Wildlife Technician (BLM Applegate)

The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management is recruiting two Wildlife Technicians for the Applegate Field Office, located in Cedarville, CA. Under the direction of the agency lead, the selected candidate will help in addressing key management tasks related to multiple projects within the Field Office. 
The BLM Applegate Field Office, California has an opportunity to expose successful applicants to the operations of a federal land management agency charged with a multiple-use and sustainable-yield mission. The Technicians will gain a greater understanding of how policy decisions are formulated, gain hands-on experience with natural resource monitoring protocols and field techniques, enhance skills related to data collection and behavioral observations, as well as actively participate in formal trainings related to first aid, off-highway vehicle operation, and the BLM’s Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) Strategy. The primary project focus will be the Greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Work completed on this project is providing BLM management with the necessary data to assess whether planned habitat improvement projects can move forward to the implementation phase. 

Specific Duties Include:

• Lek counts
• Habitat use research
• Vegetation monitoring (e.g. line point intercept)

Upon completion of this position, the Wildlife Technicians will be better prepared to take on additional responsibility in fields related to rangeland management, wildlife biology, or public land management. Applicants seeking to apply for graduate school will have compelling experience and real-world knowledge to apply to their application.
For the first 8 weeks (March/April), primary duties will focus on Greater sage-grouse lek surveys. The following 7-8 weeks will focus on assisting the BLM Forester with vegetation monitoring using the AIM protocol. Duties during the final two months will vary depending upon project needs and the discretion of the field supervisor. Tentative duties expected during July and August include raptor nest surveys, riparian monitoring, installing, and monitoring game cameras at wildlife guzzlers, archaeological field work, and assisting state biologists and university researchers with various ongoing wildlife related studies.

Contract Timeline:

• 25 week appointment beginning early March, but flexible for the right candidate and pending background check.
• Full-time (40 hr/wk).

Location:
The technicians will work out of the Applegate Field Office. The weather is consistent with a high-desert area. Temperatures in the summer can and will reach the mid 90’s°F, and during the first few months of the appointment (March/April) when early morning work is scheduled, temperatures can drop well below freezing. Field work can be strenuous, and many trails are in steep, rugged terrain.

Compensation and Benefits:
This is an AmeriCorps volunteer position. AmeriCorps benefits include:

• Candidates will receive a living allowance dependent on their length of service. The living allowance is a fixed stipend, paid out biweekly. Total Living Allowance: $15,975.00 for 25 weeks; approximately $1,278.00 bi-weekly, before taxes.
• Segal Education Award: After successfully completing an AmeriCorps term of service members are eligible to receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. Award varies based on term of service. You can use the award to repay qualified student loans and to pay current educational expenses at eligible institutions of higher education and training programs. This placement is eligible for a $3,447.50 award based on 25 weeks;
• Student Loan Forbearance: If you are currently paying on any federal student loans you have the option to put those loans into forbearance during your time as an AmeriCorps volunteer, that will allow you to cease payments while serving.
• Interest Accrual Repayment: As AmeriCorps alum, you are eligible to have the National Service Trust pay all or a portion of the interest that accumulated on your qualified student loan(s) during your term of service. These payments are made in addition to the Education Award, and are not deducted from your Education Award balance. To be eligible to have accrued interest paid: The loan must have been placed in forbearance for the service period, and you must have successfully completed a term of service and received an Education Award.

Additional benefits:

• Housing available on-site, at an off-set cost of $174.15/month; and are provided a $50/wk housing stipend.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance available at no extra cost (premiums paid for) by GBI.

Job Qualifications:

Technical requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or coursework and experience in biology (wildlife or conservation), ecology or a related field;
• Field experience that included adhering to field data collection protocols and accurately recording field data;
• Office experience that included data entry and report writing;
• Knowledge of wildlife ecology and plant taxonomy including use of technical keys;
• Familiarity with wildlife species in the area; including threatened, endangered, and sensitive species;
• Ability to use a GPS unit for navigation and data collection;
• Experience using ArcGIS to create maps, analyze data, and organize layers preferred;
• Experience in habitat evaluation and collection of vegetation data preferred; and
• Experience in conducting avian surveys and nest monitoring preferred, particularly for gallinaceous species

Additional requirements:

• Possess a valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving record;
• Ability to safely drive a 4WD vehicle on unpaved roads that can be steep and rutted;
• Experience operating UTV’s preferred;
• Ability to work in harsh and rapidly changing environments, work in all types of weather conditions, traverse uneven terrain, carry upwards of 40 pounds in a backpack, and otherwise maintain good physical condition;
• Willingness to spend multiple days camping in the field;
• Willingness to work irregular hours (e.g., pre-sunrise mornings, late nights past midnight);
• Ability to work productively, consistently and cooperatively as part of a team to accomplish mutual goals;
• Familiarity with backcountry, low-impact principles preferred;
• Possess a valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving record; and

Meet AmeriCorps eligibility requirements: (1) U.S. citizenship or legal resident alien status, (2) eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award (limit of four in a lifetime or the equivalent of two full-time education awards), (3) pass National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) and federal criminal background checks, (4) adhere to the rules, regulations and code of conduct as specified in the Member Service Agreement; and (5) not engage in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.