Wildlife Field Technician – Dugway Proving Ground and Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge

Wildlife Field Technician – Dugway Proving Ground and Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge  

Summary
American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking one Member to assist in the completion of wildlife surveys and monitoring, habitat analysis, and restoration projects alongside Dugway Proving Ground and Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge Staff.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date: 05/05/2025
Estimated End Date: 08/30/2025
*a 17-week minimum commitment is required*

Location Details/Description: Primarily based at Dugway Proving Ground (Department of Defense), Dugway, UT with potential limited work at Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Ibapah, UT.

For 80 years, Dugway Proving Ground (DPG) has empowered our nation’s defenders against persistent and evolving threats. Dugway is the Army’s premier science and test facility in Utah. The DPG Natural Resources Program is charged with supporting the Army’s mission while protecting, conserving, and restoring the environment. DPG is responsible for testing and evaluating nearly all Department of Defense (DoD) chemical and biological defense equipment and capabilities. Within its nearly 800,000 acres, there are numerous state-of-the-art laboratories, unique test chambers and extensive field test grids.

Located on the southern extreme of the Great Salt Lake Desert and sharing a border with Dugway, Fish Springs has been a place of essential importance in meeting human and wildlife needs over the past 11,000 years. Most critical are the life-sustaining waters that make Fish Springs a true oasis in the desert. Established March 10, 1959 by the first land purchase of 2,160 acres, Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge became one of the over 560 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System – a network of lands set aside and managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service specifically for wildlife. Established to provide habitat for migratory birds within the Pacific Flyway, Fish Springs’ wetlands comprise approximately 10,000 acres of its 17,942 total acres. Spring flows are created by artesian pressure and hydrothermal convection along fracture zones in the Great Basin Carbonate Rock and Alluvial Aquifer. The springs discharge approximately 22,000 – 27,000 acre-feet of water per year, most of which is recharged from areas outside the Fish Springs Flat.

For more information about Dugway Proving Ground and Fish Spring National Wildlife Refuge please visit the FWS website. 

Position Overview: The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. This position will help FWS realize that mission at Dugway Proving Ground.

The member will provide support and assistance under the guidance and direction of DPG and FWS staff in the following tasks:

• Assist the Natural Resource team with performing avian species surveys and monitoring including Mission Sensitive Species such as raptors and other migratory birds.
• Perform small mammal surveys to look for Dark Kangaroo Mice and other state Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN).
• Conduct herpetofaunal and pollinator trapping at spring sites and opportunistically across Dugway to document the abundance and diversity of insects, reptiles and amphibians.
• Contribute to spring site restoration projects including assisting with temporary fencing, habitat modification, and planting of native plant species.
• Assist in other projects as needed such as bat acoustic sampling, photo point monitoring, kestrel box monitoring and banding, native plant propagation, and native demonstration garden and Range Sustainability Center maintenance.
• Operate 4WD trucks, and to a limited extent, UTVs/ATVs to access work sites.
• Utilize GIS technology for data collection/entry and reporting for surveys.

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

Schedule:  Duties will typically be carried out between 7 AM and 5 PM MST, Monday – Thursday, typically 4 days/week (4/10s). Work hours may vary and may be adjusted to prioritize work during the cooler parts of the day or according to survey requirements. Bi-weekly totals should not exceed 80 hours. A flexible work schedule may be required, which could involve work performed outside of normal work hours including on weekends and/or holidays. Time off may be granted and requests should be directed to ACE and the FWS for approval.

Position Benefits

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $750/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the completion of the term may be eligible to be combined with hours accrued from another PLC-eligible term to meet the 640 hours requirement. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general eligibility information on our website.

Housing: The selectee will receive a $125/week housing allowance. The selectee will be responsible for finding local housing at Dugway. There are various options such as renting a room in the barracks, an IHG Hotel, and a campsite option. If the selectee chooses to live on Dugway Proving Ground, they will have access to Dugway’s commissary (small grocery store), the gas station, and the large gym has a pool and 24/7 access.

Gear Reimbursement: ACE members will have up to $500 to spend on eligible gear purchases. Eligible gear for this position includes work boots, hiking backpack, work pants, hat, etc., and must be approved by ACE staff prior to purchase. 

Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position and project specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support. Specific training may include UTV/ATV Training, Radio Communication, Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and Safety to work on “The Range” at Dugway. Project specific training will include survey protocols, insect, rodent and herpetofaunal trapping, bat acoustic detector setup, wildlife and plant species identification, and survey and handling techniques. The member is required to keep in radio contact with range control during all field activities.

Qualifications 

Required:

• Members must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, as required by U.S. government contracts
• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner.
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• A valid driver’s license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).
• Willing to undergo and must pass the required criminal history checks
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets, beginning of term feedback forms, end of term evaluations and for longer terms, a mid-term evaluation.
• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website.
• Ability to operate independently and in remote areas.

Preferred:

• Competitive applicants for this position can hold or be pursuing a Bachelor’s degree and/or have relevant experience in subject areas such as biology, wildlife ecology, natural resource management, etc.
• Experience conducting biological field work/surveys.
• Comfortable working outside in desert environments.
• Experience operating 4WD vehicles.
• Comfortable living on a military base and working within military requirements.
• Deep interest in wildlife monitoring and conservation.

Physical Demands, Work Environment and Working Conditions:

• Physical Demands: Requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, hiking, carrying, using hands to handle or feel, reaching with hands and arms, talking and hearing. Manual dexterity required for use of various tools, computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment. Required to stoop, kneel, climb stairs, and/or crouch. Ability to hike long distances over hot, rocky, and rough terrain.
• Vision Requirements: Requires close, distance, peripheral and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus.
• Weight Lifted or Force Exerted: Frequently moves up to 25 lbs., ability to move up to 50 pounds.
• Environmental: Mainly outdoor conditions. Work environment conditions can change frequently; working under adverse weather conditions and in various climates.
• Noise Environment: Moderate to high noise such as gas-powered chainsaws and other hand and power tools. Ear protection will be provided.
• Travel: This position may require domestic travel.

Environmental Conditions/Hazards: The ACE member(s) may encounter environmental conditions/hazards including extreme heat or cold, rocky steep terrain, swamp or wetland conditions, biting insects, and potentially dangerous wildlife. The member is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow staff/members or resources. 

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety: If a vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, one will be provided by the FWS or ACE.  Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the FWS. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the FWS, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it.  Strict adherence to FWS and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.  

To Apply: Please submit your resume, a cover letter demonstrating your interest and experience, and contact information for three professional/academic references to ACE’s online application page for this position on our website at usaconservation dot org. 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 FWS Member Manager, Saige Ruleau. 

ACE values an inclusive workforce – if you meet at least 70 percent of the qualifications, we want to hear from you!

ACE participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information when you are hired to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

EEO: Employment with ACE is based upon ability, qualifications, attitude, and job-related factors. Every qualified employee or applicant has the same opportunity for recruitment, hire, training, transfer, promotion, compensation, demotion, termination, benefits, employee activities, and general treatment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, national origin, pregnancy, ancestry, citizenship status, genetic information (including of a family member), veteran or military status, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, medical condition, marital or parental status, political affiliation, ethnicity, hair texture or style, arrest record, caste, hereditary status, endogamy, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal law.