Position Summary

The goal of this position is to support staff at the Mid-Columbia Fish and Wildlife Conservation office with their seasonal fieldwork. This is a field intensive position that may involve working long hours in inclement weather while walking on uneven, slippery terrain in an and around cold swift flowing water where an ability to swim and a comfort around water is mandatory. Night work and backpacking may also be necessary for studies conducted far from the nearest road. The intern should have the ability to lift and carrying heavy items up to 50 pounds for extended periods of time. This position will afford the intern the opportunity to gain experience and develop skills in a potential variety of fisheries and/or habitat related assessment techniques depending on funding, staffing, and safety related constraints. Additionally, each season can entail a variety of unanticipated challenges that the Service will attempt to overcome but does not guarantee the intern will have the opportunity to participate in every potential activity.

Schedule

April 7, 2025 - August 30, 2025

Key Duties and Responsibilities

  • Spawning ground surveys for spring Chinook Salmon and steelhead
  • Fish husbandry including feeding and cleaning care of juvenile fish
  • Monitoring juvenile fish for signs of disease
  • Moving fish within the facility and releasing fish to the river
  • Live spawning of adult summer steelhead
  • Bio-sampling juvenile and adult salmonids including installation of PIT tags
  • Lethal spawning of adult spring Chinook salmon
  • Extraction and reading coded-wire tags from fish snout

Marginal Duties

  • Data entry and quality checks
  • Snorkel surveys for juvenile and adult salmonids
  • eDNA sampling
  • Stream habitat surveys
  • Assisting with report writing
  • Assisting with routine maintenance related to fish culture and maintenance projects
  • Assisting with coded wire tagging and adipose fin clipping of juvenile fish as feasible

Required Qualifications

Driver's license, vehicle, bachelor's degree, ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs., comfortable in and around water, comfortable with learning to handle fish, comfortable with the humane killing of fish.

This SCA Position is authorized under the Public Land Corps Authority. All participants must be between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, or veterans age 35 or younger. Participants must also be a citizen or national of the United States or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States. Hours served can be applied toward the Public Land Corps (PLC) hiring authority.

Preferred Qualifications

Degree in fisheries, interest in fish, prior experience with fisheries or fishing

Hours

40 per week

Living Accommodations

SCA members must find their own housing. Housing Allowance is provided.

Compensation

  • $1,100 - One Time Round-Trip Travel Allowance
  • $500 - Weekly Living Allowance (Paid bi-weekly)
  • $1000 - Monthly Housing Allowance (5 disbursements) to be secured by selected candidate
  • All-Weather Uniform Package
  • $1,500 - Duty Related Travel Funds (Receipts required for tax-free reimbursement)
  • AmeriCorps eligible ($2,817 education award) at fulfillment of 675 service hours and successful completion of internship

All allowances are subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes.

Personal Vehicle Information

Required

Additional Benefits

Defensive Drive Training

First Aid/CPR

Non-motorized Boat Training

AmeriCorps: Eligible/REQUIRED

Equal Opportunity Statement

SCA strives to cultivate a work environment that encourages fairness, teamwork, and respect among all staff members. SCA is committed to maintaining a work atmosphere in which people of diverse backgrounds and lifestyles may grow personally and professionally. The Student Conservation Association, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.

Physical requirements and working conditions specific to the position are available in the full job description.