The Washington Department of Natural Resources Forest Health Program is hiring a non-permanent, project employee to conduct insect trapping in eastern Washington from July 1 through November 15, 2015. The employee will deploy and retrieve pheromone baited traps used to monitor populations of Douglas-fir tussock moth and western spruce budworm at approximately 200 locations in forested areas of eastern Washington. This is a great opportunity to gain experience working on a statewide insect monitoring program and see some beautiful country.
The employee will be supervised by the state forest entomologist in Olympia and is expected to work several weeks in Olympia. Depending on location of the employee’s home, the work requires travel status for at least 12 weeks in July/August and October/November, with weekends off. After being trained, the employee will work independently with minimal supervision. They will drive alone using an agency vehicle, often on rough forest roads, to established trap sites. They should be self-motivated with the ability to accomplish the work independently, efficiently, and safely.
Other required abilities are:
- Ability to read maps and use a GPS unit to locate established trap sites and plan travel routes for high efficiency.
- Ability to distinguish host tree species.
- Ability to walk on steep, uneven terrain, and work outdoors in diverse weather conditions including hot daytime temperatures or slippery rain showers.
- Ability to carefully follow instructions for bait handling and trap construction/deployment.
The salary range is $2,663 – $3,459 per month ($15.30 – $19.88 per hour). Per diem is provided while in travel status.
This position will be open until filled. For information on how to apply, please contact:
Glenn Kohler, Forest Entomologist, glenn.kohler@dnr.wa.gov 360 902-1342