Prairie Wildlands Outreach Coordinator – Billings, MT
Organization: Montana Wilderness Association
Job Title: Prairie Wildlands Outreach Coordinator
Location: Billings, MT
Hours & Compensation: Full-time, exempt.
Application Deadline: Until filled.
Posted On: February 6, 2013
Organization Overview:
Established in 1958 by Montanans who were instrumental in the passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964, MWA subsequently led the fight to win designation of virtually every wilderness area in the state, as well as Wild and Scenic designations for suitable stretches of the Flathead and Missouri rivers. As the nation’s oldest grassroots wilderness organization, we pursue our mission by educating and organizing people to protect Montana wildlands and empowering those people to influence and shape policy on Montana wilderness issues.
Position Description:
The Eastern Montana Prairie Wildlands Outreach Coordinator is responsible for developing and implementing a campaign plan, and working with Eastern Wildlands Chapter members and volunteers to build local support to provide protection of public lands with wilderness characteristics. They will build relationships and work with stakeholders, allies, other groups, federal and state agency personnel and opponents. They will manage the campaign publicity and press relations and coordinate with and support the national-level lobbyists working on the campaign. They will also provide support for secondary wilderness projects as assigned. This position is also responsible for developing active constituencies in Eastern Montana from a broad base of individuals, groups and communities to protect Montana’s public lands and create opportunities for Wilderness designation. They will coordinate and facilitate The Eastern Wildlands Chapter, members, and local community volunteers to work on issues of local importance and coordinate outreach activities on public land protection issues for MWA. The position is an exempt, full-time position.
Responsibilities:
1. Develop and Implement a Wilderness Campaign Plan
- Synthesize complex issues, strategies and tactics into an integrated, comprehensive and cohesive multi-year wilderness campaign plan that leads to securing protection for public lands with wilderness characteristics.
- Implement campaign plan and identify specific, attainable and measurable goals. Ensure that MWA’s resources are effectively and strategically deployed. Monitor and evaluate campaign plan.
- Initiate, build and maintain collaborative partnerships and coalitions and build bridges among partner groups.
- Analyze the “power” in the community or region and build a power map identifying influential people and other outreach targets in communities. Gather information on key individuals, organizations, agencies and businesses to determine the most reachable targets.
- Identify local economic or other issues that need to be researched to build and strengthen MWA’s position.
- Monitor federal agency actions as they relate to campaign and work to ensure they are favorable to MWA proposal.
- Supervise interns and contractors working on campaign. -Act as liaison to key congressional offices in DC. -Facilitate good internal communications.
2. Create and Manage Support for Wilderness Campaign
- Work with Outreach Coordinators to develop specific goals for community organizing to build broad-based public support for wilderness designation and ensure MWA’s work is highly visible in the area. Engage in efforts to increase MWA’s profile within the state.
- Identify and build relationships with stakeholders in key communities such as local elected officials, local decision makers and community leaders, large landowners, tribal leaders, influential farmers and ranchers, chambers of commerce, economic development agencies, key agency personnel, relevant state officials and a wide range of conservation partners.
- Locate allies and develop relationships with other groups to create coalitions that can further MWA interests.
- Plan and execute special events and meetings.
3. Work With Key Volunteers
- Ensure that leaders and key volunteers understand the issues of importance to MWA and provide them the information necessary so they can be spokespersons for the campaign. Identify and develop others for role in campaign. Coordinate efforts of members who are interested in the campaign and ensure they are trained and prepared.
- Organize and develop surrogate voices for MWA work understanding who would be the most effective spokesperson.
- Develop list of individuals that will not be perceived as traditional environmentalists to help make initial contacts, set up meetings with key individuals, set up presentations to agencies and organizations and coordinate nontraditional and traditional partners to assist with making contacts.
- Develop good working relationships with conservation partners and local allies. -Train key volunteers on how to lobby for wilderness designation.
4. Wildland Protection Activities
- Develop strategies and plans to influence federal agency public land management plans and participate in the decision-making process for land management decisions in key areas.
- Develop positive working relationships with local forest service, BLM, and other state and federal agency personnel.
- Organize meetings between members and public officials, contacts from other organizations and other non-members as needed to further MWA’s goals.
- Participate in coalition efforts and build relationships and connections necessary to gain support for MWA with both traditional and nontraditional allies and opponents (backcountry horsemen, Tribes, bike groups, hunters and anglers, snowmobilers, motorized recreationists).
- Identify spokespeople to address pubic officials, members and supporters, community leaders, the media and the public at large on MWA’s issues.
- Create necessary outreach materials.
- Evaluate outreach strategies.
- Generate media stories that cover MWA’s work.
- Develop media contacts and work successfully with the media to generate positive articles, op-eds, letters to the editor, editorials and other forms of earned media that support the campaign. Understand who can most effectively represent MWA in the media and public forums.
- Prepare written or visual materials that advance the mission and demonstrate the importance of wilderness designation–policy papers, fact sheets, news releases, alerts, articles, brochures and power point presentations.
- Conduct community and small group presentations on wilderness campaign. -Develop communication materials for the web site.
5. Perform Administrative Tasks
- Keep record of activities and fill out monthly time sheets.
- Submit monthly reports.
- Write articles for chapter newsletters and the Wild Montana.
- Participate in staff meetings.
- Develop annual work plan.
- Maintain field office.
- Identify and tell development staff of fundraising opportunities.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree in a Natural Resource or related field and/or three years demonstrated experience in successful environmental advocacy, public policy, grassroots organizing and/or public lands issues.
- Ability to research and maintain a working knowledge of local, state and national wilderness and public wildland issues.
- Ability to write a campaign plan.
- Ability to work independently.
- Ability to communicate and work effectively and diplomatically with people with diverse interests and personalities.
- Experience working with elected officials and a solid understanding of the legislative process.
- Ability to work with conservation partners.
- Ability to lead and coordinate diverse groups and individuals.
- Ability and willingness to work on partnerships with range of stakeholders.
- Ability to perform campaign planning, on the ground organizing, coalition building, and implementation of communication strategies that can influence decision makers.
- Ability to prepare written or visual materials that advance the mission—policy papers, fact sheets, news releases, alerts, articles, brochures.
- Strong communication skills both written and verbal, and word processing skills.
How to Apply: Full position description available at wildmontana.org/jobs. Applicants for this position must submit a resume and cover letter describing your advocacy experience and your experience working with coalitions on public lands issues. Submit applications to Robert Allen by email at [email protected] or by fax to (406) 443-0750.
Contact Information:
Montana Wilderness Association, http://wildmontana.org
30 S. Ewing, Helena, MT 59601
