State of Washington
Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
invites applications for the position of:
NATURAL RESOURCE SPECIALIST 3
*03046W
SALARY: $3,549.00 – $4,653.00 Monthly
OPENING DATE: 04/02/15
CLOSING DATE: 04/19/15 11:59 PM
DESCRIPTION:
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is dedicated to protecting native fish and wildlife, and
providing sustainable fishing, hunting, and wildlife, viewing opportunities for millions of residents and visitors.
Working throughout the state, WDFW’s employees: field biologists, enforcement officers, land stewards, lab
technicians, customer service representatives and others – manage hundreds of fish and wildlife species,
maintain nearly a million acres of public wildlife lands, provide opportunities for recreational and commercial
fishing, wildlife viewing and hunting, protect and restore habitat and enforce laws that protect fish and wildlife
resources. Find out more about us and the important work we are a part of at www.wdfw.wa.gov.
Natural Resource Specialist 3
(Permanent; Full-time)
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is recruiting to fill one full time, permanent Natural Resource
Specialist 3 position located in the Lands Division of the Wildlife Program. The duty station is at 1049 Port
Way Clarkston, Washington.
As a designated expert within the Wildlife Program this position provides statewide forest management and
consultative services on wildlife areas including stand management, forest practices, timber sales and
reforestation.
Under the supervision of the Wildlife Area Forest Management Lead, this position (Forester) supports the
Department’s mission and goals by implementing sound ecological forest management within the constraints of
policy, applicable legal requirements, and applicable collective bargaining agreements.
This position independently develops, prioritizes, coordinates and implements forest management plans on
wildlife areas statewide which include more than 200,000 acres of forest including numerous ecological
systems from coastal rain forest to arid, fire-dependent Ponderosa pine savannas.
General duties include: Inventorying forests, developing wildlife area specific forest management plans and
developing statewide management strategies to ensure that high risk areas are given priority. Developing and
Job Bulletin
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implementing restoration projects. Ensure compliance with applicable laws, rules, regulations, and policies.
DUTIES:
Serves as a designated expert within the Wildlife Program to provide statewide forest management and
consultative services on wildlife areas including stand management, forest practices, timber sales and
reforestation;
Develops wildlife area-specific forest management plans.
Identifies statewide management priorities and develops implementation strategies to address priorities.
Conducts economic analyses to optimize project and program effectiveness.
Plans and implements wildlife habitat improvement and maintenance projects including pre-commercial
thinning, commercial thinning, and reforestation.
Negotiates and monitors contracts on behalf of the state with private and governmental agencies on
issues of land use and habitat management.
WILDIFE AREA–SPECIFIC FOREST MANGEMENT PLAN DEVELOPMENT
Tasks include: Conducts research to identify historic ranges of variability, characterizes divergence
from historic conditions and identifies desired future conditions. Quantifies timber volumes and values
for areas where silvicultural treatments are warranted and viable. Develops both immediate and longterm
strategies for restoring and maintaining desired future conditions.
PRIORITIZING AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY DEVEOPLMENT
Tasks include: Evaluates forest inventory data, degree of divergence from historic conditions, habitat
quality, risks (i.e., wildfire, insects and disease) accessibility and economics associated with timber
value and necessary management activities to establish priorities and economically viable management
strategies for restoring and maintaining degraded forest.
ECONOMIC ANALAYSIS
Tasks include: Evaluates market conditions and timber values to determine project viability, develops
management plan implementation strategies and maximizes returns for reinvestment into land
management activities.
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION
Tasks include: Assigns or performs the following activities: Define harvest units, locate boundaries,
identify harvest road access, design roads, plan harvest systems, define environmental prescriptions,
(RMZ, leave trees, wetland considerations, wildlife mitigation, etc.), complete required paper work
(FPA, HPA, SEPA Checklist, EIS, Federal section 7 consultation/biological assessments, cultural
resource reviews, etc.), prepare contract in cooperation with region staff, etc. Incorporates complex
sets of environmental, social/political, and operations issues into sale designs.
Ensures that plans and projects are consistent with department policy and standards. Schedule and
implement projects. Develop specific contractual prescriptions to implement the plan. While developing
these contractual prescriptions, work with a wide range of individuals to ensure accomplishment of the
planned activity. They may include Department of Natural Resources staff, interest groups, industry,
individuals, and other agency personnel.
Writes, advertises and administers contracts for timber sales, pre-commercial thinning, fuels
management, road construction or repair, road maintenance, reforestation etc. Responsible for
supervising contractors, monitoring timber volumes and slips, managing budgets including revenue/costs
of timber sales and ensuring successful reforestation.
Evaluate the effectiveness of forest habitat manipulation strategies.
Tasks include: Utilizes ecological integrity monitoring approaches to evaluate projects effects.
Monitors tree seedling establishment to ensure compliance with Forest Practices reforestation
standards. Evaluates wildlife benefits as necessary.
Interagency coordination.
Tasks include: Represents WDFW on interagency forums, such as the Tapash Collaborative, and in
independent efforts with individual entities such as the USFS, BLM, DNR etc. to help promote
coordinated or collaborative efforts for data sharing, project implementation and landscape level
treatment. Evaluates research results for application on WDFW projects.
Risk management.
Tasks include: Serve as expert resource for identifying and addressing hazard trees. Advises wildlife
area managers and develops projects when necessary to address risks generated by disturbance
events such as wildfires and insect outbreaks.
QUALIFICATIONS:
A Bachelor’s degree in forestry or area of specialty and two to three years of professional experience in a
Job Bulletin
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program area or specialty area. A Master’s degree or PhD in forestry or closely related field will substitute for
one year of the required experience.
Key Knowledge and Skills
· Knowledge of forest management objectives and timber management planning.
· Working knowledge of Forest Practices rules and other forestry laws and practices.
· Understanding of current wildlife area management plan, forest management plans, Habitat Conservation
Plan (once adopted), and associated agency policies, procedures, and rules.
· Experience with logging and forest road construction equipment and use.
· Ability to inspect, instruct and work with contract crews to ensure silvicultural prescriptions are met.
· Ability to navigate using gps, maps, aerial photos, compass, clinometer, radio, laser rangefinder, and chain.
· Ability to traverse unit boundaries and accurately create a map.
· Proficient computer skills such as MS Word, MS Excel, ARC-GIS ARC-View, with aptitude for learning
new software programs.
Behavioral competencies:
· Creative and innovative thinking.
· Communication effectiveness.
· Organizational and political awareness.
· Adaptability and flexibility.
· Accountability.
· Leadership.
· Ethics and integrity.
PREFERRED:
Preferred/Desired Qualifications:
· Experience developing and implementing forest restoration projects (commercial and non-commercial)
for wildlife habitat, forest health, wildfire risk abatement and safety hazard reduction.
· Experience in young stand establishment and maintenance.
· Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team.
· Experience with prescribed burning planning, preparation and implementation.
· Demonstrated ability to present proposed projects to public user groups in a public meeting venue.
· Possess good listening and speaking skills, with the goal of positive interactions with neighboring
landowners.
· Demonstrated ability to exercise high caliber skills in written communication.
· Record of accomplishments demonstrating strong project development and management skills.
· Observational and analytical skills to detect and assess problems in field settings, and ability to
develop practical solutions to those problems.
· Experience with the operation and maintenance of essential equipment used in this position (various
hand and power tools).
· Federal tree felling certification*
· Experience developing grant applications
· National Wildfire Coordinating Group PM-310-1 Red Card certified or able to meet certifications*
· Understanding of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife – Lands Division policies and
procedures
· Ability to safely operate motor vehicles in field situations including snow.
(* The successful candidate will be provided the necessary training to obtain this required certification).
Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment
Washington State Driver’s License.
First Aid (training provided)
ATV certification (training provided)
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
Working Conditions
Job Bulletin
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Position is located at Blue Mountains Wildlife Area Complex Office in Clarkston. Position is a combination of
office and field work. Incumbent must be willing to work alone and traverse steep, uneven terrain in all
weather conditions. The employee is expected to spend their time working in the field under sometimes difficult
conditions. Weather conditions can vary from freezing to over 100 degrees F, and terrain is steep and rocky.
Other hazards include poisonous reptiles, insects and plants. Employees must be capable of lifting and
carrying up to 50 pounds over steep, rugged terrain in hot or cold weather.
Position requires the ability to drive a vehicle on primitive roads during all weather conditions in 4 wheel drive
trucks and ATV’s. Incumbent utilizes agency radio equipment and/or cell phone for communication in the field.
Office duties require use of standard office furniture and equipment (e.g. desks, files, cabinets, computers,
telephones, fax machines, copy machines, etc). Field duties require frequent use of GPS, topographic maps,
aerial photos, compass, clinometer and chain. Field duties also require use of hand and motor-driven cutting
equipment such as axes, saws and chainsaws.
Union
This position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the State of Washington, Department of
Fish & Wildlife, and the Washington Association of Fish and Wildlife Professionals (WAFWP). As a condition
of employment you must either join the union and pay union dues, or pay the union a representational or other
fee within 30 days of the date you are put into pay status.
How to Apply:
To apply for this position you MUST complete your profile at www.careers.wa.gov and attach the following to
your profile before completing the online application:
· A cover letter describing how you meet the qualifications of this position (generic cover letter will not be
accepted)
· A current resume (please make it succinct)
· Three professional references (personal references do not count as professional)
Please note: Failure to follow the above application instructions will lead to disqualification. E-mailed
documents will not be accepted in lieu of attaching your documents to the online profile.
Upon submission of your online application, you will immediately receive a confirming e-mail. You will then be
notified via e-mail of your status during the process. In addition to the e-mail notifications, you can check the
status of your application at any time by visiting your online profile at www.careers.wa.gov. Due to the high
volume of applications that we receive, we ask your understanding and encourage you to use the online
process and avoid calling for information.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working
environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity.
Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, disabled and Vietnam
era veterans and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.