Fish & Wildlife Biologist

Job Description:

SUMMARY

The Fish and Wildlife Biologist will support the implementation and integration of the Tribe’s environmental and forestry programs. This position will primarily be responsible for biological and habitat monitoring and assessment activities (fish and wildlife population surveys, fish and wildlife habitat surveys, zooplankton and phytoplankton (including cyanobacteria), macro-invertebrates, etc.) and education and outreach relating to those activities. Administrative assistance may be requested for grant writing, grant implementation, and natural resource policy review.

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Works as part of a team as well as independently to implement the Tribe’s Environmental and Forestry Programs.
• Responsible for field monitoring for biology-specific parameters: flora, fauna and other biological parameters that supports the Tribe’s mission, and vision as well as the Tribe’s Water Quality Standards throughout the Tribe’s area of interest.
• Performs fish and wildlife surveys (observing behavior, collecting specimens, tagging, population dynamics) for culturally significant and endangered, threatened, sensitive, and candidate species found on the Tribe’s Forest Tracts and other specified areas within the Tribe’s ancestral territory.
• Performs fish and wildlife habitat (summer, transitional, and winter; including high quality cover, forage, security, travel, and water resources) monitoring for culturally significant and endangered, threatened, sensitive, and candidate species found on the Tribe’s Forest Tracts and other specified areas within the Tribe’s ancestral territory.
• Evaluates species objectives and management needs; developing individual stewardship plans for culturally significant and endangered, threatened, sensitive, and candidate species found on the Tribe’s Forest Tracts and other specified areas within the Tribe’s ancestral territory.
• Engages in adaptive management decision-making to ensure that forestry management practices comply with the Tribal Conservation Management Plan, Forest Management Plan, and Tribal Water Quality standards.
• Operates, maintains, and troubleshoots associated monitoring equipment (sondes, field sampling equipment, small inland vessel, etc).
• Reinforces the basic laboratory facility hygiene, ensuring cleanliness and organization.
• Aids as needed in quality assurance requests, such as health and safety, updating SOPs and QAPPs, QA/QC of laboratory data.
• Assists with updates to relevant components of the EPA-Tribal Environmental Plan, Tribal Conservation Management Plan, Forest Management Plan, Tribal Spill Response Plan, Land Quality Assurance Project Plan, Surface Water and Fixed Station Quality Assurance Project Plan, the Air Quality Assurance Project Plan, the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan, the Non-point Source Pollution Management Plan, the Integrated Water Quality Monitoring Strategy, and the Water Quality Standards (as needed).
• May assist in grant applications, grant reporting, and contract development and implementation.
• Regularly attends Federal, State, local meetings and stakeholder meetings within the Tribe’s area of interest as directed.
• Assists program education and outreach activities as requested.
• Provides input for Environmental Site Assessments and/or NEPA EA/EIS review as needed and directed.
• Works various special projects as assigned by the Director, Assistant Director, the Chief Operating Officer, or the Chief Executive Officer.

LEVEL OF AUTHORITY & RESTRICTIONS

• No supervisory authority.

PHYSICAL & MENTAL DEMANDS

• Requires the ability to manage moderate levels of stress arising from schedules, workload, diverse or adversarial stakeholders, etc.
• Must be able to walk, talk, hear, use hands to handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls, and reach with hands and arms.
• Vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distant vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Must be required to push, pull, lift, and/or carry up to 50 pounds.

WORKING CONDITIONS & ENVIRONMENT

• Work may be performed in an office environment, laboratory environment, or field environment.
• Moderate noise level with frequent interruptions and distractions
• Work effectively in a team environment with a diverse variety of technical, professional, and administrative staff.
• Work effectively in a negotiating environment where others may have diverse and competing interests and may be uncooperative or adversarial.
• May require the ability to walk, hike, swim, drive, and boat in difficult conditions at various hours and days of the week.
• Requires occasionally irregular working schedules around tides, other cycles or events, evening and weekend meetings, out-of-area travel for meetings, conferences, workshops, trainings, etc.