Wildlife Habitat Biologist (Hiring THREE)

Title:                           Wildlife Habitat Biologist (hiring THREE)

Position Class:          Wildlife Habitat Biologist I

FLSA Status:             Full Time / Exempt / Salary

Reports to:                Stewardship Program Managers

Direct Reports:         None

Location:                   Terry or Jordan, Montana (1) Alamosa, Colorado (1) Rocky Ford, Colorado (1)

Salary:                        $55,000-62,000 commensurate with experience, preference given to candidates with working knowledge of Farm Bill Conservation Programs. Promotion potential available.

Benefits:                    These are full-time positions with a comprehensive benefits package (paid time off, 403b retirement plan, health, dental and vision insurance)

Start Date:                  May, 2024

About the Organization:  Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (Bird Conservancy) is a 501-c(3) non-profit headquartered at the Environmental Learning Center at Barr Lake State Park in Brighton, Colorado with a satellite office in Fort Collins and fieldwork outposts in the Great Plains Region and Intermountain West. We conserve birds and their habitats through an integrated approach of Science, Education, and Stewardship. Our work radiates from the Rockies to the Great Plains, Mexico and beyond.

Position Overview: We are hiring THREE Wildlife Habitat Biologists (biologists) to deliver habitat conservation projects on private lands in the grasslands of east-central Montana, in Colorado’s San Luis Valley (SLV) in Alamosa, and the eastern plains in Rocky Ford, Colorado. These positions are a partnership between the US Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Montana, Fish Wildlife and Parks (MTFWP)/Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), and Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. The biologists will help agricultural producers improve wildlife habitat and achieve their management objectives by developing comprehensive conservation plans and coordinating implementation (e.g. infrastructure for water and fence improvements, working with landowners on prescribed grazing plans, and streambank stabilization and revegetation in SLV Colorado etc.). These positions will be jointly supervised by Bird Conservancy and NRCS. The Montana position will be based in the Terry or Jordan NRCS field office (with work out of both locations), and the Colorado positions will be based in the Alamosa NRCS field office and the Rocky Ford NRCS field office and require travel throughout the respective regions using a provided vehicle. The biologists will work with federal, state, and local natural resource professionals and will use voluntary, incentive-based funding opportunities (e.g. Farm Bill) to implement conservation and collaborate with a variety of partners in these areas.

About the Area (Montana): Terry and Jordan are similar in size and charm, Jordan is a rural town of about 300 people and Terry, just off I-94, has a population of just under 600 people. East-central Montana is home to many recreational opportunities, an abundance of small-town community pride, and rich history. The area is composed of sprawling plains and rugged badlands, with the Yellowstone River running through the southern region and the Missouri river running through the northern areas. Land is primarily used for cattle ranching with increasing farmland on the eastern edge of the state. Just 40 minutes east of Terry resides Makoshika State Park, Montana's largest state park, home to some of the state's most impressive badlands formations, beautiful hiking trails, and fossils. Directly outside of Terry is the Terry Badlands Wilderness Study Area, complete with sandstone bridges and spires and a 15 1/2 mile trail great for birding, hiking and mountain biking. Just 40 minutes to the west is Miles City, home to the World-Famous Bucking Horse Sale and the confluence of the Tongue and Yellowstone Rivers. And, if you're still itching for more outdoor time after exploring all eastern Montana has to offer, just a stone's throw away in North Dakota is Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Partners in the area can assist in locating housing to rent or purchase.

About the Area (Alamosa, Colorado): The San Luis Valley (SLV) is a high, arid region in south-central Colorado that serves as the headwaters to the Rio Grande River. The SLV is hugged by the Sangre de Cristo mountains to the east and the San Juans to the west, with the Taos Plateau to the south. Nestled against the eastern mountains is the Great Sand Dunes National Park and numerous hot springs and hiking trails. The valley’s namesake town, San Luis, is the oldest town in Colorado with the oldest established water right. This is an agricultural community, like most in the SLV, focused on ranching, hay, barley, or potato production. The SLV is the most intensely irrigated agricultural region in the world, so to do conservation work here requires engaging with the realities of water governance in the face of changing climatic conditions. The numerous tributaries to the Rio Grande provide a diverse swath of river and wetland corridors throughout the region. From fishing, mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing, hunting, hiking, and more, the SLV is home to a thriving outdoor recreation community and industry. The region has a rich history and deep cultural heritage, with a dedicated and rooted collaborative conservation community.

About the Area (Rocky Ford, Colorado): Rocky Ford is a small agricultural based community on the eastern plains of Colorado. This area is home to the Comanche National Grassland, a treasure of short-grass prairie (440,000 acres) and wildlife (including Lesser Prairie Chicken, Golden Eagles, Grasshopper Sparrows, Lark Buntings, Ferruginous Hawks, and the elusive Swift Fox. This part of the Arkansas Valley is also famous for producing exceptional cantaloupe and watermelon, the result of the country’s most dramatic changes between day and night temperature, a natural phenomenon that increases the production of sugar. In addition, Rocky Ford hosts the Arkansas Valley Balloon Festival and is residence to the Arkansas Valley Fair.

Studies have shown that underrepresented groups, including women and people of color, are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform every job description task. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job from diverse backgrounds and with attention to lived experience. Bird Conservancy of the Rockies will consider an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and experience to meet minimum qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

·        Provide technical and programmatic support to enhance, restore or improve management of wildlife habitat on privately-owned lands in partnership with the USDA NRCS and their clients (landowners) by leveraging USDA Farm Bill Conservation Programs and relevant partner funding mechanisms.

·        Develop and sustain cooperative working relationships with landowners, conservation groups, (e.g., World Wildlife Fund, Pheasants Forever, state wildlife agencies, Watershed Basin Roundtables, landowner-led collaboratives, etc.).

·        Deliver formal trainings and products (e.g., workshops) to landowners and other stakeholders for the purposes of enhancing, restoring, or improving management of wildlife habitat.

·        Develop technical proficiency in the principles and practice of wildlife habitat enhancement, restoration, or improved management within agricultural systems on privately-owned land.

Other Duties:

●        Collaborate across BCR programmatic teams

●        Develop technical proficiency in conservation planning and agency business tools

●        Assist partner agency and other collaborators in conducting biological assessments

●        Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills and Experience required (unless otherwise noted):

●        Bachelor’s degree with at least 1-2 years’ experience, or advanced degree in a conservation related field (e.g. wildlife biology, ecology, human dimensions of natural resources, rangeland ecology, etc.) or four years of equivalent professional experience

●        Ability and desire to work in rural communities with diverse people including state, federal, and non-governmental resource professionals, agricultural producers and other community members.

●        Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills

●        Ability to communicate clearly and effectively (use active listening to build trust and establish rapport) with a variety of landowners and partners

●        An understanding of local ecology, water rights (in Colorado), rangeland management (preferred)

●        Knowledge of eastern Montana (or Northern Great Plains) flora and fauna in grasslands and/or southern Colorado flora and fauna, particularly in wetland systems (preferred)

●        Working knowledge or general understanding of Farm Bill Conservation Programs (preferred)

●        Experience with plant ID and conducting plant inventories for creating a grazing plan (preferred)

●        Motivated self-starter who is comfortable working independently under remote supervision and highly organized with the ability to manage multiple deadlines

●        Practical understanding of habitat restoration, ecology, and land management

●        Spanish language skills are a bonus for the position in Alamosa, Colorado

●        Proficient in Microsoft Office; experience with GIS software is desirable

Physical Demands / Work Environment:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

●        Able work in a standard office setting, with considerable sitting, standing, and viewing of computer

●        Mid-level stress

●        Requires reaching continually throughout the workday (mouse, keyboard, telephone).

●        May include lifting up to thirty (30) pounds of project gear on a frequent basis. Proper lifting techniques required

●        Able to stand, walk and hike for extended periods of time outside in all weather

●        Able to work independently in remote locations where hazardous wildlife and conditions may occur

●        Ability to troubleshoot when working solo (flat tires, cattle gates, etc.)

●        Requires valid state driver’s license and ability to travel throughout the landscape on a regular basis, often to remote locations in inclement weather or adverse conditions

Material and Equipment Directly Used:

●        Various habitat restoration and enhancement materials (e.g. stock tank ladders, fence markers)

●        Standard office equipment (e.g. laptop, printers); PC with MS Office software applications

●        Navigate to field sites and record data using GPS, smartphones, tablets, or other technology

●        Operate federal vehicles, including cars, trucks, All Terrain Vehicles or Utility Task Vehicles

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies is a bias-conscious employer. We ask that you please avoid the use of photos when submitting a resume and/or an application for employment. You will receive an email acknowledgment when you have successfully applied. Your completed application will be forwarded to the hiring manager. You will be notified if you are selected for further testing or interviews. Post-offer background check required.

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants are considered for positions for which they have applied without regard to gender identity or gender expression, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy or other characteristics protected by law. For the purpose of Bird Conservancy’s policy, “sexual orientation” means a person’s actual or perceived orientation toward heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality.

To Apply: Please submit your cover letter, resume and contact information for three references in ONE document to applicants@birdconservancy.org with

“MT or SLVCO or RFCO_YourLastName_YourFirstName” in the subject line AND indicate the position(s) you are applying for, by April 20, 2024. Please include how you learned of the job posting.