Fisheries Biologist-Southern Snake Basin Branch Fish Biologist Support 

Ocean Associates, Inc. (OAI) is seeking a Biologist to provide support to the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) West Coast Regional Office, at Southern Snake Basin Branch Office, Boise, Idaho. OAI supplies personnel support services on contract to government and industry clients for marine fisheries and protected species. 

Background

The Interior Columbia Basin Office, Southern Snake Basin Branch Office provides interagency consultation to other federal agencies pursuant to the authorities of Endangered Species Act (ESA), Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (FWCA), and Federal Power Act (FPA).  Federal “action agencies” bring their proposed future actions which may affect marine migratory species (principally salmon and steelhead) to NMFS for scientific assistance in predicting likely future effects, minimizing adverse impacts, and maximizing positive effects.  The office also implements ESA recovery plans through technical support in evaluating nonfederal proposals to various grant programs.

Duties

Key tasks include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

• Writing Biological Opinions to action agencies related to their Biological Assessments for listed salmon and steelhead.
• Writing Letters of Concurrence to action agencies related to their Biological Assessments for listed salmon and steelhead.
• Reviewing biological assessments from action agencies for listed salmon and steelhead.
• Reviewing applications from action agencies to enroll in existing programmatic consultations and drafting letters or emails to enroll applicants into the programmatic consultations.
• Reviewing proposed habitat restoration projects to implement Recovery Plans and the FCRPS habitat program.

Other Duties:

• Draft and final biological opinions to action agencies.
• Draft and final letters of concurrence to action agencies.
• Comments on biological assessments from action agencies.
• Documentation of enrolled applicants into programmatic consultations.
• Comments on proposed habitat restoration projects.
• Monthly progress report to include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following: accomplishments, issues encountered, travel (including purpose, significant outcomes, action items), and recommendations, if applicable  

Required Knowledge and Experience 

Selected individual(s) must have the following minimum qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree and four (4) years’ experience, or Master’s degree, from an accredited college or university in biology or field of study relating and two (2) years’ experience relating to the specific task order. 

Additional required qualifications include:  

• Knowledge of salmonid general life cycles and habitat requirements. 
• Highly proficient English language composition skill.
• Skill in most common software applications to include Microsoft Word and Google Suite.
• Valid state driver’s license.   

Additional preferred qualifications include:  

• Expert knowledge of Snake River Basin salmonid specific life histories and geographic distributions. 
• Experience in aquatic habitat conservation. 
• Skill in fish habitat restoration methods.  

For more information and how to apply, click here.