Fish Hatchery Support Member -AmeriCorps

Position Title: Fish Hatchery Support Member – AmeriCorps 

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Makah National Fish Hatchery, 897 Hatchery RD, Neah Bay, Washington, 98357

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 02/01/2027
• End Date: 07/30/2027
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 900 Hour, 26 weeks

Purpose:

Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants serve with federal agencies, Tribal governments, and nonprofits to provide institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards partners with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to facilitate the WaterCorps Program to provide opportunities to federally enrolled Tribal Members seeking to gain experience in the water resources field. This WaterCorps position will be hosted at the Makah National Fish Hatchery and will host a Fish Hatchery Support Member.

The Fish Hatchery Support Member is an AmeriCorps position that will contribute to fish hatchery operations and provide supplemental field science and public outreach support to projects alongside Makah National Fish Hatchery Staff. The hatchery’s goal is to increase area abundance of Pacific Salmon for increased harvest opportunities on the Makah Indian Reservation and surrounding watersheds. The Fish Hatchery Support Member will assist with all aspects of hatchery operations primarily focused on fish culture of Chinook, Coho, and steelhead. Makah National Fish Hatchery operates alongside the Makah Tribe as its Co-steward, utilizing the best available science to guide decision making and production goals.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. This position will help FWS realize that mission at Makah National Fish Hatchery by supporting all aspects of hatchery operations (fish husbandry, hatchery operation, and light maintenance). Successful operations are critical to the ongoing success of rearing Pacific Salmon and steelhead.

Description of Duties:

• Fish Production (85%)
• • Feeding fish, cleaning raceways, picking mortality, sampling fish, assisting with fish releases and health management.
  • Abiotic data collection such as water quality to include salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and temperature.
  • Provide support to marking and tagging of the fish on station including preparing raceways, moving hoses, crowding raceways and operating fish pumps.
  • Data entry and management, including data entry into excel spreadsheets.
  • Field projects to support evaluation of hatchery programs and natural origin fish in the watershed.
  • Supporting upkeep of sampling instrumentation, incubators, raceways and fish culture supplies.
• Landscaping (10%)
• • Operating lawn mowers and weed whackers (trimmers) to assist in hatchery upkeep.
• Outreach (5%)
• • Assist FWS Information and Education staff with outreach activities around the local area.
  • Public engagement: answering questions from visitors, leading hatchery tours, supporting school visits/programs, and help with FWS outreach events.
  • Participate in natural resource projects led by the Makah Tribe, assisting with ongoing efforts. Examples may include helping with green crab trapping, habitat evaluations, Hoko Fish Hatchery support, or watershed science.

Qualifications:

• Ability to lift at least 50 pounds
• Ability to walk at least 4 miles daily on uneven ground.
• Ability to complete over 8 hours a day, if needed, in inclement weather (rain, wind, sun, etc.)
• Must be a member of a Federally recognized Indian Tribe, Band, or Village; Alaska Native; or meet one of the following descriptions:
  • Persons who possess at least one-half degree Indian blood derived from Tribes Indigenous to the United States.
  • Descendants of Members of Federally recognized Indian Tribes, Bands or Communities who were residing on any Indian Reservation on June 1, 1934 – shown by completing BIA Form 4432.
• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award.
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete National Service Criminal History Checks for Conservation Legacy and the host site.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A strong interest in pursuing a career in fisheries and/or natural resource conservation science.
• Experience working in fisheries/ fish hatcheries.
• Relevant college degree or coursework is preferred but not required. Coursework could include biology, fisheries/aquatic science, forestry, wildlife biology, oceanography, ecology, and environmental science.

Additional Position and Community Information:

• This position will be based in Neah Bay, WA at the Makah National Fish Hatchery. The Northwestern most point of the Olympic Peninsula. Neah Bay is a small rural community of 935 residents on the Makah Indian Reservation and is a 2-hour drive from major urban centers. Locally there is a small grocery store, several restaurants and a plethora of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors including surfing, famous beaches, hiking, fishing and much more.
• We will focus on local recruitment (Olympic Peninsula Area) but may be able to offer housing to applicants from outside the area.
• It will be important for the member to have a personal vehicle due to the rural setting.

Our Commitment:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full consideration of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential job functions. Physical requirements may include periodic overnight travel, non-traditional work hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. The ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to Vanessa Morrison at vmorrison@conservationlegacy.org

Time Requirements:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve 40 hours per week, but exact service schedules may vary according to project needs. A half hour lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service hours.
• Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term. 

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.

• Position training will be provided for all aspects of hatchery operations including safety training.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $3,697
• Living Allowance of $600 per week.
• Additional Benefit of $100 per week.
• Healthcare Coverage (opt in)
• Childcare Coverage (opt in)
• Student Loan Forbearance if Eligible (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
• Interest Payments if Eligible (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.

Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.

How to Apply:

Click here: https://secure.entertimeonline.com/ta/conservationlegacy.careers?ShowJob=738772544

Open position, review full position description and click apply. In addition to your resume, you must upload a copy of your Tribal ID proving you are enrolled in a federally recognized Tribe, Band, or village. Please also submit a one-page cover letter highlighting why you are interested in this position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position.

Application Timeline:

Preference given to applicants who submit applications by 01/08/2027. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

Service Site Contact information: Kristin Bates, Kristin_Bates@fws.gov

Program Contact information: Nicole Cabral, ncabral@conservationlegacy.org

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.  

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodations due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.