Junior Wildlife Biologist

Agency

Whitetail Environmental, LLC

Location

Yakima Training Center, Yakima WA

Job Category

Full time Positions

Salary

$40,000 – $55,000

Start Date

12/19/2023

Last Date to Apply

11/28/2022

Website

https://www.whitetail-env.com/

Description

Whitetail Environmental is seeking applicants for a full-time Junior Wildlife Biologist to work on a contract in support of the Wildlife Program at the U.S. Army’s Yakima Training Center, an active military training facility that provides versatile training support and services to enable Joint Force readiness. Its area comprises one of the largest parcels of shrub-steppe ecosystem (327,000 acres) remaining in Washington State, representing a critical area for the conservation of biodiversity.

This position is primarily field-based (75%), with a smaller office component (25%). The work is variable and may include both early mornings and late nights depending on Wildlife Program priorities (e.g., sunrise lek counts and evening burrowing owl trapping).

Essential Functions:
Habitat Management Program Support
• Monitor shrub-steppe and riparian vegetation communities to determine site condition and health.
• Assess wildland-fire impacts on vegetation communities.
• Identify and map populations of noxious weeds to define their extents and evaluate effectiveness of previous treatments.
• Monitor quality of surface water and track changes through time.
• Assess success of habitat restoration treatments of sagebrush, native grass, and forb seedings and plugs.
• Collect and distribute native seeds using basic native seed collection protocols and provide support to YTC plant propagation program (i.e., greenhouse operations).
• Provide support in conducting comprehensive watershed assessments.

Sage-Grouse Management Support
• Conduct lek monitoring and lek searches using established protocols.
• Trap, transport/release, radio-mark, and track through use of telemetry equipment.
• Search for and collect feather samples for genetic analysis.
• Deploy mosquito traps for West Nile virus surveillance program.

Rare/Sensitive Plant Program Support
• Implement Rare and Sensitive Plant Management Programs (e.g., inventory new areas, monitor known populations, survey of project areas). Effort to include mapping rare plant populations and assessing habitat quality for rare plants.

Threatened/Endangered Fish Program Support
• Conduct fish inventories and assess habitat quality/conditions of fish-bearing streams.
• Conduct monitoring of stream temperatures and other bio-indicators (i.e., aquatic insects).

Migratory Bird Treaty Act Program Support
• Monitor known raptor/raven populations and nest success using established protocols and standard methods (e.g., point counts, distance sampling).
• Inventory raptor species and Passeriformes.
• Avian captures and banding.

Faunal Planning Level Survey (PLS) Support
• Conduct PLS of status invertebrate species (bumble bees, monarch butterfly) and small/mammals (rodents, ground squirrels, jackrabbits) using established protocols and standard methods (may include trapping, handling, marking, remote cameras). PLS’s in support of installation’s Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan revision.

Qualifications

Qualifications (Education and Experience):

Required:
• An undergraduate degree or higher in biology, ecology, wildlife management, botany, or other closely-related natural resource field AND a minimum of 1 year doing the following:
o Collecting biological field data using established protocols.
o Assisting in the planning, organizing, and implementing of wildlife and habitat research.
o Entering, managing, and organizing datasets describing biological data.
o Summarizing data with basic statistics, and interpreting results in written reports.
• Must be able to drive 4×4 vehicles on very rocky, unimproved roads.
• Must show the ability to work alone in a variety of conditions, including rain and extreme heat or cold, and be comfortable working on an active Army training facility.

Preferred:
• Demonstrated ability to perform a wide range of wildlife and habitat surveys. For example, avian point counts, pellet transects, remote camera trapping, pollinator surveys, or vegetation structure/composition surveys.
• Knowledge, experience, and fluency with the shrub-steppe ecosystem, including biological monitoring, wildlife-habitat requirements, and standard field methods for vegetative and wildlife surveys.
• Identification of native plants using dichotomous keys (i.e., Flora or the Pacific Northwest); knowledge of rare shrub-steppe plant species and riparian plant species.
• Use software such as Microsoft Office, R studio, and ArcGIS products to supplement contract deliverables (i.e., reports).
• Orient using a GPS and georeferenced applications (i.e., Avenza, ArcGIS Collector) to find locations on a map.
• Must be able to carry a heavy pack with survey and safety equipment on long hikes often on uneven terrain.

Additional Eligibility Requirements:
• Must have a valid U.S. driver’s license
• Must be able to obtain and maintain Department of Army background investigation
• Must have U.S. citizenship
• Must be able to pass Motor Vehicle Record (MVR)

Contact Person

Becky Hoffman

Contact eMail

[email protected]

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