Summary:  American Conservation Experience, a nationwide Non-Profit Conservation Corps based in Flagstaff, AZ and Salt Lake City, Utah in partnership with the USFWS Puget Sound & Olympic Peninsula Complex in Lacey, Washington is seeking TWO Fisheries Field Individual Placements – AmeriCorps to dedicate 8 months to the monitoring of fisheries resources.  The fisheries monitoring includes providing field, lab and hatchery support for a diversity of projects. Field sampling and hatchery evaluation efforts (biosampling and sample processing) will be primary roles.  While each member will primarily assist a specific biologist, opportunities to assist with other projects will be permitted when the schedule allows in order to maximize experience diversification. This opportunity is intended for enthusiastic young professionals with a deep interest in advancing their career goals in fisheries management.

Start Date: April or early – mid May 2020

End Date: 8 months later (36 weeks)

Location: Lacey, WA

Project Partner Website: For more information about Puget Sound & Olympic Peninsula Complex, please visit: https://www.fws.gov/PSOPFC/

For more information and ACE, please visit: www.usaconservation.org

Compensation:  Members will receive a Living Allowance of $450 /week, paid bi-weekly.

PLC Competitive Hiring Authority: These positions are authorized by the Public Land Corps (PLC) Act of 1993 and expanded by the Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2013. Interns who meet basic requirements during their term of service may be eligible to receive their Noncompetitive Hiring Eligibility Certificate to be used when applying to future federal jobs. Requirements are: (1) Intern must be between the ages of 18 to 30 and (2) Intern must complete at least 640 hours on a federally approved PLC Project. More information can be provided upon request.

AmeriCorps: These positions MAY be eligible for a 900 hour AmeriCorps Education Award ($3,097.50 each) upon successful completion of internship service hours.

Position Description:

MAJOR DUTIES

Safety:

  • The work involves regular and recurring moderate risks or discomforts which require special safety precautions. This includes the inherent risk of working around water and watercraft, as well as the risks associated with the operation of electrofishing units.
  • This could include day trips or overnight trips lasting up to a week or more. These trips may involve cross-country off-trail hiking.
  • This positions will require, on a regular and recurring basis, working outdoors, in other such environments with extreme temperatures (warm and cold), and/or exposure to adverse weather conditions (i.e., snow). The water will be cold and river work will include areas with fast currents.
  • This position will require an understanding of the communication plan, and a basic level of comfort using both cellular and inReach devices.
  • Members are required to use protective clothing or gear such as hard hats, masks, gowns, earplugs, coats, boots, goggles, gloves, personal floatation, or shields to moderate risks, or to follow procedures for minimizing risk.
  • Members should be proficient in operating a 4-wheel drive vehicle on rugged roads and able to navigate using topo maps, compass and GPS. Applicants should be willing to work independently.
  • An array of mandatory trainings will be provided upon initiation of the position. This may include taking and passing swift-water and/or other applicable outdoor training necessary to complete work tasks. This training will be provided only if necessary for the assigned work.

Communication:

  • Relay daily mission, technical skills and safety concerns to interns and other crewmembers as assigned.
  • Personal contacts are with employees in the agency and immediate organizations, cooperating governmental, Tribal, private sector, and non-profit organizations. In some work situations, personal contacts may be with the public, contractor personnel, or special users, e.g., special interest groups.
  • Contacts are for the purpose of obtaining, clarifying, or exchanging information and receiving instructions regarding work assignments.

Physical Demands:

  • The work requires some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring hiking while carrying field equipment needed to collect, or record research data.
  • In many situations, the duration of the activity (such as most of a workday) contributes to the arduous nature of the job.
  • The selected member must be fit enough to hike in mountainous and swampy terrain over long distances in various weather while carrying equipment (40lb+) and should expect to hike and/or wade 10 miles or more per day in mountain streams.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE

In support of research, conservation, production, and management of fishes, or fishery resource:

  • Collects, enters, checks data entry for accuracy, and analyzes data from samples, conducts tests and assists in the identification of any problems.
  • Compiles and summarizes data from survey, biological evaluations, and pilot tests.
  • Runs routine computer programs and checks resulting data for inconsistencies.
  • Provides results to professional personnel for refinement, adjustment, and analysis and may assist in the preparation of reports.
  • Identification of freshwater fish species

Potential responsibilities:

  • Field biological sampling, including minnow traps, electrofishing, seines, gill nets, snorkeling, fyke nets, PIT equipment, and screw trapping.
  • Fish identification and data collection (length, weight, scale samples, fin rays, otoliths, PIT tagging, tag scans, etc.)
  • Abiotic data collection such as substrate sampling and water salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and temperature.
  • Hatchery fish spawning, fish transfers and biosampling.
  • Keeps records of all data
  • Laboratory processing and data collection, including coded wire tag retrieval from hatchery salmon samples, fish stomach sample identification, fin ray and otolith removal/preparation, and sediment sample analysis.
  • Schedules, services, calibrate repairs, and installs sampling instrumentation.
  • Employee may be provided an opportunity to complete an independent project as part of this appointment. This opportunity will depend on the employees interest, qualifications, and opportunities within existing projects for further data collection/analysis.

DESIRED KNOWLEDGE

Technical Methods:

  • The position requires knowledge of the technical methods and procedures for a work area to employ them in carrying out (alone, as crew lead, or as a fully functioning crewmember) a variety of technical duties common to fisheries.
  • Also required is the knowledge to operate complex equipment systems such as those with numerous components or parts which must be calibrated and synchronized to achieve desired results.
  • The work involves execution of specific rules, regulations, or procedures, such as those found in common technical manuals, laboratory handbooks, and administrative manuals.

Biological Sciences:

  • The duties require a knowledge of the basic principles of a biological science to assess readings and measurements taken, tests executed, observations made, work completed, samples collected, etc.
  • The member will be required to understand and relate the significance of the results to the higher objectives to which the activity is related.

Data Analysis:

  • The member must assess the worth of the data by considering its applicability to the higher objective, by assessing and reporting on the characteristics and quality of the source of the data, or by otherwise creatively interpreting the data produced.
  • Work products affect the accuracy, reliability, or acceptability of further procedures, processes or services, or the quality of day-to-day operations of a significant program in land management.

QUALIFICATIONS:  Applicants must have an interest in fisheries, natural resource management or other related disciplines appropriate to the position. Resumes must contain enough information to show that the applicant meets the experience as defined in the announcement.  We are looking for determined, strong and developing natural resource managers who are looking for experience working with the Fish and Wildlife Service in an individual placement.

Required:  

  • U.S. Citizen or permanent resident
  • Must be between the ages of 18-35
  • Must have a valid driver’s license, provide documentation of a clean driving record, and have a personal vehicle (required). Interns must be 21 + to drive Agency vehicles.
  • Must be able to pass a driver’s test, read traffic signs and fill out trip tickets when driving government vehicles
  • Ability and willingness to undergo a Federal criminal background check
  • Relevant education, appropriate experience, or a combination of both
    • At least three years of college in the field of biological sciences.
  • Effective communication skills with resource specialists, colleagues, and the public
  • Able and willing to work alone and in a group
  • Able and willing to work outdoors in varying weather conditions and capable of hiking moderate distances in somewhat rough terrain during inclement weather conditions.
  • ACE is a drug free workplace and reserves the right to drug test at anytime

**Position may change or close at any time**

Desired:

  • CPR/First aid
  • Wilderness first responder
  • Swift-water rescue
  • Other outdoor training

To Apply: Please submit a thoughtful resume, cover letter, academic transcripts, along with 3 professional references using the APPLY NOW section located on the upper right hand corner of the position listing on our website here: https://usaconservationepic.applicantpool.com/jobs/

EOE: American Conservation Experience provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, American Conservation Experience complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities.

NOTE: Early consideration will be given as applications are received. This position may close at any time. If you have any questions regarding this position, please feel free to contact ACE EPIC USFWS Recruitment and Member Manger Melissa Early at mearly@usaconservation.org or 801-573-8984.

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