Wildlife Field Technician - Uintah Basin, UT

Overview

The successful candidate will work with Utah State University Biology faculty at the Uintah Basin campus and in collaboration with the Bureau of Land Management Green River District Vernal Field Office (VFO) in the Natural Resources Department, which covers almost 1.7 million acres of various areas and ecosystems in the Uintah Basin of Northeastern Utah. Numerous opportunities exist for the successful applicants to conduct field work and assist with data analysis. Field work includes surveys, collection, and monitoring of plants and animals both for management and research purposes. Office/lab duties will largely consist of specimen analysis, data entry, report writing, and data analysis.

 

Project expected outcomes include inventory and monitoring of various species including plant species and wildlife species:

• Monitoring of plant and animal BLM Special Status Species
• Wildlife species surveys and monitoring include but are not limited to: Greater Sage Grouse, Raptors, Pinyon Jay, Waterfowl, White Tailed Prairie Dog, Amphibians, Reptiles, Bats.
• T&E species such as Monarchs, Bumblebees, Owls.
• T&E Plant species surveys and monitoring may include but are not limited to: shrubby reed-mustard, clay reed-mustard, cryptantha, graham’s beardtongue, various penstemon species, horseshoe milkvetch, sclerocactus.
• Projects may include manual labor including but not limited to: removing fencing, building fencing, implementing z-dyke and other low tech wet meadow restoration techniques, and building ex-closures.
• Fisheries: May assist with the monitoring and capturing of native and invasive fish species. May assist in removal of invasive fish species.
• Hydrology: May assist with water resource inventory.
• Applicants may assist in range AIM monitoring, inventory and inspections, and pesticide application. Invasive plant species removal, planting of native plant species, reseeding areas for conservation and pollinator habitat.

Two crew member positions are available and funded for 40 hrs/wk for 12 ½   weeks, May 5th-August 15th. Preference will be given to qualified Utah State University students. Preference will also be given to applicants that can be present during the entire field season, and particularly those that can start on-time. Please indicated whether you can begin on May 5th or not in your application materials. Compensation will be $15.50/hr for the crew lead. No housing is provided with this position. The duty station for these positions is Vernal, Utah.

 

Technicians will collaborate with teammates, managers, and faculty to collect and assemble a high-quality data set in an efficient manner. Fieldwork may require strenuous hiking (up to 15 miles per day off-trail in rough terrain), work in adverse weather conditions, and irregular hours. Work may be conducted in a team setting or independently. Review of applicants will begin Mar 19th and continue until all positions are filled.

Responsibilities

• Attend CPR/Wilderness First Aid Certification (provided)
• Conduct field surveys independently after training
• Follow protocols for all surveys with emphasis on minimizing disturbance and safe handling for sensitive species
• Plant identification and quantification following protocol
• Travel to field sites, driving 4WD vehicle on unmaintained dirt roads (must be 21 years old to drive)
• Hiking to work sites, sometimes in adverse weather, sometimes at irregular hours
• Navigation via GPS
• GPS management to find and monitor or map study sites
• Data entry under direction of the crew lead

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Experience identifying or working with vertebrates
• Experience identifying or working with plants
• Demonstrated fieldwork experience
• Demonstrated excellent written and oral communication skills
• Demonstrated excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to follow safety regulations
• Driver’s license and experience driving 4WD vehicles
• Ability to efficiently execute directives and study plan
• Ability to collaborate with crewmates and follow team lead

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience identifying or working with pollinators
• Professional fieldwork experience
• Professional plant identification experience or certifications
• Professional vertebrate identification experience
• GIS, GPS, or orienteering experience
• Experience with animal handling and survey protocols
• Professional data entry experience
• Demonstrated strong performance in relevant coursework, including but not limited to one or more classes in a topic such as ornithology, botany, entomology, mammalogy, biolo