Aquatic Ecology Steward - AmeriCorps

Position Title: Aquatic Ecology Steward - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements- BIA WaterCorps Program

Site Location: Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge. 1310 Bear Creek Rd, Colville, WA 99114

Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants that submit application by January 24, 2024

Terms of Service:

• Ideal Start Date: May 19, 2025

• End Date: November 14, 2025

• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 900 hour, 26 weeks

Purpose:

Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants serve with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits to provide institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards partners with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to facilitate the WaterCorps Program to provide opportunities to Tribal Members seeking to gain experience in the water resources field. This WaterCorps position will be hosted at the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge.

The Aquatic Ecology Steward is an AmeriCorps position that will gain experience in various aspects of aquatic ecology in the setting of a National Wildlife Refuge.

The mission of the Fish and Wildlife Service is “Working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.” The purpose of the National Wildlife Refuge system is to administer lands and waters for the conservation, management and, where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

The Aquatic Ecology Steward project focus will be on aquatic resources that will include aquatic invasive species mapping and control, survey of rare aquatic species, wetland and riparian habitat restoration and survey of fish and other species with high impacts to their habitats. Management of these resources will directly benefit the agency’s mission to administer land and waters for the conservation of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

Description of Duties:

• Freshwater Mussel Inventory: For this project, the member will assist refuge staff with an instream inventory of freshwater mussels in streams and rivers throughout the Refuge. In doing so, the member will gain proficiency in navigating fluvial and riparian habitat, identifying mussels, and recording water resource field data.

• Beaver Dam Surveys: The steward will conduct surveys throughout the major watersheds of the refuge recording beaver activity and structures throughout the project area. Working directly to monitor beavers, a species of emerging conservation interest, will open the member to a unique pathway of opportunities in water resource careers.

• Yellow Flag Iris Survey and Treatment: The member will conduct an instream survey for the recently detected invasive yellow flag-iris that threatens miles of high quality riparian habitat. In addition, the member will assist a licensed pesticide applicator in treating infestations where they are detected and recording treatment data.

• Assisting the Climate Change Fish Habitat study: The member will assist USFWS Fisheries staff with fish sampling and instream habitat assessments of the Little Pend Oreille River as part of an ongoing study examining the effects of climate change on fish habitat.

• Riparian Woodland Restoration: The member will engage extensively with refuge staff in planting riparian woodland plants in a historic emergent wetland and riparian woodland degraded by decades of land conversion.

• Assist state fish and wildlife staff with fish surveys on the refuge: The member will assist state wildlife agency staff in conducting fish surveys on lacustrine and fluvial systems of the Refuge.

• Large-Scale Wetland/Riparian Rehab Projects: The member will participate in a large wetland restoration project, where work may span active planting, conducting field surveys, operating specialized heavy equipment, and constructing beaver dam analogs.

Qualifications:

• Must be a member of a Federally recognized Indian Tribe, Band, or Village; Alaska Native; or meet one of the following descriptions:

• Persons who possess at least one-half degree Indian blood derived from Tribes Indigenous to the United States.

• Descendants of Members of Federally recognized Indian Tribes, Bands or Communities who were residing on any Indian Reservation on June 1, 1934 – shown by completing BIA Form 4432.

• Must have valid US driver’s license.

• Must clear a background check in order to gain access to service buildings and computer systems.

• Should be able to swim.

• Must be a United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien

• Applicants must be at least 18 years of age or older.

• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award.

• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check for Conservation Legacy and potentially the host site.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Have a Bachelor’s degree in Ecology, Aquatic Ecology, Fishery Biology or related field.

• Experience with mussel and aquatic plants identification.

• Experience collecting biological data.

• Basic knowledge/experience with ArcGIS Pro and Survey 123/Field Maps

Additional Position and Community Information:

• Housing it at the refuge headquarters. Depending on staffing levels housing may be shared housing with common areas such living rooms, kitchens and bathrooms with individual bedrooms. Colville is a small community of about 5,000 people. It is about 15 miles from the refuge headquarters. Most basic amenities are available such as supermarkets, banks, a movie theater, doctors and dentists, emergency rooms, and houses of worship. Opportunities for outdoor recreation are abundant. More extensive amenities including museums, theaters, professional sports can be found in Spokane, WA. Spokane is 75 miles south and with a metropolitan population more than 750,000

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $3,697 awarded upon successful completion of position.

• Living Allowance of $600.00 per week.

• Additional Benefit of $100.00 per week.

• Professional Development fund of $2,255.00 for entire term.

• Option to choose Healthcare Coverage and Childcare Coverage

• Student Loan forbearance if Eligible (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)

• Interest Payments if Eligible (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)

How to Apply:

In addition to your resume, you must upload a copy of your Tribal ID proving you are enrolled in a federally recognized Tribe, Band, or village. Please also submit a one-page cover letter highlighting why you are interested in this position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position.

Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants who submit applications by 1/24/25. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Position will close on 2/21/25.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

• Program Contact information: Andre Nguyen at anguyen@conservationlegacy.org

• Service Site Contact information: Michael Munts at michael_munts@fws.gov

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the recipient shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages.

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with AmeriCorps requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Additional Details

Physical Requirements:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Time Requirements:

• This position is expected to serve full time each week, but exact service schedules may vary.

• Lunch breaks will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service.

• Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an orientation that includes program expectations and AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.

• Defensive Driving

• First Aid/CPR

• Mussel Identification

• Plant Identification

• Fish Identification

• Additional Safety and Job Hazard Analysis as needed

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.

Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.