Coordinating Wildlife Biologist – Washington

Application Deadline: January 29, 2024

Location: Remote within Chelan or Douglas Counties, WA

Overview:  This is a collaborative position between Pheasants Forever (PF), US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Nature Conservancy, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other local partners.  This position conducts habitat restoration and monitoring on both public and private lands in support of USFWS and TNC sagebrush habitat restoration priorities and the Washington Shrubsteppe Restoration and Resiliency Initiative (WSRRI).  The position will directly assist with a variety of habitat restoration projects, including all aspects of habitat restoration and management (e.g., seeding, planting, herbicide application and other weed control), wildlife friendly fencing, and other projects as needed. This position will facilitate the execution of such actions by staff, partners, and landowners through equipment operation and maintenance and supervision of crews, and pre- and post-project monitoring.  This position serves as coordinator for local partners, manages restoration and enhancement activities on both public and private lands and coordinates technical assistance services to community members on behalf of the partnership. Position will serve to promote sagebrush restoration, fish and wildlife habitat enhancement, and natural resources stewardship.

This position will be remotely located in Chelan or Douglas Counties in Washington and will require travel throughout Central Washington.  The incumbent is expected to work closely with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Chelan- Douglas Land Trust, Foster Creek Conservation District, Cascadia Conservation District, and other partners in the region.   

Duties:

Conduct habitat restoration actions

Tasks include: All aspects of habitat restoration, including planting, seeding, herbicide application, manual and mechanical vegetation removal, soil preparation, mowing, irrigation, seed collection, beaver dam analogue construction, using a variety of equipment and methods. Coordinate supporting habitat restoration actions (e.g., prescribed burning) with credentialled colleagues and partners as necessary. Monitoring restoration action effectiveness using established procedures. Maintain equipment in clean and working order.

Oversees and checks completion of work by crews

Tasks include: Coordinate and supervise seasonal crews (e.g., Washington Conservation Corps, volunteers, work-study students) and instruct them in executing prescribed activities (e.g., planting, seeding, weed control, beaver dam analogue construction). Ensure crews have necessary equipment and demonstrate/require proper use of equipment. Work with crews to complete tasks. Report back to supervisor on task completion and project status

Support and assist in project planning and report preparation

Tasks include: Assist in proposal, plan and report development, including rationale, prescriptions, tables, maps, and graphs. Provides GIS support. Recommend actions to partners and landowners to improve habitat quality. Support Supervisor in reporting accomplishments orally and in writing.

Maintain careful records of actions and inventories

Tasks include: Map areas sprayed, mowed, planted, surveyed, etc. with GPS (Trimble and Garmin). Processes GPS data and uses ArcGIS to develop maps of areas. Utilize and create spreadsheets, shapefiles, and photos in planning and reporting. Assist with database design to house action and inventory records long-term.  Maintain herbicide records. Maintain materials inventories, including herbicides, seeds, and others. Work collaboratively with partners to plan and implement Partners for Fish and Wildlife, sagebrush Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Washington Shrubsteppe Restoration and Resilience Initiative projects.

Other duties as assigned including:

• Conduct site visits with residents to help identify potential resource concerns and develop plans to address them while incorporating unique landowner needs and goals and linking sites with potential funding requirements and local regulations.
• Develop and support partnerships and programs with other entities, agencies, organizations, and groups involved in watershed restoration activities. Work collaboratively with a diverse population, using educational concepts and values along with communication skills to present information to non-technical audiences.
• Work with partners to help provide science-based decision making to support conservation actions with multi-species benefits including sage grouse habitat.
• Pursues grant and funding opportunities and complete all necessary monitoring and reporting for necessary grants and agreements as available and as time allows.

Essential Job Functions:

• Work within tight deadlines and manage conflicting demands while successfully operating in a dynamic work environment with minimal direction from supervisor.
• Share a vision and passion for natural resource management and conservation practices with diverse populations, using educational concepts and values along with strong communication skills.
• Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with partners, PF, USFWS, NRCS, WDFW staff, interns, private landowners and residents, and other community members and stakeholders to produce high quality, cost-effective work products.
• Present program information in public settings and meetings; prepare clear, concise and informative written documents and reports; maintain thorough and organized records.
• Promote coordination, collaboration, and communication across organizations, government agencies, private landowners, and other stakeholders to promote landscape impacts to wildlife and conservation in the Mission Valley.
• Write reports, track work progress, prepare and record program/project data and records.
• Travel to various locations throughout Lake County and occasionally throughout the State.
• Experience with tractors, drills, sprayers, disks, off road vehicles, chain saws, and other machinery commonly used to implement on the ground habitat restoration techniques.
• Farming/implementation work must get done when conditions allow, long hours may be required to complete this work during field seasons.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with landowners, partner agencies and the public.
• Ability to work independently with little supervision and with diverse clientele.
• Higher education in the fields of natural resources such as range, wildlife, ecology, etc. is preferred.
• Excellent verbal/written communication, coordination and organizational skills.
• Experience or education in designing presentations and presenting information using various formats such as PowerPoint, posters, kiosks, etc..
• Valid driver’s license and skillset to drive at high elevation, and often remote locations, on a regular basis and occasionally during inclement weather.
• A general qualification guideline for this position is a Bachelor of Science Degree from an accredited university in a field applicable to the advertised position.
• Knowledge of computer skills is required, and applicant should be familiar with ARC GIS, Word and Excel.
• Physical ability to stand and walk for extended periods of time over rough terrain; lift and move material weighing up to 50 pounds; work in all types of weather conditions.
• Basic understanding/knowledge of the BLM agency, policy, planning, clearances, regulations, etc. is preferred.

Training and Experience Guideline: Any combination of training and/or experience that will enable the applicant to possess the required knowledge, skills and abilities.  A general qualification guideline for this position is a Bachelor of Science Degree in Wildlife Management or closely related natural resources field and/or related field experience.

Salary: $45,000-$50,000 Commensurate with Experience + benefits including 401K options, and Student Loan Allowance option of up to $200 per month. Housing is available through TNC for this position if the candidate chooses.