Aquatic Health Steward - AmeriCorps

Position Title: Aquatic Health Steward - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements- BIA WaterCorps Program

Site Location: Malheur National Wildlife Refuge 36391 Sodhouse Ln. Princeton, OR 97721

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

Terms of Service:

• Ideal Start Date: April 1st, 2025
• End Date: September 26th, 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 Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Princeton, OR.

The Aquatic Health Steward is an AmeriCorps position that will have a broader understanding of USFWS and the Refuge System and may have opportunities for them to work on nearby refuges and work on a diversity of projects. The refuges Aquatic Health program has monthly survey and monitoring goals that this position would help fulfill. The Aquatic Health Program at Malheur NWR is vast, covering 180K acres of refuge lands. Projects include monitoring water quality and quantity on over 30 miles of the Blitzen River as well as the 30K-acre Malheur Lake wetland. Primarily the goals of the refuge are to manage habitat for migratory birds including Wetland enhancement and reducing invasive species through improved water quality.

The Blitzen is a rare river in the west that is publicly owned from origin to final destination. The Refuge works with the likely to be federally listed Western Ridge Mussel. the Blitzen River will certainly be considered critical habitat if it becomes listed. The Malheur Lake wetlands (5-50K acres annually depending on precipitation) are a critical ecosystem that is dealing with excessive turbidity due to invasive carp.

The Aquatic Health Steward would be connecting USFWS conservation of native fish and wildlife with aquatic health monitoring to achieve better habitat for native plants and animals while reducing and managing invasive species.

Description of Duties:

• The member will assist with monitoring 22 fish diversions and 4 major fish traps that are located on the Refuge.
• The member will use backpack and boat electroshockers to monitor fish populations. The member will use extensive water quality and quantity monitoring equipment to monitor water in the rivers and wetlands. Monitoring and possible relocation of western ridge, western pearlshell and floater mussels will also be accomplished.
• Installation and monitoring of new electronic carp barrier will be part of the member's position.
  Learning about and maintaining the refuges Aquatic research lab and equipment will be part of the member's position.
• Other staff will have projects that the member would be expected to assist with including bird surveys, bat surveys, vegetation surveys, duck banding etc.

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
• Applicant must have a state issued driver’s license and clean driving record. Must also be able to pass federal defensive driving course.
• 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 for Conservation Legacy and the host site.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Candidate should have an interest in Natural Resources, including fisheries and wildlife management.
• Ideal candidates would have some basic mechanical and repair skills for small engines and mechanical things like fish screens.
• Experience with ATVs, boating and fishing would be ideal.

Additional Position and Community Information:

• Harney County is a rural sparsely populated county with only 7500 people in over 10,000 square miles. The county's major economy is agriculture in the form of cattle and hay. The county seat is Burns, Oregon which is 30 miles from the Malheur NWR Headquarters where the steward will work. Burns has multiple restaurants, grocery/hardware stores and hospital. The nearest major cities are Bend, Oregon and Boise Idaho both have airports and are ~3 hours from Burns.
• Harney County is known for vast areas of public land including USFWS, BLM and USFS lands with abundant wildlife and unique geology. The Steens mountains, Alvord desert, Diamond crater and the crystal crane hot springs are big tourist attractions to the county.
• Due to the remote nature of the Malheur NWR it is strongly recommended that the steward have their own personal vehicle to get to town and explore the area when not working.

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 January 15th 2025.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Position will close on February 15th 2025.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

• Program Contact information: Gillian Watson, [email protected]
• Service Site Contact information: Dominic Bachman, [email protected]

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.
• Some field work may occasionally require irregular schedule that could include, nights and weekends.
• 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.
• Federal defensive driving
• First aid/CPR

• We will provide training in electroshocking, fish capture, fish screening, use of water quality equipment (ADCP), water diversion monitoring, water flow monitoring, and snorkel surveys for fish and freshwater mussels. In addition, the member will learn about invasive animal management. Training may also include motorboat operation including the FWS airboat training module. ATV/UTV training may also be provided

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.