Description

The Upland Game Bird Habitat Specialist is an opportunity to work with a team of conservation professionals and partnering landowners to implement on-the ground habitat enhancements to benefit upland game bird and other wildlife, as well as the recreating public. The position is located in Northeast Montana within an area that holds some of the most productive upland game bird habitat in the state, interspersed with small towns that offer basic medical and basic shopping facilities. These communities represent excellent hometown values and affordable housing. Outdoor recreational opportunities abound with excellent upland and waterfowl hunting, birding, big game hunting, hiking, and fishing.

The specialist is primarily responsible for implementing FWP's Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program (UGBEP) in Northeast Montana (FWP Region 6) through working with landowners, conservation partners, sportspersons, and FWP personnel in promoting, locating, evaluating, designing, coordinating, and monitoring upland game bird habitat enhancement and conservation projects on private and public lands. When and where appropriate, wetland habitat enhancement, long-term conservation projects and releasing pen-raised pheasants, and game bird surveys will be included in the specialist's work.

Requirements

For more information and to apply, click here.

You must apply through the State of Montana Career site.

The Specialist will work out of a home office within 50 miles of Plentywood and needs to be self-motivated, willing to initiate contact with landowners and partners daily, and able to work with minimal supervision. The incumbent must be able to work outdoors sometimes in adverse weather conditions. Personal accountability is critical, and ownership of one's work is immense. Daily travel with provided vehicle within the immediate 100 miles of home office is frequent.

Knowledge of grassland and riparian wildlife habitats, plant and soil science including vegetation management techniques, an understanding of farming and ranching systems, and operating word-processing, spreadsheet, and data entry software. Working understanding of GIS software programs is preferred, but, if not, must be capable of learning. Knowledge of habitat and hunting access programs run by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, federal Farm Bill Programs (Conservation Reserve Program, Environmental Quality Incentive Program, Conservation Stewardship Program) as well as upland game bird biology and upland game bird hunting culture is preferred. Capable of working with landowners, hunters, partners, and department staff; effective verbal and written communication; administrative processes; and tracking expenditures as relates to individual projects. Capable of keeping multiple projects on track that involve different partners, different stages of completion, and a variety of different project details and timelines. Employee in this position will need to establish a personal work schedule, identifying priorities daily that results in ongoing and substantial accomplishments. The position requires understanding and applying habitat program rules and laws under a broad array of circumstances.