Stream Survey Technician Team Members - American Conservation Experience - EPIC

Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, the US Forest Service, and the National Park Service, is seeking 5 Stream Survey Technician Team Members to contribute to Aquatic and Riparian Effectiveness Monitoring Program (AREMP) project alongside the Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Park Service (NPS) lands in northern California, Oregon, and Washington, west of the Cascade Mountains, the field projects will take place in various locations.

For more information about ACE, please visit: www.usaconservation.org.

Start Date: June 17, 2024

Estimated End Date: October 2, 2024

a 15-week minimum commitment is required *

Location Details/Description: Corvallis, Oregon

Field projects will take place in various locations on Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Park Service (NPS) lands in northern California, Oregon, and Washington, west of the Cascade Mountains.

For more information about the Aquatic and Riparian Effectiveness Monitoring Program (AREMP), please visit their website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r6/reo/monitoring/watersheds.php

Position Overview: The ACE Team Members will work with BLM and Forest Service Fish Biologists and Biological Technicians to monitor watershed conditions on USFS, BLM, and NPS lands. Members will work on a crew with two to three other BLM Biological Technicians and/or Members. Crews conduct stream habitat surveys including channel morphology (bankfull width, bankfull cross sections and stream gradient), substrate measurements, pools, large wood, water chemistry, eDNA, benthic macroinvertebrate collection, while identifying invasive species and amphibians encountered at sites. Members will have two weeks of training in Corvallis and then work and camp for 8 days, followed by 6 days off.

During this time crews will camp in rustic dispersed campsites (no bathrooms or running water) and occasionally campgrounds in remote areas. A few sites will require backpacking into watersheds to set up a remote camp where surveys will be conducted. Field surveys will involve extensive hiking and bushwhacking off-trail on steep slopes to reach survey sites in streams. Hiking to sites may involve hiking up to 8 miles in a day. Once at the stream members will work in cold water, walk on uneven slippery surfaces in streams, and climb over logs while carrying field equipment. Members can expect to work in variable weather conditions including cold, rain and 90+ degree days throughout the summer and may even see some snow at the beginning of the season. This is a physically demanding position.

Due to the increasing prevalence of forest fires over the last few years and the smoke that comes with it - there are periods of work involving exposure to Unhealthy or Very Unhealthy (based on US Air Quality index) air quality. AREMP staff try to plan around these conditions but due to the nature of shifting winds, 100% avoidance isn't always possible.

While working, members will be provided with camping gear including tents, sleeping pads, and cooking gear. Members will be responsible for providing their own sleeping bag and rain gear. Wading boots and waders will be provided. Members will be responsible for buying their own food prior to leaving for field stints. During work, Federal vehicles will be used. The first and last days of the 8 days involve driving anywhere from 2 hours to 8 hours on freeways, highways and minimally maintained roads to reach camping and survey areas. Members will take defensive driver training so that they can drive federal vehicles as needed. A valid state driver's license is also required for this position.

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies.

For an example of the previous seasons protocol, please review this document. It provides an in depth look into the day to day of the position.

Schedule: ACE Members will work and camp for 8 days, followed by 6 days off to conduct surveys in the field. An example of what that schedule may look like can be provided upon request.

Position Benefits

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $700/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly. The living allowance is a fixed rate determined by the Bureau of Land Management and ACE and is not flexible.

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. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general information online https://www.usaconservation.org/epic/#eligibility-requirements.

Housing: Housing is the responsibility of the member and not provided by ACE or the Bureau of Land Management.

Housing Assistance: ACE Members will be eligible for reimbursable housing assistance up to $92.05 per week. The ACE Member will only be reimbursed for approved and demonstrated housing expenses.

Relocation Assistance: ACE members will have access to up to $500.00 to be used for eligible relocation expenses. Further details regarding distribution of these funds will be provided during the interview process.

Gear Assistance: ACE members will have up to $342.00 to spend on eligible gear purchases. Eligible gear for this position includes, [quick dry field pants, long sleeve quick dry shirts, breathable rain jacket, boots], and must be approved by ACE staff prior to purchase.

Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support. Members will receive two weeks of training with AREMP prior to heading out into the field to conduct surveys including technical aspects of completing AREMP surveys and comprehensive safety training. You will participate in wilderness first aid training and have in-depth practice in small teams learning the field protocols on streams via day trips from Corvallis.

Qualifications

Applicants must have a degree in ecology, wildlife biology, fisheries and wildlife management, natural resource management, biology or other related disciplines appropriate to the position. A combination of relevant education and appropriate experience is also acceptable. Resumes must contain enough information to show that the applicant meets the experience as defined in the position announcement. We are looking for determined, strong and developing natural resource managers who are looking for experience working with land management agencies.

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 two-part criminal history check.
• 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 https://www.usaconservation.org/epic/#eligibility-requirements.

BLM Required:

• Effective communication skills with resource specialists, colleagues, and the public.
• Able and willing to work in a group.
• Able and willing to work outdoors in varying weather conditions and capable of participating in sustained physical labor.
• Knowledge, interest and/or experience conducting aquatic field work
• Experience in various field data collection methods using standard protocols
• Experience in off trail hiking and navigation in steep terrain
• Experience driving 4 WD trucks/SUVs on freeways, highways and minimally maintained roads
• Must have camping experience and be willing to camp for several days in remote areas
• Interest and ability to work in remote field areas
• Strong leader and equally strong team player

Preferred:

• Knowledge of riparian ecosystems and fisheries, hydrology and/ or forested riparian ecosystems.
• Ability and willingness to work in remote field areas.
• Deep interest in conservation field as a natural resource professional.

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 in cold water (sub 40 degrees Fahrenheit), talking and hearing in loud stream environments. Required to stoop and kneel through densely forested terrain with branches, leaves, needles, spider webs, wasps and rattlesnakes. Additional demands require hiking and/or backpacking up to 8 miles in a day with packs up to 50lbs off trail which includes crouching under root wads, log jams, debris piles, on steep slopes with loose soil, scree and needlecast. Must be able to hike over rough terrain, and camp overnight under a variety of field conditions.
• 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 20 lbs., ability to move up to 50 pounds.
• Environmental: Outdoor conditions. Work environment conditions can change frequently; working under adverse weather conditions and in various climates.
• Noise Environment: Streams can be quite loud sometimes where streams are large and stream flows over rocks and wood creating turbulent rapids which can be quite loud in some cases.
• Travel: The first and last days of the 8 days involve driving anywhere from 2 hours to 8 hours on freeways, highways and minimally maintained roads to reach camping and survey areas

Environmental Conditions/Hazards: The ACE member(s) may encounter environmental conditions/hazards including extreme heat or cold, rocky terrain, poison oak, ticks, rattlesnakes, wildfires, smoke from wildlifes, steep off trail hikes in dense forested terrain with overhead hazards, 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: A vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, and will be provided by the Bureau of Land Management or ACE. Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the Bureau of Land Management. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the Bureau of Land Management, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it. Strict adherence to Bureau of Land Management 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 the online application page for this position here: https://usaconservation.applicantpool.com/jobs/. Early consideration will be given as resumes are received. This position may close at any time. If you have any questions regarding this position please feel free to contact Member Manager, Anna-Louise Calliham at acalliham@usaconservation.org.

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.