Fish and Water Resources Technician-AmeriCorps

Position Title:  Fish and Water Resources Technician - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements- BIA WaterCorps Program

Site Location: Trinity River Restoration Program, 1313 Main St., Weaverville, CA  96093 and Arcata FWS Office, 1655 Heindon Road, Arcata, CA  95521

Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants that submit application by March 3, 2025.

Terms of Service:

• Ideal Start Date: April 28, 2025
• End Date: October 24, 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 both the Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP) in Weaverville, CA as well as the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) office in Arcata, CA. The Steward can choose either as a home base and travel to the other site as the schedule dictates.

The Fish and Water Resources Technician is an AmeriCorps position that will gain valuable skills in assessing fish populations and river health. We are a community of natural resource professionals who work closely with Tribal Nations in the Klamath Basin to implement adaptive management strategies that improve salmon runs and aquatic ecosystem health.

It’s an exciting time for river restoration and the native anadromous fish of the Klamath Basin. The largest dam removal in the country just occurred on the Klamath River. Monitoring is an important part of post-dam removal to track ecosystem response and recovery. Likewise, TRRP works to improve the form and function of the Trinity River, the largest tributary to the Klamath, through a robust science program and large-scale river restoration projects for the benefit of all native species in the river corridor.

Description of Duties:

• Maintaining a stream temperature monitoring network following a standardized operating procedure to calibrate equipment in a laboratory, exchange temperature loggers in the Klamath River Watershed, and perform data extraction and compilation
• Wading and rafting to perform monitoring surveys for annelid habitat and population densities utilizing RTK GPS equipment and digital data collection devices
• Performing snorkel surveys with a team to measure and map river substrate following a standardized protocol
• Rotary screw trapping, seining, and rafting surveys to monitor populations and health of juvenile and adult anadromous fish in the Klamath and Trinity rivers
• Frog egg mass surveys and cottonwood seed germination timing
• Recording, organizing, and assisting in the analysis of fisheries, geospatial, water quality, and physical habitat data using digital data collection devices, databases, ArcGIS, and statistical programs.
• Participating in federal records management tasks such as identifying record series, completing record disposition forms, and digitizing historic records
• Participating in professional forums, like the National Assembly of Aquatic Science and Hydrology (NAASH) conference, the TRRP Science Symposium, the Water Resources Community of Practice, and meetings with the FWS Water Resources Team, TRRP Workgroups, and the Trinity Management Council

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 driver license.
• The position could be physically arduous at times and will involve hiking, bending, lifting, and riding in rafts and boats, sometimes in inclement weather.
• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien

• 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.

 Preferred Qualifications:

• Interest in fisheries and/or water resources
• Ability to work as a team in a field setting
• Ability to stay positive in challenging circumstances
• Be comfortable in and around water

Additional Position and Community Information:

Weaverville and Arcata both have access to housing, grocery, restaurants, and entertainment, but Weaverville has a distinct rural feel and less amenities locally than Arcata. There are great outdoor recreational opportunities at both locations. You will want a personal vehicle to access these opportunities and to get around easier day-to-day.

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:

Apply on-line at: https://stewardslegacy.org/open-positions.  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 March 3, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Position will close on March 24, 2025.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

• Program Contact information: chad_abel@fws.gov
• Service Site Contact information: TRRP – ebpeterson@usbr.gov

  Arcata FWS – tyler_wallin@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 a full time schedule 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.
• Member will be taught field sampling methods and protocols.
• Member will be provided with PPE such as life jacket and waders for field use.
• Member will likely need to take some Department of Interior specific trainings (e.g., defensive driving, cybersecurity) to drive government vehicles and access FWS networks. Member will likely be enrolled in Swiftwater training.

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.

Salary : $100 - $600