The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, a Bureau of the Department of Interior, is currently seeing multiple full-time 10 week interns for summer 2016.

 The intern will serve in the Office of Communications or Division of Reclamation Support. 

Office of Communications Intern

The Office of Communications provides information about OSMRE programs, policies, and activities for use by the public, the coal industry, and citizen groups, among others. In addition, the OC responds to specific requests for information from Congress, the news media, and the public. The OC also functions as the principal point of contact for scheduling OSMRE briefings with key officials; provides direction for the bureau’s public-facing website; maintains a correspondence tracking system to manage official correspondence; handles Freedom of Information Act requests; coordinates OSMRE’s annual awards recognizing excellence in reclaiming active and abandoned mines, as well as a separate annual award honoring an individual who has made significant contributions to the spirit of SMCRA; and handles certain aspects of internal communications. The intern will work with the chief of communications, as well as his legislative affairs and other staff, to support the needs of the office in a myriad of ways. The Intern will be involved in developing their portfolio through drafting press releases, working on briefing documents, developing web content, conduct research around current policies, and more. 

Division of Reclamation Support Intern

Reclamation Support interns have the chance to work on one of the most innovative initiatives OSMRE has to offer, the OSMRE Volunteers in Service to America Initiative (OSMRE/VISTA). Established in 2002, the goal of this partnership is to bring environmental and economic improvement to regions with a history of pre-regulatory mining. The approach of the OSMRE/VISTA program is grassroots, arming community groups and watershed organizations with training tools and college-educated, volunteered support to assist citizens in becoming effective environmental stewards, community leaders, and accelerators of change in their communities.  The OSMRE/VISTA Program services nine states in the Appalachian region and the Rocky Mountain West (CO, KY, MD, NM, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV). Interns will address key issues such as community impoverishment and environmental degradation and research issues that make a significant impact across multiple communities.

Additional Information

 For those who have a passion for the environmental justice, national service, political science, public administration, community revitalization, or those interested in a career in the federal government, nonprofit management, or in the environmental sciences, a placement at OSMRE could be the perfect fit.

Professional Development: All OSMRE interns are encouraged to seek out professional development opportunities during their time. OSMRE staff will help leverage contacts to set up meetings and informational interviews for interns. 

Travel: The intern will participate in a 3-day orientation to Appalachia where s/he will learn about coal mining practices, as well as the impact of pre-regulatory coal mining. The intern will also participate in a trip to an active coal mine. In addition to travel out side of DC, the intern will participate in weekly field trips across the city with the other members of the OSMRE intern program. 

Stipend: $100/week

Eligibility: OSMRE is looking for an upperclassman or recent graduate

Application Information

Interested applicants should submit their resume, unofficial transcript, non-fiction writing sample, and letters of recommendation by February 29 for priority consideration. Letter of recommendation can be submitted by March 7.  

For questions or to submit application documents please email Sara Eckert at seckert@osmre.gov. 

For more information about OSMRE visit: www.osmre.gov