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ACE EPIC USFS WY: Lead Fisheries Technician Internship

Summary:  American Conservation Experience, a nationwide Non-Profit Conservation Corps based in Flagstaff, AZ and Salt Lake City, Utah in partnership with the Bridger-Teton National Forest Supervisor's Office is seeking One Lead Fisheries Intern to dedicate 16 weeks to the monitoring and management of fisheries resources as well as assisting with hydrology and wildlife management tasks. This opportunity is intended for enthusiastic young professionals with a deep interest in advancing their career goals in fisheries management.

Start Date: May 27th, 2018

End Date: September 29th, 2018 (16 weeks after start date)

Location: Pinedale, Wyoming.

Project Partner Website: For more information about the Bridger Teton National Forest, please visit their website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/btnf/ For more information and ACE, please visit: www.usaconservation.org 

Compensation:  Interns will receive a Living Allowance Stipend of $650/week, paid bi-weekly. Housing will be provided at the Pinedale Ranger District located in Pinedale, Wyoming. 

Position Description: The Fisheries Intern will work with Forest Service fisheries and wildlife staff. The selected individual's primary responsibility will be crew lead of a two person forest-wide cutthroat monitoring program, generally electrofishing in remote, mountain streams. Additional responsibilities may include Aquatic Organism Passage inventories, assistance with aquatic restoration, sampling for Aquatic Invasive Species, wildlife data collection, and water quality sampling. Applicants should anticipate a flexible work schedule, required travel for work and shifting priorities, all while maintaining a positive and productive work environment. 

 

MAJOR DUTIES 

  • Supervisor assigns projects and provides general instructions on methods and procedures to be followed. Procedures and instructions are available for most of the work. Supervisor provides guidance on unusually complex aspects of the project, or new procedures to be followed.  
  • Intern develops detailed work plans for day-to-day activities and completes most work independently.
  • This intern will conduct fisheries projects requiring adaptation of procedural guides. Judgment in applying or adapting guidelines to accommodate the evolving situations will be utilized. 
  • Intern leads other interns to collect high quality data while maintaining a safe work environment in complex and remote terrain.
  • Results are reviewed by supervisor for technical adequacy and overall quality of work products.

  Safety: 

  • The work involves regular and recurring moderate risks or discomforts which require special safety precautions. This includes the inherent risk of working around water and watercraft, as well as the risks associated with the operation of electrofishing units. An array of mandatory trainings will be provided upon initiation of the position. 
  • This positions will require, on a regular and recurring basis, working outdoors, in other such environments with extreme temperatures, and/or exposure to adverse weather conditions. 
  • This position will require an understanding of the communication plan, and a basic level of comfort using both the radio and spot devices. 
  • Employees are required to use protective clothing or gear such as hard hats, masks, gowns, earplugs, coats, boots, goggles, gloves, or shields to moderate risks, or to follow procedures for minimizing risk.
  • Employees should be proficient in operating a 4-wheel drive vehicle on rugged roads and able to navigate using topo maps, compass and GPS. Applicants should be willing and able to camp in remote locations, and to work independently.
  • Working in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem involves hiking in grizzly bear country and being Bear Aware. 

  Communication: 

  • Relay daily mission, technical skills and safety concerns to interns and other crewmembers as assigned.
  • Personal contacts are with employees in the agency or immediate organizations. In some work situations, personal contacts may be with the public, contractor personnel, or special users, e.g., special interest groups.
  • Contacts are for the purpose of obtaining, clarifying, or exchanging information and receiving instructions regarding work assignments. 

  Physical Demands: 

  • The work requires some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring running, walking, or bending, walking or climbing ladders or scaffolds to observe, collect, or record research data. 
  • In many situations, the duration of the activity (such as most of a workday) contributes to the arduous nature of the job.
  • The selected intern must be fit enough to hike in mountainous and swampy terrain over long distances in various weather while carrying equipment (40lb+) and should expect to hike and/or wade 10 miles or more per day in mountain streams.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE 

  • In support of research, conservation, production, and management of fishes, or fishery resource:
  • Collects and analyzes data from samples, conducts tests and assists in the identification of any problems. 
  • Compiles and summarizes data from survey, biological evaluations, and pilot tests. 
  • Runs routine computer programs and checks resulting data for inconsistencies. 
  • Provides results to professional personnel for refinement, adjustment, and analysis and may assist in the preparation of reports.

  Potential responsibilities: 

  • Measures amount and quantity of spawning areas on designated streams; samples and makes qualitative analysis of aquatic insects; determines pool/riffle rations through observation; and measures and records discharge volumes through interpolation. 
  • Assists with stream restoration projects, aquatic organism passage and interagency data collection.
  • Uses a variety of tools, takes bottom gravel samples and analyzes for silt, size fractions, etc. 
  • Keeps records of all data and develops these into statistical reports. 
  • Drafts maps or survey areas. 
  • Performs laboratory analysis of sediment and water quality samples. 
  • Schedules, services, calibrate repairs, and installs sampling instrumentation.
  • Collects data from field recording instruments and makes on-site measurements of study area conditions.

 

DESIRED KNOWLEDGE 

  Technical Methods: 

  • The position requires knowledge of the technical methods and procedures for a work area to employ them in carrying out (alone, as crew lead, or as a fully functioning crewmember) a variety of technical duties common to fisheries.
  • Also required is the knowledge to operate complex equipment systems such as those with numerous components or parts which must be calibrated and synchronized to achieve desired results.
  • The work involves execution of specific rules, regulations, or procedures, such as those found in common technical manuals, laboratory handbooks, and administrative manuals.

  Biological Sciences: 

  • The duties require a knowledge of the basic principles of a biological science to assess readings and measurements taken, tests executed, observations made, work completed, samples collected, etc.
  • The employee will be required to understand and relate the significance of the results to the higher objectives to which the activity is related.

  Data Analysis: 

  • The technician must assess the worth of the data by considering its applicability to the higher objective, by assessing and reporting on the characteristics and quality of the source of the data, or by otherwise creatively interpreting the data produced.
  • Work products affect the accuracy, reliability, or acceptability of further procedures, processes or services, or the quality of day-to-day operations of a significant program in land management.

 

QUALIFICATIONS:  Applicants must have an interest in Fisheries, natural resource management or other related disciplines appropriate to the position. Resumes must contain enough information to show that the applicant meets the experience as defined in the announcement.  We are looking for determined, strong and developing natural resource managers who are looking for experience working with the Forest Service in an internship.  

  Required:   

  • U.S. Citizen or permanent resident.
  • Must have a valid driver's license, provide documentation of a clean driving record, and have a personal vehicle (required). Interns must be 21 + to drive Agency vehicles. 
  • Must be able to pass a driver's test, read traffic signs and fill out trip tickets when driving government vehicles.
  • Ability and willingness to undergo a Federal criminal background check.
  • Experience using an electrofishing backpack unit and handling fish.
  • Relevant education, appropriate experience, or a combination of both.
  • Effective communication skills with resource specialists, colleagues, and the public.
  • Able and willing to work alone and in a group.
  • Able and willing to work outdoors in varying weather conditions and capable of hiking moderate distances in somewhat rough terrain during inclement weather conditions.
  • Drug users should not consider applying, as ACE reserves the right to require drug testing. 

**Position may change or close at any time**

To Apply: Please submit a thoughtful resume and cover letter along with 3 professional references using the APPLY NOW section located on the upper right hand corner of the position listing on our website here: https://usaconservationepic.applicantpool.com/jobs/

NOTE: 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 National Recruitment Supervisor Melissa Early at mearly@usaconservation.org or 801-573-8984.