Alaska AOA and Aquaculture Coordination Support Services

Note: We are seeking applicants for this position prospectively, which is dependent on award of contract

Ocean Associates Inc. (OAI) is seeking an applicant to provide support services to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Region office (AKRO) in Juneau, AK. OAI is a Virginia corporation established in 2003 that provides consulting and technical services to the U.S. government, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and the private sector. We specialize in scientific program and project management, strategic planning, professional and technical services, and stakeholder engagement, supporting government contracts. 

Background

The NOAA Fisheries (NMFS) Alaska Region (AKRO) Aquaculture Program works to support sustainable commercial marine aquaculture development. This is done in coordination with trust resources responsibilities, including sustainable fisheries, protected species, and healthy ecosystems, to support resilient coastal communities in Alaska.

The Government requires support to fulfill duties guided by national aquaculture policy and mandates, and statutes such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). This support includes implementing the directives of the Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth.

Specifically, professional support services are required for: 

• Support for the identification of an Aquaculture Opportunity Area (AOA) in Alaska and the associated NEPA Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). This involves supporting NOAA Fisheries’ NEPA process and assisting with coordination between Alaska Regional Office divisions, Cooperating Agencies, the Office of Aquaculture, and General Counsel regarding writing, reviewing, and commenting on draft PEIS sections relevant to their expertise.
• Providing technical assistance and review on aquaculture ESA section 7 and Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) consultations.
• Public and tribal comment and engagement opportunities for the Alaska AOA process.
• Support for government-led tribal consultation and engagement with Alaska tribal governments and corporations.

The successful candidate shall support and promote outreach and engagement activities to advance the Alaska Aquaculture Program priorities and achieve regional marine aquaculture objectives. This includes conducting public meetings, regional site visits with stakeholders, engaging with coastal communities and Alaska Native entities, and supporting the participation of the NOAA Fisheries AKRO at conferences and meetings. They shall also assist the Government in preparing draft responses to internal and external requests for complex technical and procedural information related to aquaculture issues, prepare draft stakeholder information products for Government review, and draft content for constituent newsletters, distribution lists, and agency websites.

 Tasks 

 Key tasks include the following:

• Under the guidance of the Alaska Regional Aquaculture Coordinator (RAC), support internal and cross-agency coordination for the Alaska Aquaculture Opportunity Area (AOA) Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) preparation. This includes scheduling, agenda preparation, note-taking, action item tracking, Google Docs file maintenance, meeting facilitation assistance, and ensuring compliance of meeting notes and communications with administrative record guidance. Also assist in coordination, meetings, discussions, and action item tracking with the Alaska Fisheries Science Center.
• Compile, synthesize, analyze, and manage data that will inform the creation of the AOA PEIS and Alaska Aquaculture Explorer webtool. This requires coordination with the RAC, Protected Resources Division, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, and National Ocean Service.
• Work with the RAC and regional and headquarters communications staff to contribute to internal and external outreach and overall AOA process messaging throughout the AOA process, including assisting with webinars, public comment periods, and FAQs.
• Assist with the operation of the Alaska Interagency Working Group and Cooperating Agencies. This includes working to develop agendas, scheduling Working Group meetings, note-taking, and potential facilitation assistance during meetings.
• Coordinate with AKR staff to provide assistance in support of their consultations on aquaculture actions. Assistance could include providing resources such as general aquaculture information, literature citations, webinars and other presentations.
• For aquaculture projects where the AKR has been designated as the lead federal agency, participate in working groups, internal and external discussions, assist in the preparation of discussion materials, track action items and track environmental reviews related to NEPA and/or permitting.
• As requested by the Chief of Staff and the RAC, assist in review of other aquaculture-related NEPA documents beyond the AOA PEIS, and provide comments as needed.
• As requested by the RAC, assist in review of other proposed aquaculture activities and provide comments.
• Participate in meetings with action agencies, applicants or permittees, special interest groups, state officials, and tribal representatives, as necessary. Coordinate with the Alaska Fisheries science center and other researchers regarding aquaculture activities in Alaska.
• As requested by the RAC, assist the Government in preparing draft responses to aquaculture-related inquiries from action agencies, applicants, their representatives, and AKR staff for Government review and approval.
• Provide timely response to data requests and assignments with appropriate attention to detail.
• Attend and/or present aquaculture information at local and regional coordination meetings, participate in staff meetings and annual workshops if scheduled.

Start Date: Contingent upon award of contract.

Location: Remote/Telework. 

Travel: Travel is anticipated. The successful candidate may be required to travel to local meetings, one or two coordination meetings in the region, and a potential workshop. 

Salary and Benefits: This is a full-time position with benefits. Salary, commensurate with experience, between $30.00 – $45.00 per hour.

Requirements

Applicants must have the following minimum requirements:

• Undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university with emphasis on biological science, conservation biology, wildlife management or related fields.
• Knowledge of the Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Magnuson Stevens Act, and National Environmental Policy Act.
• General understanding of NEPA in order to review and comment on NEPA analyses.
• Knowledge of the marine aquaculture industry and associated species for culture, gear types.
• Knowledge of marine natural resource management issues, especially marine aquaculture and other ocean uses such as fishing and oil and gas, is strongly desired.
• General understanding of biology of Alaska marine species of cetaceans and pinnipeds
• Current MS Office and corresponding Google applications skills.
• Computer skills including basic word processing, spreadsheet creation, and manipulation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preference will be given to applicants with SeaGrant experience and having completed a Knauss Fellowship.