Fisheries Intern - Safford, AZ

Title: Fisheries Intern (2 openings)

Start/End Date: summer 2024 – summer 2025 (start date is flexible)

Living Stipend: $800 per week ($600 per week living stipend + $200 housing stipend).

Term: 48 weeks, Full-Time (40 hours per week)

Reports To: Heidi Blasius (Fisheries Biologist)

Location: 711 S. 14^th Avenue, Safford, AZ 85546

Status: 1700-hour AmeriCorps Service Term, full-time, temporary

Benefits: AmeriCorps Education Award of $6,895.00; Public Lands Corps Certificate*; both with successful completion of the service term. The Corps Network health insurance provided by Cigna, AmeriCorps childcare assistance.

*To be eligible for a Public Lands Corps certificate, members must be between the ages of 18-30, inclusive, at the time the member begins their term of service.

Summary:

Arizona Conservation Corps (AZCC):  

Arizona Conservation Corps, a program of Conservation Legacy, aims to continue the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930's. AZCC is focused on connecting youth, young adults, and recent era military veterans with conservation service work projects on public lands. AZCC operates programs across Arizona that engage individuals and strengthen communities through service and conservation. AZCC has program offices in Flagstaff and Tucson.  

Bureau of Land Management (BLM):

The BLM Safford Field Office (SFO) manages 1.4 million acres of deserts, mountains and grasslands in six eastern Arizona counties and another 118,000 acres of rangelands in New Mexico in cooperation with the BLM Las Cruces District Office. Its boundaries range from the Navajo Nation in the north to the international boundary with Mexico in the south. There are eight units within BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System, including the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area, six wilderness areas, including the world-renowned Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness and one wilderness study area. 

Public lands in this field office also include 11 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, Muleshoe Ranch Cooperative Management Area, Black Hills Back Country Byway, Willcox Playa National Natural Landmark, Guadalupe Canyon Outstanding Natural Area, one property on the National Register of Historic Places and more than 30 miles of stream segments under consideration for Wild & Scenic River designation. 

The Safford Field Office and partners have been working to gather current and accurate information on the distribution and abundance of non-native fish species on BLM managed public lands. The information is then used to target removal efforts in those habitats supporting non-native predatory fish.

Position Summary:

Working under the Fisheries Biologist, the selected interns will assist with fish habitat improvement in the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area and Aravaipa Ecosystem Management Area, which includes the Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness, and will be helping to secure four federally endangered fish populations and populations of five sensitive fish species that are currently being impacted by non-native fish. Through their involvement, the interns will learn about conservation practices and invasive species management.

Projects that the interns will be involved with are designed to help conserve, restore, and improve habitat conditions for native, sensitive, and listed fish species, and include the mechanical removal of invasive and non-native aquatic species, helping prevent the spread and establishment of invasive species through the promotion of ecosystem health, recording and entering of data, monitoring of water quality, and other assigned projects.

These projects will help strengthen partnerships with federal, state, city, and non-governmental organizations that collaborate on behalf of desert fishes’ conservation. The interns’ efforts will help protect biodiversity, preserve natural resources, and ensure the long term sustainability of ecosystems.

Training will be provided for the interns in fish identification, plant identification, field safety, use and care of fisheries equipment, use of Hydrolab, 4 wheel drive vehicle safety, data collection and recording, and technical writing.

Essential Responsibilities and Functions:

• Work with BLM Fisheries Biologist and contractors on mechanical removal of non-native fish using traps, nets, and backpack electrofishing.
• Review and summarize data and conduct quality control.
• Perform data entry, validation, and verification.
• Conduct statistical analysis of data and create written reports.
• Enter data into field office database.
• Utilize Hydrolab equipment to monitor water quality.
• Conduct mechanical removal of invasive vegetation with hand tools.
• Perform seeding and native vegetation plantings.
• Install erosion control blankets and rockwork.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Six months or more of fisheries-related field experience, OR a willingness and motivation to learn more about desert fishes and aquatic and riparian habitats.
• Possessing professionalism, a strong work ethic, and positive attitude.
• Applicants must pass a criminal history check prior to starting in order to participate in AmeriCorps.
• The DOI background clearance process must be initiated for the selected intern prior to starting position.
• Must be 21 or over, OR have had driver's license for at least 3 years if under 21.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Pursuing or holding a bachelor’s or master’s degree in fisheries, aquatic science, or a closely related field.

Physical Requirements:

• To successfully perform essential functions, the individual is required to sit, stand, walk, speak, hear, etc. May be required to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl for significant periods of time and be able to safely lift 50 pounds on a routine basis. He/she must be able to operate office equipment, telephone, and computer and reach with hands and arms.
• Ability to hike and navigate in rough, wet, and slippery terrain.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made for qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Participant Essential Eligibility Requirements:

Participation and Expedition Behavior:

• Work effectively as a member of a team despite potentially stressful and difficult conditions. This may require problem solving on an interpersonal or group level as well as a willingness to accept differences.
• Contribute to a safe learning environment, no harassment of others for any reason.
• Willingness and ability to complete all aspects of the program including conservation projects, education, training, and national service.
• Effectively communicate ideas and concerns as they arise directly to supervisors, colleagues, and organization staff.
• Appropriately represent Arizona Conservation Corps, the BLM and AmeriCorps to the public and partners at all times.
• Flexibility, adaptability and capacity to work in a fluid, changing work environment.

Safety and Judgment: 

• Interns may be exposed to risks including venomous reptiles, thorny vegetation, inclement weather, extreme temperatures, operation of vehicles on rough 4 wheel drive roads, slips and falls in streams due to slippery rock surfaces, and hiking off-trail on uneven ground.
• Effectively communicate danger to others in the form of either a warning of danger others may be encountering or a notification of personal distress, injury or need for assistance. Must be able to do so at a distance of up to 50 meters and in conditions with limited visibility or loud background noise such as darkness or high winds.
• Effectively perceive and understand significant and apparent hazards and follow direction by others so that you will be able to successfully execute techniques to manage hazards. These directions may be given before the hazard is encountered or may need to be given during the exposure to the hazard. Ability to respond appropriately to stress or crisis.
• Stay alert and focused for several hours at a time while traveling and working in varied weather conditions.
• If taking prescriptions medications, participants must be able to maintain proper dosage by self- medicating without assistance from others.

Substance Free:

In accordance with a drug free workplace, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and program activities and while on organization property.

Background Check:

A DOI background clearance will be initiated before the selected candidate's start date. This will be required for the intern to have necessary access to DOI data. The BLM will provide instructions for completion of the clearance after an intern has been selected. This process will not affect the internship’s exact start date.

Interns will have access to government facilities and systems, and will be supplied with access to government vehicles, equipment, and materials needed to work on the projects and activities as outlined above. Interns must adhere to all government regulations and policies for operating equipment, vehicles, security awareness, and safety.

To Apply: Please submit an updated resume and cover letter along with the online application by clicking the APPLY button below. If you have questions, contact AZCC’s Individual Placement Coordinator, Preston Sands at psands@conservationlegacy.org.

For more information about Arizona Conservation Corps, please visit https://azcorps.org. Arizona Conservation Corps is a program of Conservation Legacy.