About HDP
High Desert Partnership is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting collaboration to tackle some of our community’s most complex challenges, such as restoring forests and wetlands, mitigating wildfires, creating opportunities for local youth, and growing our rural economy. Monitoring projects are one of the many support systems used to assist and inform our Collaborative Partners while remaining impartial in the data collection process. To view the culture and natural beauty of Harney County, see our video Land Water Sky Soul and check out the High Desert Partnership website to learn more about the missions and goals of each collaborative we are involved in.
About the Malheur National Forest
The Malheur National Forest is nestled in the Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon and spans parts of Grant, Baker, and Harney Counties. This forest is dominated by fir and pine trees and consists of 1.7 million acres of diverse ecosystems, including high desert grasslands, sage and juniper woodlands, and alpine meadows. It is managed by 3 Ranger Districts including the Emigrant Creek Ranger District, Blue Mountain Ranger District, and Prairie City Ranger District, and is surrounded by public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management’s Prineville, Vale and Burns Districts. Recreational information, maps, and Public Use Restrictions can be found on the forest’s website, Malheur National Forest.
Job Description:
We are hiring 2-3 Fish and Wildlife Stream Habitat Technicians to complete Aquatic Inventory Surveys on the Malheur National Forest. This work involves driving long distances on forest roads and hiking over adverse terrain to survey sites off trails to collect and record data for the forest’s biologists. Fieldwork will occur on weekdays on a 4/10 schedule. All members of the stream team will be expected to be prepared for the adverse conditions present in the Malheur National Forest including being aware of the weather and fire danger. Technicians will have the opportunity to gain experience collecting biological data while following USDA and HDP safety protocols and interacting with the public, agency employees, contractor personnel, and special interest groups. Technicians will participate in a week-long training with other National Forest Stream Survey Employees in Bend, Oregon. Experience gained will be similar to a biological science technician at the federal GS level of 03-05.
Duties
Fieldwork (80%)
- Collect fish and wildlife riparian habitat-related data and perform Aquatic Inventory Surveys, Aquatic Biota Surveys, and species identification
- Assist biologists in determining fish populations in streams by Electrofishing and snorkeling
- Make fish counts and record species, fish morphology, and environmental conditions in streams
- Record accurate and legible data of stream segments such as length, width, depth, vegetation substrate composition, amount of woody debris in a channel, solar radiation, and bank instability.
- Perform fish/wildlife habitat improvement projects such as maintaining wildlife trails, inventory nesting structures, planting,installing woody structures in streams, etc.
- Hike in various terrain and weather conditions in remote areas to access field sites
- Navigate using topographic maps and GPS equipment and drive long distances on remote forest roads
Leadership (15%)
- Work independently or as part of a team to follow specific guidelines in the form of manuals, handbooks, and oral or written instructions
- Communicate effectively with co-workers and supervisors to complete daily tasks
Office Work (5%):
- Calculate, prepare, and summarize biological data using various computer programs