field flagging to the land manager

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate ability to interpret trail specifications (tread surface, trail width, trail corridor height, grades, cross slope, turning radius, obstacles/protrusions, and structures)

Full Performance qualifications:

• Identify appropriate trail specifications, types and/or level of development that match the project purpose, need and resources

Expert Level qualifications:

• Create or adapt trail specifications that match the project purpose, need and resources
• Integrate ABA/ADA//Universal design specifications when determined applicable by project purpose and land management agency policy or regulation

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of the data that informs the conceptual plan (i.e. trail use, stakeholder input, land use plans, spatial data/analysis and field data)
• Demonstrate understanding of the elements (trail corridor, trail specifications) and utility of a conceptual plan

Full Performance qualifications:

• Create and collate elements of a conceptual trail plan based on analysis and evaluation of stakeholder outreach, land use plan alignment, spatial analysis, and field collected data

Expert Level qualifications:

• Create a cohesive and comprehensive conceptual trail plan that includes interpretation of all data collected through the planning process (trail use, stakeholder data, land use plans, spatial data/analysis, field data, opportunities and constraints) and provides trail corridor design and site-specific trail specifications that match the project need, purpose and resources
• Evaluate project feasibility based on estimated cost, permitting requirements, project phases, and human resources
• Demonstrate ability to manage large and/or complex projects including coordination across multiple interested parties/stakeholders and potentially multiple land managers or jurisdictions

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate ability to use a clinometer and apply to trail sustainability principles
• Demonstrate ability to follow the broad trail corridor in the field
• Demonstrate ability to identify positive and negative control points within a trail corridor

Full Performance qualifications:

• Delineate the detailed trail alignment in the field (field flagging and/or GPS) integrating a suite of trail development components including: trail center line and feature location; turn location, size and type; location and type of water/wetland crossings; optimization of soil and slope field conditions; and other trail components defined in the conceptual plan
• Create site-based design, compilation and specifications for the full suite of trail development components for a large and/or diverse trail system

Expert Level qualifications:

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of line items included in a project cost estimate

Full Performance qualifications:

• Determine an estimated project cost for labor, materials, oversight, and equipment based on the concept design and field design
• Create an accurate cost estimate for the project that includes current rates for trail construction (based on trail specifications), structures, and features, as determined by the concept design and field design.

Expert Level qualifications:

• Provide recommendations on the strategy for drafting, soliciting and evaluating contract proposals, balancing cost and other proposal elements
• Demonstrate understanding of the current ‘market rates’ in the region to minimize divergence between the cost estimate and the contract proposals
• Effectively organize and communicate cost estimates, strategies to control and sequence a project towards implementation including guidance on grant or fundraising activities that may support project implementation.

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of the elements (field-delineated trail design, construction process, materials, notes, special conditions) and purpose of the trail planning and design document

Full Performance qualifications:

• Compile planning process, findings and recommendations
• Create/furnish supporting maps, GIS data, and other materials to accompany written report
• Explain process/findings and recommendations to diverse stakeholders

Expert Level qualifications:

• Draft, share, and revise a a trail plan document that includes items needed for trail development: background documentation and data; detailed trail design spatial data; trail specifications; cost estimations and sub-project/phase prioritization; implementation schedules and strategies
• When needed, develop construction documentation that builds on the trail plan with additional specifications, spatial data, and construction process notes for permit submittal and/or the contracting process

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of the typical types of compliance and permitting that can apply to a trail project
• Demonstrate understanding of the permit systems and agencies and their potential site-based requirements as they relate to trail project implementation

Full Performance qualifications:

• Identify applicable permits and compliance review process on the local, state, or federal level including (but not limited to): National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), water/wetland crossing, and environmental review compliance.

Expert Level qualifications:

• Integrate knowledge of applicable compliance and permit reviews into the trail planning and design process to assess project feasibility, as well as guide timelines/phases and cost estimates
• Provide documentation to support compliance and permit review processes and identify additional resource surveys and inventories if necessary
• Adjust the trail plan as needed to work within guidance/feedback provided by the permitting agency

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of a project implementation plan including project scope, phases, and timeline

Full Performance qualifications:

• Assess sources and availability of labor and expertise, as well as funding to define project phases when needed
• Develop an implementation plan that matches available labor and funding with phases when needed

Expert Level qualifications:

• Create a phasing strategy that integrates site-specific conditions, connectivity, and progression
• Make recommendations to help identify future pools of labor and funding when needed

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of how interpretation can be integrated into a trail planning process

Full Performance qualifications:

• Identify specific interpretive and educational opportunities as control points during the trail planning process

Expert Level qualifications:

• Integrate interpretive elements as control points to be considered as part of the trail planning process and as guided by the project purpose
• Create recommendations for methods to interpret specific elements on the trail

Entry Level qualifications:

• Identify physical signs of water-caused and user-caused degradation degradation
• Collect relevant data (trail condition, needs, and location)) to assist with network inventory and assessment

Full Performance qualifications:

• Recommend trail network additions and closures, based on trail system goals and resources
• Identify causes of trail degradation and the appropriate prescription to match trail system specifications

Expert Level qualifications:

• Lead a full trail sustainability assessment, including all relevant physical, social, and managerial factors
• Integrate agency-specific systems when applicable (i.e. TRACS/TMOs)

Entry Level qualifications:

• Understand the application and elements (: maintenance specifications, seasonal maintenance schedule, operational protocols, and, risk management protocols) of an operations and maintenance plan

Full Performance qualifications:

• Create a seasonal maintenance schedule including recommendations on tracking maintenance status
• Compile a plan from inventory and assessment findings, including prioritized recommendations and optimizing solutions for long-term sustainability

Expert Level qualifications:

• Develop a comprehensive operations and maintenance plan that include: seasonal maintenance actions, response to climatic events, implementation of ongoing data collection (created or agency-specific), and risk management protocols related to operations and maintenance

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of the benefits of inclusive hiring practices
• Model inclusivity as a crew member with a safe and welcoming work environment

Full Performance qualifications:

• Engage with partner organizations to recruit diverse crews utilizing multiple hiring resources
• Demonstrate understanding of the spectrum of career pathways leading to becoming a crew member and the opportunities for advancement and specialization
• Develop a staffing/labor model to inform recruitment needs including 1-3yr work plan, leadership ratios and average tenure in role.

Expert Level qualifications:

• Create exemplary processes for inclusive hiring practices utilizing the broad landscape of resources and partner organizations and agencies
• Integrate strategies that embody JEDI Principles (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) through all hiring processes including writing job descriptions, applicant evaluation and new crew member training
• Develop criteria and a schedule to measure effectiveness in recruitment and staffing model and implement effective strategies for improvements

Entry Level qualifications:

• Educate crew members/volunteers how to complete routine, basic trail maintenance
• Demonstrate ability to identify and seek training opportunities that enable progression in one’s career

Full Performance qualifications:

• Provide training to a larger crew or multiple smaller crews, including members with limited experience, adjusting teaching strategies if necessary to maximize crew learning
• Conduct training for new crew members that embodies JEDI Principles (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion)
• Identify individual crew members and team training needs

Expert Level qualifications:

• Create a training plan that provides crew members with the knowledge, skills, and experience to perform entry level skills in trail construction and maintenance on a trail project
• Identify higher level training opportunities for crew members seeking to build their skills and specialities
• Build capability within the crew to facilitate training and share expertise

Entry Level qualifications:

• Manage a small crew working on routine, basic trail maintenance with supervision
• Perform tasks and provide direction to other crew members on complicated trail projects
• Model good behavior, work habits, and safe equipment use
• Build and communicate plans for the day, establish roles, and provide feedback.
• Build and communicate plans for the day, establish roles, and provide feedback.
• Demonstrate understanding of the implementation plan

Full Performance qualifications:

• Manage a larger crew or multiple smaller crews, including members with limited experience
• Provides crew with positive reinforcement to foster a sense of accomplishment and team
• Providing coaching to crew members on task and behavior.

Expert Level qualifications:

• Create an implementation plan that integrates multiple crews working across a large geographic area, including complex projects and higher risk environments
• Manage multiple crew leaders working on trail projects that span a large geographic area
• Manage interpersonal conflict and resolve concerning actions and behaviors

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of and use necessary personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Demonstrate understanding of job hazard analysis, site and environmental safety precautions, and incident preparedness
• Identify existing and potential risks and demonstrate situational awareness on a daily basis

Full Performance qualifications:

• Implement and manage a jobsite safety plan
• Conduct task-specific job hazard analysis/risk management assessment
• Ensure that all crew members understand the safety plan with consistent safety discussions
• Implement the actions identified in the safety plan in response to an onsite safety incident
• Navigate and mitigate unplanned risks/safety hazards.

Expert Level qualifications:

• Develop a jobsite safety plan that integrates project and site specific safety precautions and work hazards, a communications plan, emergency evacuation plan, regulations pertaining to project safety (federal, state, local), local resources including local law enforcement, EMT, search and rescue, and incident documentation.
• Evaluate the efficacy of the plan throughout and at the end of each project based on documentation

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of performance expectations and criteria
• Assess a simple trail project (i.e. maintenance scope, short timeline) using the performance objectives

Full Performance qualifications:

• Assess a crew’s capabilities and select projects appropriate for the skills of the crew.
• Evaluate, track and report performance outcomes using the criteria identified in the plan
• Communicate the scope of work establishing standards for crew performance
• Assess and correct crew performance in the field

Expert Level qualifications:

• Create and implement a plan that details the crew performance objectives as the criteria for evaluation, including an after action review to inform future projects
• Develop a schedule and plan to maximize crew performance with additional training, management, and ongoing review
• Correct or eliminate ongoing or recurring performance issues that affect crew safety or limit performance objectives
• Identify opportunities for crew members growth and development in roles to aid career advancement.

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of all the costs related to a trail project or program

Full Performance qualifications:

• Manage the budget including tracking progress, actuals vs projected, and reporting
• Conduct a budget analysis to provide recommendations on opportunities for cost efficiency

Expert Level qualifications:

• Create and implement an accurate budget for the program and/or project
• Create ongoing processes to assess program efficiency compared to available resources

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of the elements of trail-related contracts including the scope of work, line item budget, and timeline

Full Performance qualifications:

• Implement the plan to monitor project progress including quality and quantity of work product per the contracted scope

Expert Level qualifications:

• Develop the contract solicitation documents and process, conveying the project scope, trail specifications, implementation schedule, cost proposals, evaluation criteria, and other required contract elements (agency/organization specific)
• Evaluate the submitted documentation using the criteria to select and contract with the selected contractor
• Create and implement a plan to monitor progress in the field, invoices and payments, and reports per the contracted scope and timeline.

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of the elements of a grant proposal related to a trail project

Full Performance qualifications:

• Identify funding sources for trail-related projects and create a submittal timeline
• Secure funding through effective grant writing
• Implement transparent and timely project reporting, financial tracking, and funding/funder communication

Expert Level qualifications:

• Manage a multi-year, multi-project grants program/plan including prioritization and integration of trail-related projects
• Build relationships and communicate with multiple funders, both existing and potential
• Demonstrate understanding of sources, solicitation of, and use/reporting requirements of Governmental (federal, state, and municipal), foundation, and private philanthropic funding opportunities to support project work

Entry Level qualifications:

• Communicate the benefits of trails to the public including physical/mental health, economic development, community quality of life, and managed use
• Demonstrate ability to effectively and respectfully communicate with staff, volunteers, and the public at large

Full Performance qualifications:

• Demonstrate ability to effectively and respectfully communicate with staff, volunteers, community leaders, contractors and consultants, partners, and the public at large
• Implement elements of the communications plan
• Communicate on multiple levels about a trail project/program from the broad vision to the technical details

Expert Level qualifications:

• Create and implement a comprehensive communication plan that clearly conveys the vision and goals of a trail project or program
• Engage a broad set of stakeholders and partners through multiple communications strategies (social, email, in person, website, signage) to further community understanding and support
• Integrate strategies that embody JEDI Principles (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) throughout a communications plan

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of policy related to trail management including: threatened and endangered species, non-native invasive species, human history and prehistory artifacts, and Leave No Trace
• Demonstrate ability to teach volunteers simple trail construction and maintenance tasks

Full Performance qualifications:

• Implement trail educational programs that builds stewardship capacity through hands-on skill building
• Conduct public education on the program or project to build community support, identify stewardship support, and ensure that the public understands the management regime

Expert Level qualifications:

• Create and implement a comprehensive education program
• Integrate strategies that embody JEDI Principles (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) throughout the education plan
• Train all educators on teaching strategies that maximize impact with diverse learners
• Effectively communicate with the media to aid in trail management, convey educational information to the public, and manage trail related emergencies.

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding on how to collect trail use data using trail counters, trailhead assessment, and/or surveys
• Demonstrate understanding of the potential impacts that degrading trail conditions can have on user experience and natural, historic and cultural resources

Full Performance qualifications:

• Analyze trail use data to determine trail use patterns and quantity
• Conduct and document the conditions of a trail to identify areas of concern related to user experience and natural, historic and cultural resources including permit/compliance issues
• Implement monitoring programs at a variety of scales

Expert Level qualifications:

• Coordinate with resource specialists to identify site-based monitoring needs and develop monitoring plans
• Train personnel in the data collection and analysis included per the monitoring plan
• Evaluate data collection to assess potential trail use or condition issues and identify actions to reduce or eliminate threats

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of trail objectives and general desired conditions for the trail/trail system.

Full Performance qualifications:

• Identify strategies for determining the characteristics, expectations and demands of trail visitors
• Implement visitor use management strategies that align with trail objectives and desired conditions.
• Analyze visitor use data to recommend alternative management strategies when necessary

Expert Level qualifications:

• Create and implement a plan that details long-term strategies for providing access, connecting visitors to key visitor experiences, protecting resources, and managing visitor use.
• Assess the regional trail opportunities for a range of visitor experiences and recommend or decide on management approaches aligned with trail/trail system desired conditions to ensure a diversity of experiences and ability levels across the landscape
• Evaluate and adapt trail management policies and procedures to long-term use trends and changes in user behavior

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of foundational organizational policies and regulations for trails

Full Performance qualifications:

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of all related policies and procedures as they relate to trail management
• Provide management recommendations to decision makers

Expert Level qualifications:

• Apply understanding of law, regulation, and policy to recommend or make decisions related to visitor use management, trail and recreation priorities, and sustainable land management practices.
• Complete an analysis, devise new procedures, and provide recommendations on complex trail development problems using technical information or resource data
• Provide legislative testimony, feedback on public land management processes, and engage law/policy makers in conversations about policy changes or new policy related to outdoor recreation and sustainable trail development.

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of land management specific policy/rules related to partnership management, including trail work and waiver requirements

Full Performance qualifications:

• Identify, build and maintain partnerships with individuals and groups of different backgrounds, ages and abilities
• Work collaboratively to identify partnership goals and deliverables, prioritizing opportunities to work together

Expert Level qualifications:

• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with local, regional and/or national organizations that reflect diverse interests of various backgrounds, interests, and abilities
• Develop formalized partnership agreements collaboratively with partners that includes goals, objectives and deliverables
• Integrate strategies that embody JEDI Principles (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion), consensus and compromise throughout partnership communications

Entry Level qualifications:

• Demonstrate understanding of the typical elements of trail-related cooperative agreements or memoranda of understanding
• Implement specific agreement requirements for the trail

Full Performance qualifications:

• Develop formal agreements through agency or nonprofit agreement instruments

Expert Level qualifications:

• Develop and manage multi-year agreements that may involve multiple partners to accomplish mid to long-term goals