Range Ecologist – Fish & Wildlife Biologist 4 – Permanent – *06075-24

FULL-TIME/PERMANENT
RANGE ECOLOGIST
FISH & WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST 4

Wildlife Program – Lands Division
Ephrata, Washington – Grant County

This position may be eligible for telework.  The default assigned work location for this position is in Ephrata, Washington.  Frequency of onsite work will vary based on business and operational needs.

The current duty station is in Ephrata, WA however, we are also considering duty station locations in Ellensburg, WA, Yakima, WA, and Spokane, WA.

WDFW manages over 1.2 million acres of land across the state, including non-forested and range lands. 

Our Range Ecologist plays a central supporting the management of the non-forested and rangelands to maintain fish, wildlife, and ecosystems.

Oversee monitoring of the integrity of WDFW-managed lands where grazing and other agricultural activities are permitted; provide guidance on the operation and restoration of these lands including vegetation management.

In this dynamic role, you will inform range management across ownerships to improve wildlife habitat and coordinate WDFW’s grazing permits and agricultural leases.

With your experience, you will provide technical assistance to Wildlife Area managers and Regional staff.

You thrive on building collaboration and teamwork, guiding and mentoring supervised staff supporting efforts to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife, and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.

Here are some things you will do in this role:

Designs and implements ecological monitoring, resource assessments, vegetation and habitat surveys, and research investigations in support of range land management: 

• Designs and implements modeling and monitoring efforts for rangelands, and applies statistical analyses to interpret data.
• Investigates research to guide stewardship of WDFW-managed lands.
• Interprets and applies research and scientific literature to on-the-ground rangeland management.
• Develops or refines, and implements ecological integrity monitoring on rangelands.
• Completes resource assessments, vegetation, and habitat surveys.

Assist wildlife area managers to complete grazing permit plans and plan summaries, ag lease plans and plan summaries, and grazing evaluation framework documents. Assesses grazing utilization, forage production and availability, grazing seasons, and appropriate areas: 

• Complete grazing evaluation framework to recommend potential implementation and limits of permitted grazing on WDFW-managed lands. 
• Evaluates grazing efficacy to meet ecological needs of the wildlife area.
• Provides guidance on development of grazing permits, agricultural leases, and associated documents including management plans, HB1309 Ecosystems Standards checklists, etc.
• Supports wildlife area managers and district teams on review and approval of ag leases and grazing permits and provides instruction on assessing and reporting grazing utilization.

Provides technical assistance to wildlife area managers and district teams, other parts of DFW, and external partners regarding range management, inclusive of wildlife area plan strategies, support for species of greatest conservation need, range restoration strategies, grazing and agricultural opportunities and impacts, and habitat monitoring: 

• Actively participates in planning and project team meetings, which may be multi-disciplinary and/or multi-agency.
• Researches science and best practices for planning for and managing rangelands for ecological integrity.
• Develops and supports strategies to enhance the ecological integrity of rangelands, including developing vegetation management and seeding or planting restoration strategies.
• Provides outreach and education to internal and external partners, including the WA Shrubsteppe Restoration and Resilience Initiative (WSRRI) teams, conservation districts, tribes, other state and federal agencies, permittees, and lessees.

Provides general education and outreach on range ecology: 

• Represents WDFW on rangeland management at public meetings and with other agencies, organizations, coordinated resource management groups, and public stakeholders.
• Provides regular grazing updates to the Fish and Wildlife Commission.
• Communicates range management considerations to other managers and decision-makers.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work Setting, including hazards:
  • Position is a mix of office and field settings, can be up to 50-50% split.
  • Work in inclement weather and difficult terrain, in and around areas with wildlife.
  • Walk, stoop, and perform tasks while wearing up to 40 pounds of equipment.
  • Driving and operating equipment may range from 4-wheel drive vehicles on unpaved roads and tracks, ATV / UTV, or other equipment as necessary.
  • Attending, supporting, and representing the Department in a variety of public settings and with the public, occasionally in controversial settings. 
• Schedule:
  • Typically, Monday – Friday, 40 hours per week.
  • A compressed work week is possible.
• Travel Requirements:
  • Be available for a non-scheduled work week and travel, anticipated ~20% of total annual time.
  • Travel for monitoring and other field components.
  • Evening and weekend public meetings may be necessary.
• Tools and Equipment:
  • Computer – Office and related programs, project management software, ArcPro and related mapping programs, monitoring and data management systems.
  • On- and off-road motorized vehicle operation.
  • Monitoring equipment, such as field data collection equipment, survey tape, photography equipment for photo monitoring, survey equipment.
• Customer Interactions:
  • Department staff, including Wildlife Area Managers, District teams, wildlife area crews and contractors, Fish and Wildlife Commission, and other local, state, and federal agencies.
  • Public – including meeting attendees, wildlife area neighbors, wildlife area users, permittees and lessees, and interest groups such as the WA Cattlemen’s Association.

Qualifications:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• A Bachelor’s degree in biology, ecology, natural resource or environmental sciences.

And

• Five (5) years of experience in wildlife/habitat/ecology research, natural areas or range land management, or designing and implementing monitoring for ecological integrity.

Please note:

• A Master’s degree in the applicable science will substitute for one (1) year of the required experience. 
• A Ph.D. in the applicable science will substitute for two (2) years of the required experience.

License:

• Valid driver’s license.

Special Requirement/Condition of Employment:

• Ability to operate field monitoring equipment, including an ATV/UTV (training available).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
In addition to those required qualifications, our ideal applicant will also have some or all of the following: 

• At least 3 of the five years’ experience in rangeland vegetation ecology, vegetation management, and/or habitat management.
• Two (2) years of experience in designing and implementing field monitoring protocols for monitoring ecological integrity.
• One (1) year of experience in supervising field crews and collection of field data
• Two (2) years of experience in data management, statistical analysis, and reporting of natural resources monitoring data.
• Excellent communication skills, ability to build strong collaborative partnerships with a variety of audiences.
• Knowledge of soils, plant taxonomy, range conservation best practices, and common restoration techniques in semi-arid ecosystems.
• Knowledge of techniques for controlling invasive weeds and establishing native vegetation.
• Familiarity with geographic information systems, Field Maps or Avenza software or equivalent, and range-related decision support tools and data products, e.g. Rangeland Analysis Platform.

Supplemental Information:

Please note: Failure to follow the instructions below may lead to disqualification.

Experience and education selected, listed, and detailed in the Supplemental Questions must be verifiable in the application.

In order to successfully 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. 
• Three professional references. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: 

All new employees must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) on their first day of work. If hired for this or any position at WDFW, you will be required to provide documentation proving you are eligible to work in the United States. For a list of acceptable documents, please use the following link:  https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

JOIN THE WDFW TEAM:

Learn about our agency and the perks of working for WDFW!

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has some of the most talented people in the natural resource field.  We celebrate and value diversity, appreciating that a workforce composed of those from different backgrounds and experiences creates an inclusive environment, strengthens positive relationships with the local community, and brings new perspectives and approaches to fulfilling the agency’s mission. We value demonstrated skill in living WDFW values of Accountability, Service, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, and Empathy (ASPIRE).

WDFW employees may be eligible for the following Benefits:

Medical/Dental/Vision for employee & dependent(s), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), Vacation, Sick, and other Leave types.

Eleven (11) Paid Holidays per year and one (1) personal holiday if the employee is scheduled to be, or has been, continuously employed by the State of Washington for at least four (4) months.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver, Long Term Disability & Life Insurance, Deferred Compensation Programs, Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP), Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA), and an Employee Assistance Program.

UNION – WAFWP:

This position is in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Association of Fish & Wildlife Professionals and is subject to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the State of Washington, Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the Washington Association of Fish & Wildlife Professionals.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

VETERAN PREFERENCE NOTICE:

To take advantage of veteran preference, please do the following:

• Email a copy of your DD214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22 or USDVA signed verification of service letter to [email protected].
• Subject line must include recruitment number, position, and Vet (for example: #10155 Biologist 1 – Veteran)
• Include your name as it appears on your application in careers.wa.gov.

MILITARY SPOUSE PREFERENCE NOTICE: 

To take advantage of military spouse preference, please do the following:

• Notify us of your military spouse status by email at [email protected].  
• Subject line must include recruitment number, position, and MS (for example: #10155 Biologist 1 – MS)
• Include your name as it appears on your application in careers.wa.gov.

Note: Please blackout any PII (personally identifiable information) data such as social security numbers. 

As part of WDFW’s efforts to advance respectful and inclusive work environments, the Agency expects inclusivity as part of our professional interactions and communications.  Therefore, we want to ensure that all individuals feel welcome, are treated fairly and respectfully.  All staff are empowered to fully contribute to serving their work unit, Agency, and the citizens of Washington.

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.

Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format please contact Jayme Chase by phone 360-902-2278 or email [email protected],  or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 800-833-6388.

If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or [email protected].

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