Job Listing
🔗Historic Landscape Inventory Intern – 800 hours

  • Internship
  • NCPE Internship
  • Longmire, WA
  • $18.50 USD / Hour
  • February 20, 2025
  • Department: Mount Rainier National Park - Cultural Resources Management and Maintenance Division, Project Shop
  • Job Reference #: 4143a
  • Job Summary: Mount Rainier National Park is seeking 2 candidates who are landscape and/or building architecture historians or cultural historians to assist in the surveying and documentation of historic Mission 66 and Rustic style landscape features.
  • Job Qualifications:
    • Experience with or working knowledge of measuring tools and conventions is very desirable
    • Working knowledge of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Properties and National Register of Historic Places is a plus
    • Possess strong research and concise writing skills
    • Ability to convey pertinent information with minimal photographs
    • Experience with performing building condition assessments is desirable
    • Ability to work collaboratively within a team of cultural resource and preservation professionals
    • Experience with online databases such as the Cultural Resource Inventory System
    • Working knowledge of rustic landscape architecture a plus.
    • Ability to work outside for extended periods of time
    • Enrolled in, or recently graduated from, an undergraduate or graduate academic program with a focus on architecture, historic preservation, architectural history, or other related design field
  • How to Apply:

    Click on the application button at this listing and follow the instructions to apply online.

  • Job benefits: Paid Time Off (PTO), Free Housing
  • Physical Demands / Work Environment: Long periods of standing and hiking outdoors in all weather conditions, walking over rough or uneven rocky surfaces such as narrow road prisms, undulating trails, and steep hillsides. Sedentary indoor computer database work. Recurring bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching. Able to lift moderately heavy items (like field backpacks, overnight camping gear). Must be able to operate a government motor vehicle as part of official duties; a valid driver's license is required. 
  • Application Email: waso_cr-intern@nps.gov

Website National Park Service/NCPE Internship Program

Established in 1899 Mount Rainier National Park is 235,625 acres (97% is designated Wilderness). The wilderness area includes Mount Rainier (14,410'), an active volcano encased in over 35 square miles of snow and ice. The majority of the park’s developed areas was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1997 as a showcase for the "NPS Rustic" style architecture and landscape architecture of the 1920s and 1930s. This internship reports to the park landscape architect and is part of the Project Shop within the Maintenance Division. The Maintenance Division consists of approximately 75 permanent employees and 200 summer seasonal employees. The Project Shop currently consists of a historical landscape architect and a project manager. This season it will also include four NCPE interns.

The National Council for Preservation Education (NCPE)’s Internship Program is a partnership with the National Park Service and other Federal agencies with cultural resource protection and public land management responsibilities. The purpose of the program is to accomplish needed and important work on federally protected lands while providing program participants with professional experience in their chosen fields. Interns work under the guidance of agency staff who are subject area experts to carry out the mission of the park.

To be eligible, applicants must be between 18 and 30 years old (or 35 if a veteran) when starting the internship, a college student or recent graduate (within the past 12 months at the time of application), enrolled in a degree-seeking program, and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Mount Rainier National Park is seeking two 800-hour interns who are landscape and/or building architecture historians or cultural historians to assist in surveying and documenting historic Mission 66 and Rustic style landscape features throughout the park. The interns will work closely together and with the cultural resources team and the park’s historical landscape architect to update cultural landscape condition assessments in the National Park Service (NPS) Cultural Resource Inventory System (CRIS) database. This work will consist of documenting and researching over a dozen collections of landscape features, including historic stone walls, buildings, road prisms, and trails. Documentation methods include photography, researching historical information of landscape features, and GIS collection on tablets. The interns will also be responsible for compiling this information into CRIS, which includes writing descriptions of the landscape features, providing condition assessments, and developing recommendations for repairs and maintenance. If time allows the intern may also be asked to verify and update GIS systems and databases.

Most of the historic properties that will be assessed are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and contribute to the park’s National Historic Landmark District and therefore require the preservation of their character-defining features. These assessments will identify the character-defining features that require direct and indirect preservation work and will inform future maintenance projects and decision-making. This work supports NPS responsibilities under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) to preserve cultural resources. The interns will be based out of and living in the Longmire Historic District within walking distance of the Project Shop offices. Housing will be provided. Work will begin in June 2025 and end in November 2025.

A background security investigation may be required prior to the start date. All NCPE internships accrue 4 hours of PTO for every 80 hours worked.

Qualified NCPE interns who complete their internships may count their position towards earning a Public Land Corps (PLC) Non-Competitive Hiring Authority certificate.  Once earned, the PLC certificate may be used to apply for eligible Federal permanent, temporary, or term positions. Visit https://preservenet.org/ncpe-internships/ for details about this benefit. Successful completion of the internship does not guarantee Federal employment.

Benefits

All NCPE interns received an hourly stipend, the rate is listed at each position description. Additionally, interns receive paid time off (PTO), paid Federal holidays if working full-time, and access to NCPE's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for career and personal counseling, coaching, and referrals. Project sites may also offer a housing allowance and/or commuting stipend; this information is also listed in the description or offered during the interview.

Eligible NCPE interns who successfully complete their internships may count their position towards earning a Public Land Corps (PLC) Non-Competitive Hiring Authority certificate. To be eligible to earn a PLC certificate, an intern must be 30 years old or younger (or 35 if a veteran). Once earned, the PLC hiring authority certificate may be used to apply for eligible Federal temporary, term, or permanent positions. Successful completion of a NCPE internship does not guarantee Federal employment. Contact manager@preservenet.org for more details.

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must be
*at least 18 years old;
*no older than 30 years of age (or 35 years if a Veteran) when beginning the internship; applicants who are 31 or older (or 36 or older if a Veteran) are not eligible;
*currently enrolled in a degree-seeking academic program at the college level (or recently graduated within the past 12 months)
*be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident.

Interns are not allowed to work more than 1200 hours total in the program; previous interns must stay within this overall limit. The length of an internship can vary from 10 to 30 weeks if full-time (40 hours per week) or longer if on a part-time schedule. If selected, the exact starting date will be determined by you and the NPS supervisor. The stipend rate is $17.00 per hour unless otherwise listed.

The successful candidate is responsible for finding and paying for travel to and housing at the internship location; some exceptions apply. The supervising office may be able to assist in locating housing but it is ultimately up to the individual accepting the internship to find accommodation.

The National Council requires all interns working in-person at Federal facilities and/or with Federal employees receive the Covid-19 vaccination. Please be advised that you may also be required to wear a mask, depending on the protocols adopted by your work site. Also be aware that, due to Government-wide security requirements, a background check will be required if you are selected for a position. This will include providing information about recent housing and employment history. The position supervisor will have more information about these requirements and procedures at the time of hiring. You may direct any questions to NCPE's Internship Program Director, Julee Johnson, at manager@preservenet.org.

Please note that interns are not NCPE or NPS employees. Stipends are academic awards and taxes are not withheld, nor are social security contributions made on your behalf. These funds may be taxable, however, so consult a tax preparation professional if you have questions.

How to Apply

You may review NCPE's internship opportunities anytime without registering. Use the search function to find listings by location, keyword, or area of interest/category. Once you identify one or more positions of interest, there is a 3-step application process.

Step 1: Click on the Apply for Job button, then select Universal Application. Click on Register to create a User Account, which requires a username and email. A link will be sent to you from manager@preservenet.org to create a password. We suggest that you add this email to your safe senders list so you don't miss receiving this important link. You will be instructed to Log In to Preservenet using your username or email and password, which will take you back to the Universal Application.

Step 2: The Universal Application is required to apply for all NCPE internships. You fill out this form only once. In addition to contact information, educational status, work history, and experience, it requires two attachments: (1) the 2 most recent years of academic transcripts. These may be unofficial transcripts if official versions are unavailable. A PDF is preferred, labeled Your Your Last Name_Your First Name_Transcript. (2) a resume or CV (curriculum vitae). Please limit to a maximum of 4 pages; 2 pages are preferred. A PDF is preferred but jpg, png, doc, or docx file types are accepted. Label Your Last Name_Your First Name_Resume. This form may be saved as a draft and completed later. Use the link provided to return to the form.

Step 3: Once you submit the Universal Application, you may browse and apply for NCPE internships using the link provided. Complete the application process by clicking on the Apply for job button found at each internship listing and upload the required Essay. Use the essay to explain why you are applying for an internship, including how your interest areas will benefit the National Park Service (NPS) and how the internship will further your studies and career goals. Be as specific as possible; there is a 400-word maximum length. Submit the essay to finish the application for that position. You may apply for a maximum of 6 internships during an application round; there is no limit at other times of the year. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!



Logging in with a Registered User Account and completing the Universal Application is required to apply for NCPE Internships. Please visit the Universal Application page to register for an account and complete the form. After logging in and completing the form, refreshing this listing will display the Job Application to apply online.