Fisheries and Subsistence Fellow - AmeriCorps

Position Title: Fisheries and Subsistence Fellow- AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements- BIA WaterCorps Program

Site Location: Sitka Ranger District on the Tongass National Forest. 2108 Halibut Point Road Sitka, Alaska 99835

Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants that submit application by February 15, 2025

Position Openings: 2

Terms of Service:

• Ideal Start Date: May 11, 2025
• End Date: November 7, 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 Sitka Ranger District on the Tongass National Forest.

The Fishery and Subsistence Fellow is an AmeriCorps position that will be an integral part of our Ecosystems team at the Sitka Ranger District on the Tongass National Forest, which is comprised of a dynamic group of natural resources managers and technicians. We also strive to work heavily with community partners including our local Alaska Native tribes. The U.S. Forest Service motto is “Caring for the land and serving people.” On the Sitka Ranger District we manage, in partnership with other agencies, Tribes, and community organizations, 1.6 million acres of temperate rainforest that support vibrant ecosystems and cultures. The human communities within our district are irrevocably tied to the land, water and resources within the National Forest. As stewards of this place, we recognize that we best serve the people, who live here, by striving to be transparent and inclusive in all of the work that we do. As a Fishery and Subsistence Fellow you will contribute to our ongoing efforts to embody these beliefs.

For this WaterCorps position, we hope to provide a variety of experiences which may include fisheries monitoring at our sockeye salmon weir project, salmon habitat assessment surveys, wildlife surveys, subsistence fish harvesting, processing, and sharing with our tribal partners and youth, and the possibility to attend a Federal Subsistence Regulatory meeting, if the timing lines up with the position start/end dates. From June through August we have a heavy field season where it is common for folks to work eight, ten-hour days and have six days off during each two-week pay period. Teams of two or more conduct fieldwork in remote areas of Alaska that will be accessed via a Forest Service boat. During the shoulder seasons, we often have shorter field trips and many office tasks to accomplish, in order to set up and wrap up our field projects for the season.

Description of Duties:

• Sockeye salmon monitoring:
  • count sockeye and other salmon species as they return remote monitoring sites
  • set up, take down, and maintain a remote field camp and weir structure
  • Help conduct food web monitoring within the lake
  • Collect fishery data such as scales, lengths, and sex
• Subsistence program:
  • facilitate harvest events for salmon in collaboration with tribal and youth partners
  • conduct spawning ground surveys
  • participate in Federal Subsistence Regulatory processes, including permitting and outreach

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.

• Willingness to learn
• Good communication
• Ability to maintain a positive attitude in adverse conditions
• Ability to work and live with a diverse team in remote locations
• Good sense of humor
• Emotional intelligence to resolve social and emotional disagreements with field crew members
• Proficiency in swimming

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• Applicants must be 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 Checks for Conservation Legacy and potentially the host site.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience living and working in remote locations, especially in Southeast Alaska

Additional Position and Community Information:

• This position is based out of Sitka Alaska, a small town (~8,000 people) in Southeast Alaska that is only accessible by plane or boat. However, it is considered to be a regional hub and as such receives multiple flights daily on a large jet, has two large grocery stores, and a hospital and medical clinics with most primary medical services.
• The primary work for this position is based at remote field camps. Field stints will typically last 6-10 days with a maximum of 12 days in the field. The fellow will live (2-4 people at a time) with other forest service staff in a mixed-gender, one-room cabin or tent. The amenities typically, but not always, include electricity, an outhouse with a view, and wood heating, but there is no running water or shower. Cell phone coverage is limited or non-existent and there is no internet, while in the field. Field camps are provided with USFS radios and inreach devices for communication with the USFS office and in case of emergencies. You will frequently see other folks at the work site, who have travelled to the area to fish or recreate for the day.
• Typically, USFS staff and fellows will work 8-10 hours a day with a maximum of 12 hours per day. Work is conducted in all weather conditions (Sitka is nestled in a rainforest), around coastal brown bears and pesky bugs. Weir work requires walking on uneven surfaces that can be wet and slippery, standing or snorkeling in cold, sometimes fast-moving water (waders and drysuits will be provided), and carrying up to 40 pounds over moderate distances.
• A shared room is available to rent in the USFS bunkhouse at a rate of roughly $260/month
• A personal vehicle is not required for this position. A USFS bicycle will be available for your use and all work travel will be provided for via USFS truck or boat.

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:

Click here: https://secure.entertimeonline.com/ta/conservationlegacy.careers?ShowJob=654878210 and look for the green “APPLY” button.

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 15 February, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Position will close when filled.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

• Program Contact information: Ali Jones at ajones@conservationlegacy.org
• Service Site Contact information: Ashley Bolwerk at bolwerk@usda.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.
• Field related trainings, such as, ATV training certification, Defensive Driving certification, Seashore Survival, snorkel training, bear safety, etc.

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.