JOB SUMMARY: These temporary/1039 positions are located in Shenandoah National Park in the Natural and Cultural Resources Division to assist with the implementation of fish population monitoring. This announcement has an early cut-off date (see Duties section for more information). MAJOR DUTIES: Initial Cut-off Date: This is an open continuous announcement in which applications are collected over several months, and have multiple cut-off dates. Applications will be considered throughout the open period of the announcement. The first cut-off date for early referral is Tuesday, January 7, 2025. Referral certificates will be issued when a hiring official exhausts current certificate and/or additional vacancies need to be filled. The primary purpose of the positions is to assist with the implementation of fish population monitoring throughout the park. These positions will serve on a field crew conducting backpacking electrofishing surveys in mountain stream habitats. During monitoring surveys, fish will be captured, identified, measured, weighed, and released. Additional duties include assisting with all aspects of the monitoring protocol including netting fish, fish identification, measuring stream habitat, and collecting information on water quality and quantity. The incumbent will use standardized software for data entry and summaries. The GS-06 position will serve as assistant crew lead on the field crew conducting backpacking electrofishing surveys within mountain stream habitats. Additional duties include leading and assisting with all aspects of the monitoring protocol including netting fish, fish identification, measuring stream habitat, and collecting information on water quality and quantity. The assistant crew lead will be responsible for maintaining and repairing equipment. It is anticipated that one GS-06 and one GS-05 position will also assist with aquatic macroinvertebrate monitoring; working from mid-April through early September. Also, three GS-05 positions for fisheries monitoring will work in the park from late May through early September. THIS POSITION INVOLVES LONG DISTANCE HIKING, UP TO 5 MILES A DAY IN STEEP, MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN IN ALL TYPES OF WEATHER. THERE MAY BE FREQUENT EXPOSURE TO HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY, COLD, WIND, RAIN, STINGING INSECTS, AND TICKS (INCLUDING TICKS THAT CARRY LYME DISEASE). SELECTEE MUST BE CAPABLE OF LIFTING, CARRYING AND PACKING OBJECTS AND LOADS OF 40-50 POUNDS. THE POSITION REQUIRES FREQUENT STRENUOUS ACTIVITY. POSITION LOCATION: These positions will be with the Division of Natural and Cultural Resources, Shenandoah National Park, Headquarters Complex. Headquarters is located approximately 4 miles from Luray, Virginia; a small rural community in the Shenandoah Valley all the basic public amenities and a population of about 4900. Nearby local towns include Harrisonburg, 33 miles; Winchester, 44 miles; and Charlottesville, 66 miles. Shenandoah National Park contains approximately 199,000 acres along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Virginia. The Park's backcountry consists of more than 500 miles of trails, including 95 miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and nearly 80,000 acres of federally designed wilderness. Skyline Drive, the famous scenic tour road through the Park, follows the ridge crest for 105 miles from Front Royal to the Blue Ridge Parkway near Waynesboro. Over a million people visit the Park each year to enjoy views from the Skyline Drive, hike trails, fish for trout, enjoy nature study, camp in campgrounds or in the backcountry, or stay overnight in one of the Park's rustic lodges or backcountry cabins. Park forests support a variety of wildlife, including deer, black bear and bobcats, and the mountain streams are inhabited by numerous species of fishes, including brook trout. IMPORTANT: Click the 'Apply for this job' button to view a complete job description.
