Individual Placement-Alaska- Fish and Wildlife Technician

Student Conservation Association•Valdez, AK

About The Position

This position will work with the District’s fisheries and wildlife program. It is an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the day-to-day tasks that occupy a biologist. Work will include such activities as environmental education and public outreach with both children and adults, data entry, field data collection, habitat improvement, and report writing. The applicant needs to be comfortable working in brown bear country, and in inclement weather (cold and rain). Field work may include bird surveys, various environmental monitoring projects, and fisheries monitoring and habitat restoration. The district has a small staff and takes an interdisciplinary approach to managing the land, so the incumbent will assist other programs including recreation, botany and invasive plants, restoration, and public events/outreach. The district will provide training including: CRP/First aid, bear behavior and safety, aviation, boat passenger safety, radio operations, hazardous communications, and fire extinguisher operation. The district will provide housing (bunkhouse or other shared space) for the placement when he/she is not deployed in the field and all protective equipment and supplies (hard hats, eye protection, personal floatation devices, etc.) as appropriate for the activity. A portion of this person's time will include assisting with educational activities such as the Yakutat Tern Festival, Family Fishing Day, Summer Explorers Program and more. Fieldwork in Southeast Alaska involves exposure to inclement weather, hiking in steep brushy terrain, and carrying heavy packs; all of which require a high level of physical fitness. This SCA Position is authorized under the Public Land Corps Authority. All participants must be between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, or veterans age 35 or younger. Participants must also be a citizen or national of the United States or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States. Hours served can be applied toward the Public Land Corps (PLC) hiring authority. Certainly one of the most rugged and remote postings in the country, the Yakutat Ranger District is 1.3 million acres of National Forest located at the northern edge of the Alaska panhandle, between Glacier Bay and Wrangell St Elias National Parks. Accessible only by plane or boat, it is set in a landscape of glaciers, old-growth forests, wild rivers, bays, and open ocean, and populated with moose, mountain goats, deer, 200 species of birds, wolves, and especially bears. The area supports some of the healthiest and most diverse stocks of wild Pacific salmon and trout in the world. About 700 people reside in the demographically diverse community of Yakutat which has all the basic services including a community health center, K-12 school, and 2 grocery stores, but lacks many amenities offered in larger communities. Alaska Airlines offers daily flights connecting Yakutat to Juneau, Anchorage, or Seattle. Outdoor recreational opportunities are superb and include fishing, sea kayaking, canoeing, camping, birding, hiking, wildlife viewing, and even surfing. Yakutat is a prime location for many natural resource careers at any stage.

Requirements

comfortable working in brown bear country, and in inclement weather (cold and rain)
high level of physical fitness
between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, or veterans age 35 or younger
citizen or national of the United States or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States

Nice To Haves

Experience camping and traveling in bear country.

Responsibilities

environmental education and public outreach with both children and adults
data entry
field data collection
habitat improvement
report writing
bird surveys
environmental monitoring projects
fisheries monitoring and habitat restoration
assist other programs including recreation, botany and invasive plants, restoration, and public events/outreach
assisting with educational activities such as the Yakutat Tern Festival, Family Fishing Day, Summer Explorers Program and more