Biology and Hunt Program Support Member, Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge

Biology and Hunt Program Support Member, Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge

ACE EPIC placements provide young adults with focused, hands-on opportunities to work alongside and under the guidance of agency mentors as they apply their knowledge of resource management on their path to becoming the next generation of resource and land managers.

Funding for ACE positions is provided by a federal program designed specifically for the employment of youth and young adults.

For more information about ACE, please visit: www.usaconservation.org.

Summary: American Conservation Experience (ACE), a non-profit conservation corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking 1 Biology and Hunt Program Support Member to assist with facilitating the Public Hunt program, hunt program data collection and entry, feral hog control efforts, and a variety of other biological and administrative tasks alongside Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge Staff.

Start Date: August/September 2022 (flexible)

End Date: 26 weeks later

Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1980 to preserve one of the largest privately owned tracts of bottomland hardwoods remaining in the Mississippi Delta. The bottomland hardwood forest contains a diversity of plant and animal species. Over 400 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish can be found on the refuge. This includes the state's largest population of the Louisiana black bear which was formerly on the endangered species list.

Refuge staff manage and conserve habitat for wildlife while maintaining public access to various wildlife-dependent recreational activities including hunting, fishing, bird-watching, photography, and more.

Work Schedule: Duties will primarily be carried out Monday-Friday. Bi-weekly totals should not exceed 80 hours. A flexible work schedule may be required, which could involve work performed outside of normal work hours including on weekends and/or holidays. Time off may be granted and requests should be directed to ACE and the FWS for approval.

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute approximately 40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $625/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

Housing: ACE members may be accommodated in provided agency housing for a small fee for the duration of the term. When residing in FWS provided-housing or on FWS lands, strict adherence to site specific policies and/or regulations is required.

Public Land Corps (PLC) Non-competitive Hiring Authority: Members serving on this project may be eligible to receive a Department of the Interior (DOI) PLC non-competitive hiring authority certificate upon completion of their term of service. Eligible members must meet standard requirements of completing at least 640 hours (16 weeks at 40 hours/week) and utilize their certificate when applying for qualifying federal positions within 2 years of receipt. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility.

Position Description:

This individual placement is meant to facilitate personal growth and professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with agency professionals. This could include gaining experience in a variety of conservation fields and/or shadowing different work groups.

Members will primarily assist with facilitating the public hunting program, feral hog control efforts, and a variety of other biological and administrative tasks. Members will travel to nearby refuges to assist with work. Members will also have the opportunity to participate in other activities on the refuge.

Primary Duties include:

-Completing assigned tasks related to information and data collection, acquisition, entry, organization and management (Assist with facilitating the public hunt program by answering questions regarding Annual Public Use Permits, dispensing and collecting refuge brochures and self-clearing registration permits, entering visitor use data into Excel spreadsheets and answering hunting regulation questions.)

-Biological data entry into regional FWS databases

-Carrying out management activities (including assisting with water management for wintering migratory waterfowl).

-Supporting biological surveys and monitoring (including collecting white-tailed deer biological data during modern firearm lottery/special youth deer hunts and performing waterfowl counts.)

-Assisting with preparing deer hunting blinds for lottery youth hunts and transporting hunters to and from blinds.

-Assist with other refuge projects including biological surveys, refuge outreach events, and other refuge duties.

Physical Requirements: This position requires physical exertion such as walking long distances over wet and rough surfaces while carrying up to 40 lbs.; bending, crouching, stooping, lifting or reaching. Hand and finger dexterity and physical coordination may involve fine and precise procedures, delicate adjustments or exact measurements.

Environmental Conditions/Hazards: The member may encounter environmental conditions/hazards including extreme heat or cold, wet and windy weather, rocky terrain, muddy, swamp, or wetland conditions, biting insects, dense vegetation, poison ivy, pollen, and potentially dangerous wildlife. Hazards may also include mixing herbicides according to product labels, trailering a UTV, loading and unloading the UTV, and operating battery powered hand tools including saws, drills, etc. The member is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow staff/members or resources. The member will be working in vegetated areas with a high potential for tick and mosquito exposure. Refuge staff will provide safety briefings and personal protective equipment in order to minimize exposure to vector-borne diseases. The member may be required to discharge firearms while assisting with feral hog control efforts. The member will be thoroughly trained in the use of firearms by FWS staff.

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety: If a vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, one will be provided by the FWS or ACE. Defensive driving and UTV safety training will be required per FWS Policy. The member may be required to discharge firearms while assisting with feral hog control efforts. The member will be thoroughly trained in the use of firearms by FWS staff. Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the FWS. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the FWS, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it. Strict adherence to FWS and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.