FULL-TIME/NON-PERMANENT
RESTORATION & RULE EFFECTIVENESS BIOLOGIST
FISH & WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST 1

Habitat Program – Science Division: Olympia, Washington – Thurston County

Anticipated Appointment Length: 14 Months: October 1, 2023 – November 30, 2024

Support research designed to evaluate Washington State Forest Practices rule effectiveness and aquatic habitat restoration effectiveness.

Provide critical support for research projects designed to explore the effectiveness of current Forest Practices rules for non-fish streams in western Washington, and the utility of innovative restoration techniques for meeting the objectives of the Aquatic Species Restoration Plan throughout the Chehalis River Basin.

Here is some of what you will be doing:

Enters, QA/QCs, and summarizes data, interprets data, summarizes research results: 

• Ensures accurate and complete data collection.
• Ensures data quality through checks of completeness and QA/QC.
• Develops summaries of data collection progress.
• Manages databases.
• Develops summaries of data for interpretation and analysis.

Field data collection to support fish, wildlife and habitat research and monitoring projects evaluating Forest Practices rule effectiveness as a part of the Forest Practices Adaptive Management Program, and restoration effectiveness as a part of the Chehalis Basin Aquatic Species Restoration Plan: 

• Installs and maintains sampling equipment and delineates sample transects.
• Uses established procedures to characterize streams and stream habitats (e.g., channel cross sections, channel wood loading).
• Monitors water quality (e.g., flow, stream temperature, hyporheic exchange)
• Conducts wood surveys (i.e., wood count, function, and volume).
• Marks field locations using GPS, develops maps.
• Downloads temperature and other monitors and sensors in the field.

 Report development and writing:

• Writes summaries.
• Drafts project updates and contributes to technical report writing for review by supervisory biologists.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work Setting, including hazards:
  • The working environment is a composite of field and office work. Up to 90% of the time may be spent in the field or preparing to go in the field during periods of intense field work, which can be several consecutive months. During other periods, work will be primarily office-based.
  • While in the field, hiking off-trail through vegetation that may be extremely dense and up and down steep slopes is required.
  • Navigating along and within streams will is required.
  • Employees will frequently be required to carry a moderately heavy pack (<40 pounds) that includes sampling equipment (e.g., hand net, iPad, field notebook, instream temperature sensors, measuring tape) and personal supplies (first aid kit, water, lunch, snacks, rain gear), and at times a field laptop.
  • Employees will infrequently be required to carry by hand 5-gallon buckets, dip nets, and rebar.
  • Field work requires bending, ducking, balancing, and crawling through, under, and over dense understory and woody debris.
  • Navigating and hiking throughout managed landscapes on foot, and over downed trees and wood or up streams that may be slippery.
  • Navigating and driving on logging roads located on forestlands throughout western Washington.
  • Must be able to negotiate water in emergency situations.
  • Office hazards include working under fluorescent light, repetitively entering data into computer, looking at computer monitor for long periods of time, sitting or standing for long periods of time.
• Schedule:
  • Work hours are 40 hours per week, 4 days per week, ten (10) hours per day – Monday through Thursday.
  • This position is one member of a field team.  There is no flexibility in workdays or hours during the field season.
• Travel Requirements:
  • Primarily daily trips to field sites located within daily driving distance of the NRB, though camping overnight near study sites may be required on occasion.
• Tools and Equipment:
  • Vehicles (4WD trucks and SUVs) that are to be driven on logging roads located on forestlands in western Washington.
  • Field and safety equipment that will be provided will include rubber boots, hard hat, high visibility vest, raingear, waders and/or wading shoes as necessary.
  • iPads and other devices to enter data collected in the field, monitors/sensors to deploy for data collection, laptop to upload data into databases.
  • Office work includes performing basic functions using standard software (e.g., Microsoft Office).
• Customer Interactions:
  • Interactions with landowners or other users of public and/or private lands on route to study sites.
  • Maintain positive and productive working relationships with landowners on whose lands study sites are located and provide proof of access permits if requested.

 

Qualifications

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• A bachelor’s degree in fisheries, wildlife management, natural resource science, or environmental science.

And

 

• Two (2) years professional or volunteer experience conducting field research, familiarity with sampling, handling, identifying, and measuring stream-associated or other Pacific Northwest Amphibians.

Please note:

• Closely related qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-by-year basis.

License:

• Valid driver’s license.

Ability to:

• Communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Take interest in and understand others’ perspectives; easily recognize when others have important information, perspectives, or ideas; demonstrate appropriate assertiveness; and be committed to the service of the public, mission, and team.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

• Employee must be capable and comfortable navigating off trail over steep, uneven, and slippery terrain.
• Employees must be comfortable navigating and driving on logging roads located on Private and public forestlands in western Washington.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Interest in fish and wildlife, and a desire to understand, protect and restore fish, wildlife, and their habitats.
• Ability to collect data according to established protocols and make independent judgments in the field in the absence of the supervisor or other lead staff.
• Knowledge of principles and procedures of biological research; standard laboratory and field methods; fish, wildlife, and stream ecology.
• Ability to use standard laboratory and field equipment; perform a variety of outdoor work in inclement weather.
• Ability to effectively lead other staff members in the field.
• Ability to convey ideas and facts orally using language other field staff will best understand.
• Ability to partner with field staff and the supervisor to identify and resolve complex or sensitive issues.
• Ability to develop positive, productive, respectful working relationships with coworkers and collaborators.
• Sensitivity to the concerns of Public and Private Landowners.
• Experience with Microsoft software including Word, Excel, and Access.
• Familiarity downloading and managing data in an Access database, conducting quality control to assure data integrity.
• Experience summarizing large data sets and tracking work completed for complex projects.
• Experience using GPS.

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.