St. George, Utah

Position Title: Wildlife Ecologist – Habitat Planning and Implementation Specialist

Organizations: Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever 

Location: St. George, Utah

Organization Overview: In 1982, a group of pheasant hunters saw the connection between upland habitat loss and declining pheasant populations. An organization dedicated to wildlife habitat conservation was needed, and Pheasants Forever was formed. Pheasants Forever’s mission work quickly garnered it a reputation as “The Habitat Organization,” a tagline the nonprofit conservation group uses proudly to this day. 

Pheasants Forever’s mission is to conserve pheasants, quail, and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public access, education, and conservation advocacy.

In 2005, in response to continued declines in quail populations and suitable quail habitat, Pheasants Forever formed a quail division, Quail Forever.

Quail Forever’s mission is to conserve quail, pheasants, and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public access, education, and conservation advocacy.

Position Overview: This is a collaborative position serving the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Arizona Game & Fish Department, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Intermountain West Joint Venture, and Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever and other partners. Position responsibility will be to further the delivery and implementation of conservation efforts of the BLM and collaborative partners across the Arizona Strip. This position will provide range/wildlife technical assistance, provide coordination and support for collaborative conservation, management and restoration efforts in crucial mule deer habitat for the Arizona Strip BLM District office and partners on both public and private lands. This position will be an employee of Pheasants Forever Inc. with daily instruction and leadership provided by the Arizona Strip BLM Associate District Manager. This position will be located in St. George, UT and will require travel throughout the Arizona Strip District. This position will be a full-time position and will be offered as a Coordinating Wildlife Biologist (CWB) II or III depending upon the qualifications and experience of the successful applicant.

Duties:

 CWB II:

· Assist with landscape-level conservation planning, project prioritization, and project support to the BLM and partners. This includes writing, editing, and field and office research to develop watershed scale assessment and implementation plans in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

· Provide technical assistance in planning and wildlife ecology / habitat conservation and guidance to landowners, government agencies, non-government organizations (NGO’s) and others. Training will be provided by BLM, NRCS, IWJV, Quail Forever and other local and state agencies.

· Coordinate integration and application of biological sciences, management plans, operational plans, and other plans providing prioritization for wildlife and other resource concerns within the local partnership group in cooperation with the local BLM district & field office staff.

· Outreach, coordination and relationship-building with area ranchers, private landowners, local business-economic interests, non-governmental organizations, and local community groups (e.g., soil and water conservation districts, local area working groups, coordinated resource management groups, etc.). May include workshops, field tours, group presentations and conferences (SRM, county/state fair, etc.).

· Coordinate conservation efforts where possible to use Farm Bill conservation programs (i.e. EQIP, ACEP and CRP) requiring biological and rangeland science expertise in cooperation with NRCS and its partners.

· Work with various state and local agencies (including, but not limited to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Mule Deer Foundation, and Conservation Districts) to coordinate success stories and leverage support for future restoration work in Northern Arizona.

· Communicate project requirements, complete site visits, and develop contracts/plans for projects and participants, track project timelines and budgets.

· Seek new partnerships, write and secure grants, and write agreements as appropriate to build the partnership and conservation efforts on the Strip

· Coordinate and track funding from partners for projects and submit reports to partners who provide funding.

· Facilitate information and awareness on conservation opportunities to all levels of each partner in the partnership including BLM and IWJV staff.

· Work with agencies and partners to develop, facilitate, and coordinate local contracts agreements, and volunteers.

· Oversight and documentation of project work and develop and track landscape project implementation schedules.

· Showcase information from past and current projects to the public (i.e. presentations showing pre and post data for vegetation and wildlife populations, kiosk displays, social media posts, etc.)

· Perform other job-related duties as assigned by the BLM supervisor.

 CWB III:

· Those duties listed above for a CWB II plus the following:

· Provide program/project oversight and support to partners and staff.

· Independently conduct natural resource surveys and develop components of conservation plans

· Provide leadership to other members of Partner and PFQF team.

· Contract and implement landscape-scale habitat restoration projects.

· Ensures that project reporting by AZ staff is occurring and completed in a timely manner and assists the Southwest Coordinator in development of quarterly and annual reports.

· Proposes and seeks innovative ways to further wildlife conservation and partnerships.

· Represents Pheasants Forever at habitat-related professional and partnership meetings as assigned.

· Assists with the identification, development, and mentoring of Southwest staff with training needs for new and existing partner biologists including the coordination of job shadowing opportunities.

Qualifications:

CWB II & III:

· A general qualification guideline for this position is a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Ecology/Fuels Management, Rangeland Science, Wildlife Biology/Management or Restoration Ecology from an accredited university. A strong range background along with a wildlife management degree is preferred.

· Basic understanding/knowledge of NEPA is required.

· Understanding of the BLM agency, policy, planning, clearances, regulations, etc. is preferred.

· Able to obtain BLM Security Clearance.

· Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with landowners and partner agencies.

· Ability to work independently with little supervision and with diverse clientele.

· Knowledge of fire science, range science, wildlife ecology and restoration.

· Excellent verbal/written communication, coordination and organizational skills.

· Valid driver’s license and skillset to drive at high elevation, and often remote locations, on a regular basis and occasionally during inclement weather.

· Knowledge of computer skills is required and applicant should be familiar with ARC GIS, Word and Excel.

· Physical ability to stand and walk for extended periods of time over rough terrain; lift and move material weighing up to 50 pounds; work in all types of weather conditions.

Enhanced Qualifications for Consideration for CWB III:

· Proven history of successful grant applications for landscape-scale habitat restoration work.

· Experience with contracting and implementing significant wildlife habitat restoration work.

· Three years previous employment experience working in land or wildlife resource management for a State or Federal land or wildlife management agency or resource focused NGO.

· Supervisory experience while employed with a State or Federal land or wildlife resource management agency or resource focused NGO.

 Anticipated Start Date: June

Salary/Pay: $45,000 to $60,000 (based on experience) + Health Benefits and Retirement Package. Yearly raises will be considered.

Application Deadline: Open until filled, applications will be reviewed and interviews conducted on an ongoing basis.

How to Apply: Please combine your cover letter, resume and 3 references into 1 Word document or PDF file before uploading to the “Resume” area of your application on the Recruitment website. If you have questions please contact Scott Poppenberger, State Coordinator for Arizona and New Mexico.