Job Title: ASSISTANT WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST

Location: Cathlamet, WA

Reports to: Stewardship Director of Land Trust and JBH Refuge Biologist of US Fish & Wildlife Service

FLSA Status: Non-exempt, 40 hours/week

Term of Employment: December 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021 with possible extension Salary Range: $24.00/hour equivalent to approximately $50,000 annually

Application Deadline: November 8, 2020

Columbia Land Trust is seeking two Assistant Wildlife Biologists to work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service staff at the Julia Butler Hansen Wildlife Refuge in Cathlamet, Washington to translocate Columbia White-Tailed Deer along the lower Columbia River. This is a term employment with Columbia Land Trust through September 2021, but working on loan to the US Fish and Wildlife Service under the direction of refuge staff.

Columbia Land Trust is an equal opportunity employer and committed to building a diverse workforce. We are committed to equity as a core organizational value. It is important to us that applicants have experience with equity work and are able to demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through their work style and approach. We value experience working with a broad range of individuals and diverse communities, and encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and people historically underrepresented in conservation spaces to apply for this opportunity.

Columbia Land Trust is dedicated to conserving and caring for the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Columbia River region through sound science and strong relationships. In its first 27 years, Columbia Land Trust has permanently conserved more than 50,000 acres, and has restored thousands of acres for the benefit of both wildlife and local communities. Today, the Land Trust is nationally recognized as a leader in conservation. Visit our website at columbialandtrust.org for more information.

Located in south western Washington, the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1971 specifically to protect and manage the endangered Columbian white-tailed deer. The refuge contains almost 6,000 acres of pastures, forested tidal swamps, brushy woodlots, marshes and sloughs along the Columbia River in both Washington and Oregon.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • M.S. Degree in a wildlife-related field, or B.S. in a wildlife-related field and one year of experience that includes field work and data management. Candidates are encouraged to share relevant professional and related lived experience.
  • Ability to work independently in the field under a wide variety of conditions, while maintaining focus on work tasks and safety protocols.
  • Ability to support Refuge Biologist with capture, processing and transport of deer.
  • Ability to lift and carry heavy loads up to 75 pounds in the field.
  • Ability to collect, organize, validate and synthesize field data for verbal, written or public

presentation.

  • Experience engaging personal and institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Must have a valid driver’s license to comply with state and federal regulations and service policies

for operating motor vehicles with a GVW less than 26,000 pounds.

Supporting skills: Experience in boat and ATV operation. Proficiency in Arc/Map or Arc/Pro, Arc/Collector, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Ability to manage large data sets. Knowledge of statistics. Ability to identify birds by sight and sound. Plant identification.

Columbia Land Trust and USFWS is prepared to support the training necessary to ensure the qualified candidate has the skills to safely to effectively accomplish the needed work.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

This position will support a recovery project being conducted by the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge (JBH) in partnership with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and Columbia Land Trust (Land Trust). This portion of the project proposes to relocate up to 35 deer from Tenasillahe Island (part of JBH) to Land Trust lands just north of Deer Island, OR on Columbia Stock Ranch (CSR). The Columbian White-tailed Deer population in the lower Columbia River Valley is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and this action is an attempt to expand the population into an area within its historical range.

Major Duties: The Assistant Wildlife Biologist will assist in the planning, organization, and implementation of a deer translocation project. Planning and organization include managing inventory of capture supplies, programming collars, organizing supplies for field use, and keeping equipment clean and in working order. The position will coordinate and communicate with USFWS staff on work program priorities and tasks.

Implementation includes capture and monitoring. Capture will use various methods such as darting, drop-netting, and drive-netting. The Assistant Wildlife Biologist will assist the Refuge Biologist in capture planning, set up, and capture activities, including animal processing. Processing will entail the safe handling of sedated and non-sedated deer, monitoring health and behavior, recording data, measuring morphometric features, drawing blood, and the safe use of Schedule II and IV drugs.

In addition to field captures, the Assistant Wildlife Biologist will be required to enter data and assist in data analysis and report writing. They may also be required to present data to staff or to the public.

The Assistant Wildlife Biologist will also monitor released animals, including with the use of radio telemetry, triangulation, placement of trail cameras, driving surveys, and performance of necropsies.

The position will interact with other agencies and the public. If COVID restrictions permit, the Assistant Wildlife Biologist will coordinate volunteer scheduling and outreach. They will also collaborate with the supervisory biologist to improve refuge monitoring, habitat management activities, and create new projects.

Other duties may include vehicle-based surveys for fawn survival, helicopter surveys for population, placement and management of bat detectors, ground water monitoring, bird surveys by sight and sound, vegetation surveys, and seabird colony surveys. In addition, the Assistant Wildlife Biologist will conduct habitat improvement projects, including habitat planning, tree planting, and invasive species control. Invasive species control includes spot spraying of herbicides using backpacks and ATVs, pulling, and cutting.

Working Conditions:

Fieldwork will be conducted outdoors during all seasons and often unpredictable conditions. Working conditions include muddy, uneven ground, and waist-deep sloughs. Transport of deer requires heavy lifting and physical exertion. Deer transport may require carrying animals on a stretcher for up to a half mile over unpredictable ground wearing chest waders and bulky clothing. Crated animals must be lifted into vehicles and boats. Travel to site will be done in open boats in often cold and rainy conditions. Field work will be conducted during irregular hours including some weekends.

This position will report to and be supported by the Stewardship Director of Columbia Land Trust but will be under the direct supervision of the Refuge Biologist at JBH on a daily basis.

Schedule: 40 hours per week, which may include weekends during irregular hours during field season. Long days of up to 12 hours will be required and overtime will be provided.

Conditions of Employment:

Assistant Wildlife Biologist must comply with all Columbia Land Trust and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations and safety protocols. Must be physically capable of performing tasks. Must possess or be able to obtain and maintain USFWS certification for motorboat operation, All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV) and Utility-terrain vehicles (UTV) operation, and pesticide use. An offer of employment is subject to a successful completion of the organization’s criminal background and DMV check.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Columbia Land Trust offers a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits package, and a supportive and positive work environment. This position qualifies for overtime pay when required. The Land Trust benefits package includes generous paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave. Columbia Land Trust pays 100% of health and dental insurance for the full-time employees; voluntary benefits include a Section 125 – FSA and long-term disability. We also offer a match (up to 5% of annual salary) to our 401(K) retirement plan. Healthy, happy staff are an important element of our success and we strongly believe and support a work / life balance.

Other: Optional housing available for rent at the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

For consideration, please email highlighting your interest in the position and relevant experience, your resume, and a list of potential references (we will not contact without prior notification) to: jobs@columbialandtrust.org. Please add Assistant Wildlife Biologist to the email subject.

Applications for this position will be accepted through November 8, 2020. Interviews will be scheduled for the week of November 16th and will be held remotely.

Mailed applications can be submitted to: Columbia Land Trust

Attn: Ian Sinks, Stewardship Director 850 Officers Row

Vancouver, WA 98661

Columbia Land Trust is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection of candidates for employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex or sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, military service, family medical history, legal source of income, gender identity, political affiliation, or family leave obligations.