Contract length: March 7, 2011 – November 18, 2011; potential for extension pending funding and performance review
Rate of Pay: $17.00/hour
Benefits: Health insurance, Paid personal leave, Participate in 400/600-level field-based environmental methods course on the Black Rock NCA.
Location:
Successful applicants will be selected and assigned to the Las Vegas BLM district in southern Nevada. Terrain is typical of the Great Basin with wide long valleys bordered by mountain ranges. Field conditions include hot, arid days with high exposure to the sun, as well as cold, damp winter weather. Resources include big game habitat, Wilderness Study Areas, active grazing allotments, abandoned mine lands, historic and prehistoric cultural sites, and wild horse management areas.
Position Objectives:
The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management Las Vegas District Office, is recruiting one (1) experienced environmental scientist (ecologists) to work cooperatively as District Lead on a four-person interdisciplinary field team. The overall objective of the team is to perform land health assessments through inventory and monitoring (Proper Functioning Condition) of the geomorphic, hydrologic and vegetative characteristics; water quality and quantity sampling; wildlife habitat monitoring. Data are utilized to assess land health in areas having high potential for renewable energy development and to inform management decisions for clean energy efforts on public lands. The principle purpose of this project is to generate an understanding of the process used to develop land health assessments, including the data capture and evaluation.
Duties:
General field duties include walking long distances over uneven terrain, assessing the physical processes of the stream corridor or meadow/spring features, collecting GPS points, observing and monitoring wildlife, identifying vegetative demographics and distribution, collecting water samples and water quality data, and taking photo-points. The District Lead will also coordinate with the GBI Program Lead and the BLM Lead for project planning, equipment organization and maintenance, vehicle coordination, field protocol and data QA/QC, and team deployment and supervision. The successful applicants must have strong communication skills (both verbal and written) and exhibit strong leadership and organization skills. Office tasks include data organization, processing and QA/QC; post-processing GPS points; utilizing GIS to edit polygons as well as point and line data; and to create reports with GIS maps, pictures and concise field notes. This position requires advanced GIS skills in ArcGIS 9.x and related mapping software and will play a vital role in facilitating the effective and efficient collection of monitoring data. This position will require pre-season travel to and from field sites with occasional camping in order to ground truth transect start points and to ensure that all transects are successfully completed during the field season and may require long hours including early mornings and weekends.
Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in one of the major natural sciences – applicants with advanced degrees encouraged to apply;
• Understanding of basic principles related to the fields of botany, soil science, wildlife biology, geology, and/or hydrology;
• Applicants should possess relevant or related field experience – knowledge of and/or experience working in desert ecology, preferable;
• Knowledge of or experience with land mitigation for renewable energy development and/or clean energy efforts (i.e. solar, geothermal) preferable;
• Ability to navigate and set a bearing using a compass and to read a topographical map;
• Ability to collect, QA/QC, and post-process data using handheld GPS units, required;
• Possess a clear understanding of GIS theory and applications, including experience with ArcGIS 9.x to create maps, manipulate and analyze data, and generate reports;
• Ability to communicate effectively, both written and orally, with a diverse audience;
• Physically fit to work outdoors, carry personal and field equipment, and withstand working and camping in inclement weather during summer, fall, and/or early winter in northern Nevada;
• Possess a clean, valid, state-issued driver’s license and the ability to operate a 4WD vehicle on and off paved roads; and
• Meet requirements of federal agency security background checks (e.g.: FBI criminal and National Sex Offender Public Registry)
