All positions are unpaid, but are available for school credit.
The Wilderness Society's Policy and Government Affairs Department is responsible for the public advocacy of The Wilderness Society’s agenda. Through its staff in Washington, DC, Denver, CO and Seattle, WA the department lobbies Congress, works with federal land management agencies, communicates with the media, and builds grassroots support for proper land preservation and management. The department’s staff includes program specialists in all aspects of federal lands policy and with knowledge and expertise about federal lands issues and how to affect public policy.
About the Internship
Internships are available on the following annual basis:
- Spring (Jan - May)
- Fall (Sep - Dec)
- Summer (Jun - Aug)
Volunteer or School Credit terms are considered. Part-time is a minimum of three consecutive days, 23 hours per week. Positions are open until filled.
Interns are assigned to one of the following program areas:
National Forests Internship
Intern to assist in the tracking of legislative and administrative actions affecting our National Forest System and the National Wilderness Preservation System; gather information and write responses to questions on issues such as old growth forest protection, forest roadless area protection, wildland fire issues, climate change and energy development impacts on forested ecosystems, wilderness and national forest management & planning issues.
Public Lands Internship
Intern to assist in a variety of tasks including preparation of informational materials on issues related to energy development on and protection of public lands; tracking and sometimes attending Congressional hearings; and assistance in our advocacy of public lands protection issues.
Conservation Funding Internship
Attend Congressional briefings and hearings on conservation funding. Work on the annual Green Budget Book; detailing important conservation funding priorities for the coming year. Update fact sheets on conservation programs and work with land management agencies to track project funding. Support the Land and Water Conservation Fund Task Force in its campaign to achieve full funding. Assist in writing blog and campaign web updates for TWS conservation priorities. Track and analyze climate change spending within the Department of the Interior and other agencies.
Energy Internship
Intern to assist with furthering Energy Program priorities through administrative and legislative channels with research and other activities to support rapid response needs and internal policy development initiatives. Intern will gather and prepare information for action alerts, lobby materials, and media on pending legislation or administrative activities. Intern will also attend Congressional hearings, participate in lobby meetings, and prepare and deliver mailings and information to congressional staff. Intern will also closely monitor administrative processes, participate in public meetings, and assist staff in preparing technical comments. Additionally, interns will participate in regular meetings of the TWS Energy Team and external collaborative as appropriate.
Legislative Policy Internship
Intern needed to assist the Legislative Policy team in tracking, influencing and promoting policies to enhance TWS agenda. The Legislative Policy Intern will be directly involved in all aspects of this urgent agenda, including efforts to educate membership, influence Congress, and steer executive branch agencies toward addressing TWS issues/concerns. The legislative responsibilities may include conducting research, drafting correspondence, attending committee hearings, tracking bills, writing factsheets and working on mailings.
Legal Internship (Temporarily Suspended)
The intern will conduct legal research and prepare memoranda on issues relating to ongoing or potential litigation projects, assist in the preparation of position papers, interact with coalition partners, prepare comments on proposed agency actions, and assist in legislative analysis and the drafting of testimony. The ideal applicant should have a solid understanding of environmental legal principles, public land and administrative law statutes, and excellent research skills. This position is best suited for interns interested in the intersect of public policy and environmental law. This is not a litigation internship.
How to Apply
If interested, please mail, fax or email a cover letter, writing sample and resume to:
Internship Coordinator
The Wilderness Society
1615 M St NW
Washington, DC 20036
fax: 202-429-3945
Louise_Tucker@tws.org