Area Fisheries Specialist - Intermediate

Area Fisheries Specialist – Intermediate

Job Summary

The Division of Fish and Wildlife is seeking to hire one (1) full-time permanent Natural Resources Specialist Intermediate Fisheries position located in Windom, Minnesota. This position functions as an assistant to the Area Fisheries Supervisor to design, implement, and evaluate fisheries management activities in the Windom Fisheries Management Area that result in optimum and sustained use of fisheries resources and that protect, sustain, and enhance fish communities and other aquatic resources.

The Windom Fisheries Management Area encompasses all of Rock, Nobles, Jackson, Martin, Pipestone, Murray, Cottonwood, and Watonwan counties along with the southern half of Lincoln and Lyon counties in southwestern Minnesota.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Area Supervisor in direction, administration and management functions. These functions include serving as day-to-day lead worker for professional staff; functioning as the lead worker when the Area Supervisor is absent; completing administrative tasks as needed or directed.
• Design, implement and evaluate fisheries management plans and activities for all managed waters within the work area. Implement a lake and stream investigation program to obtain and report biological, physical, and sociological information. Investigations include biological lake and stream surveys, fish population assessments, water quality analyses, fish contaminant sampling, creel surveys, electrofishing surveys and other special investigations.
• Further implement fisheries management plan operational objectives through scheduling and coordination of fish production and distribution operations for walleye, muskellunge, trout, and panfish species for area, regional, and statewide stocking needs.
• Participate in projects and work teams with regional and/or statewide significance as a representative of the Section of Fisheries to provide input and expertise that will help guide Section of Fisheries’ programs and decision making processes that support strategic conservation, recreational and economic opportunities.
• Monitor, protect and enhance fish communities and aquatic habitat within the work area through a variety of activities including acquisition, protection and restoration of aquatic habitats and their features. Conduct environmental reviews of public and private development and provide recommendations on permitted activities, best practices and mitigations. Direct commercial fish removal and private aquaculture activities and lake reclamation operations.
• Develop and conduct effective public relations, information and education programs to inform the public of fisheries operations and provide education about aquatic resources and habitat protection.
• Continually increase knowledge of fisheries science and management techniques through technical and professional training, and to serve on various regional and statewide committees. Exchange information with other fisheries professionals and/or resource managers so that applications of fisheries science and management are advanced.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in biology, fisheries, or a closely associated area is required. Transcripts are required. Applicants who meet minimum qualifications will be sent instructions for transcript review after the posting close date.
• Transcript requirements:
• Fisheries and aquatic sciences courses. A minimum of 4 courses, for a total of 12 semester or 18 quarter hours. Of the 4 courses, at least 2 must be directly related to fisheries science, and at least 1 must cover principles of fisheries science and management.
• Other biological sciences courses that, when added to the preceding courses, total 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours.
• Physical sciences courses. Fifteen semester or 23 quarter hours.
• Mathematics and statistics courses. Six semester or 9 quarter hours, including 1 college algebra and 1 statistics course or 2 statistics courses.
• Communications courses. Nine semester or 13 quarter hours (3 semester or 5 quarter hours may be taken in communications intensive courses if officially designated as such by the university or college).

Preferred…