Hatchery Support Member - Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery

EPIC • Cook, WA

12d • Onsite

About The Position

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking ONE Hatchery Support Member to contribute to fish hatchery operations and provide supplemental field science and public outreach support to projects under the mentorship of Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery Staff. For more information about ACE, please visit our website. Start Date: 5/4/2026 Estimated End Date: 10/17/2026 a 24-week minimum commitment is required, approximately 960 hours Location Details/Description: Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery, Cook, WA Founded in 1898, Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery (NFH) is the oldest Columbia River hatchery and a pioneer of salmon propagation. They raise and release roughly 5.5 million young spring and up-river bright fall Chinook salmon each year; in addition they collect eggs for other facilities in the region, bringing their total egg collection to around 16.5 million annually. The hatchery mitigates fishery losses due to hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River and provides for an important sport fishery, while also fulfilling tribal trust responsibilities. For more information about Little White Salmon NFH, please visit the FWS website. Position Overview: The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. This position will help FWS realize that mission at Little White Salmon NFH by supporting fish hatchery operations and providing supplemental field science and public outreach support. The fisheries supplementation support at this hatchery includes spawning, egg incubation care, fish rearing, water quality monitoring, fish disease monitoring and other related duties. There will also be opportunities to provide supplemental assistance for field and hatchery evaluation projects for experience diversification and career exposure. This opportunity is intended for enthusiastic young professionals with a deep interest in advancing their career goals in fisheries conservation. This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals.

Requirements

• Members must be authorized to work in the United States. ACE does not provide sponsorship for employment visas.
• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner.
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• A valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).
• Members must be 21+ to drive due to ACE's insurance and liability requirements.
• Willing to undergo and must pass the required criminal history checks
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets, beginning of term feedback forms, end of term evaluations and for longer terms, a mid-term evaluation.
• Member may not participate in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement
• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website.

Nice To Haves

• Base level experience in fisheries field work and/or hatchery supplementation.
• Deep interest in Fisheries, natural resource management or other related disciplines appropriate to the position.

Responsibilities

• Feeding fish
• Cleaning raceways
• Picking mortality
• Sampling fish
• Assisting with spawning activities
• Assisting with fish releases
• Fish feeding
• Raceway (large tank) cleaning and upkeep
• Fish transfers
• Water quality and fish health monitoring
• Fish sorting
• Egg extractions
• Egg fertilizations
• Egg monitoring and transfers
• Mass marking and tagging of juveniles
• Tag retention sampling
• Adult tag scans
• Biological sampling of tagged adults
• Field biological sampling, including minnow traps, electrofishing, seins, gill nets, and screw trapping
• Fish identification and data collection (length, weight, scale samples, tag scans, etc)
• Abiotic data collection such as substrate sampling and water salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and temperature
• Data entry and management
• Supporting upkeep of sampling instrumentation used for core position functions
• Maintenance duties and forklift use in support of hatchery operations as required
• Operating mowers and string trimmers to assist in hatchery upkeep
• Assist Information and Education office with Outreach Activities around the area
• Public engagement: answering questions from visitors, leading hatchery tours, supporting school visits, supporting school programming, and event preparation and implementation

Benefits

• Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $750/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.
• Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the completion of the term may be eligible to be combined with hours accrued from another PLC-eligible term to meet the 640 hours requirement. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general eligibility information on our website.
• Housing Stipend: The selected candidate will also receive up to $85/week to be used for housing expenses. Further details regarding distribution of these funds will be provided during the interview process.
• Gear Reimbursement: ACE members will have up to $200 to spend on eligible gear purchases, which must be approved by ACE staff prior to purchase.
• Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support.
• Scholarship Funding Opportunity: T he selected candidate(s) for this position will be eligible to apply for ACE's Access and Inclusion Scholarship. This is a $500 scholarship which is intended to make participation in ACE positions more accessible to individuals who are underrepresented in the conservation field. Scholarship recipients will be able to allocate this funding to financial need(s) of their choosing. A limited number of scholarships are available.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees