Job Description

Ocean Associates Inc. (OAI) is seeking scientific and technical professionals to complete Endangered Species Act (ESA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) effects evaluations and support ongoing and new consultation requests for the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) West Coast Region (WCR). OAI is a Virginia corporation established in 2003 that provides consulting and technical services to the U.S. government, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and the private sector. We specialize in scientific program and project management, strategic planning, professional and technical services and stakeholder engagement, supporting government contracts.

NOAA’s NMFS received funding under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to address deferred maintenance and repairs to hatcheries that produce Pacific salmon and steelhead in support of federally recognized tribes with federally reserved fishing rights. IRA funds will be provided to hatcheries funded by the Mitchell Act to support high-priority deferred maintenance for hatcheries for federally recognized tribes’ federally-reserved fishing rights in the Columbia River Basin. IRA funds will also be provided for Non-Mitchell Act Hatcheries and will support deferred maintenance needs for hatcheries that support federally recognized tribes’ federally reserved fishing rights outside the Columbia River Basin (e.g., in the States of California, Alaska, and throughout western Washington).

Over the next several years, tribes will identify priority hatchery facilities that require funding to complete deferred maintenance that currently operate individual hatchery programs (hereafter, Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans, or “HGMPs”) producing salmon and steelhead. The HGMPs are largely implemented to provide adult fish for harvest in tribal and State fisheries as mitigation for lost natural-origin salmonid production. Funding deferred maintenance may lead to in-water work, and potentially alteration of production levels of salmon and steelhead at any facility deemed eligible. Depending on the watershed where a facility operates, there can be multiple ESA-listed “threatened” or “endangered” anadromous salmonid populations under NMFS regulatory purview that may be affected by facility maintenance activities, construction, or operational modifications. As such, much if not all of the activities associated with awarding funds from the IRA towards deferred maintenance of tribal hatchery facilities will require ESA review and approval by NMFS to ensure their effects (“takes”) do not jeopardize listed salmon and steelhead populations. The NMFS review and determination processes require completion of several effects evaluation and determination documents consistent with ESA and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements. We expect tribal and/or federal managers will submit the necessary plans for assessment of the adequacy of the activities under section 10, section 7(a)(2), or Limits 4, 5 or 6 of the salmon and steelhead rule under section 4(d) of the ESA. The work may require assembling information on species status and life history specific to the stocks at issue using the Viable Salmonid Population framework and technical analysis including trend analysis and risk assessment. The documents provide comprehensive scientific evaluations of listed fish effects associated with proposed hatchery actions, concluding with findings whether the activities are consistent with ESA protective requirements.

NMFS requires support to perform scientific writing and analyses required to complete ESA and NEPA effects evaluation and determination documents for the anticipated requests for consultation from the tribes. Personnel under this contract will write and edit sections of ESA and NEPA documents for IRA funded tribal hatchery deferred maintenance activities that may affect WCR Anadromous Salmon and Steelhead ESA-listed fish. The personnel shall revise draft versions of the documents prior to their finalization based on internal NMFS review, and review by the Tribes, and potentially the general public.

Task 1:

• Work with NMFS staff to draft and complete NEPA and ESA effects evaluation and determination documents throughout the WCR, bundled by watershed or type of hatchery program, or facility. Bundles prioritized for NMFS review will come on a first come/first serve basis and contractor work during the contract period include plans for potentially all watersheds containing a hatchery facility associated with federally recognized tribes with federally reserved fishing rights.
• Edit draft versions of NEPA and ESA sections of documents prepared by others to prepare them for review within the WCR, the hatchery co-managers, and the general public.
• Respond to comments on the NEPA documents provided via internal review, by the co-managers, and/or by the general public. Respond to comments on the NEPA and ESA documents provided via internal review, by the co-managers, and/or by the general public.

Deliverables:

• Be the Subject Matter Expert and be the primary point of contact for internal contractor communications, and for communications with NMFS Project Leader and other NMFS staff.
• Be the Subject Matter Expert to provide project management and support to any subcontractors, organization and facilitation of the work and meeting the deliverables within provided metrics.
• Maintain regular communications with Project Leader and project performance.
• Communications are to occur on an as needed basis as determined by the nature and complexity of the document(s) and project schedules. Efficient and effective project performance is mandatory.

Task 2:

Provide well written documents, which will be gauged against their adherence for using the required document formats (e.g., WCR NEPA Quality Assurance Plan, Federal plain language guidelines, Government Printing Office Style Manual, etc.) and approaches supplied by NMFS, including:

• Well-written Environmental Assessments (EA); a concise public document that provides sufficient evidence and analysis for determining whether NMFS should issue a Finding of No Significant Environmental Impact (FONSI) or prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) of major Federal actions).
• Well-written sections of Environmental Impact Statements (EIS); a government document that analyses the impact of major Federal actions that significantly affect the quality of the human environment).
• Revised versions of NEPA documents that address internal, co-manager, and the general public concern. In addition, a “response to comments” will need to be prepared based on comments received on the draft NEPA document.
• Well-written ESA documents.

Deliverables:

• Provide drafts of chapters draft EISs or final EISs, and front and end materials including lists of acronyms, glossary, summary, tables of contents/tables/figures/appendices, references, and index, to NMFS Project Leader and/or staff for review and revision.
• Resource sections to be prepared shall include water quantity and quality, fish species other than salmon and steelhead, wildlife, socioeconomics, environmental justice, and human health. NMFS will lead drafting of chapters 1 and 2, and they may lead drafting of the salmon and steelhead resource sections of chapters 3 and 4.
• Writing sections of ESA documents that are organized logically, flow smoothly, are free of errors, are concise, support a central point, and are delivered within the required timeframes.
• Contribute to revising versions of ESA documents that address internal, co-manager, and the general public concern in a timely manner.
• Provide information for various comprehensive reports.

Task 3:

Document review, QA/QC, word processing, and production

• Using NMFS NEPA style guides, provide technical and QA/QC reviews of NEPA documents, provide word processing of draft and revised documents following NMFS internal review, and compile finished EIS documents for NMFS clearance.
• Using NMFS established review and internal review and clearance procedures, compile finished ESA documents for NMFS clearance.
• Develop updated outreach materials for NEPA or ESA documents.

Deliverables:

• Reviewed and formatted documents submitted to NMFS for final editing/revision/approval.
• Documents include 508 compliance and other applicable law checks.
• Each document will have a unique time frame and be due on an as needed basis

Requirements:

(Senior Level-lead)

Bachelor’s degree, or higher, from an accredited college or university with a major directly related in a field of study as related to the requirements of specific task order with emphasis in fisheries, oceanography, social science, natural science, mathematics, or hydrology, plus 8 (eight) years of experience in related field or combination totaling twelve (12) years combined education/experience.

(Mid-level)

Bachelor’s degree, or higher, from an accredited college or university with a major directly related in a field of study as related to the requirements of specific task order with emphasis with emphasis in fisheries, oceanography, social science, natural science, mathematics, or hydrology, plus one (1) year of experience in related field or combination totaling five (5) years combined education/experience.

(Entry-level)

Bachelor’s degree, or higher, from an accredited college or university with a major directly related in a field of study as related to the requirements of specific task order with emphasis with emphasis in fisheries, oceanography, natural science, mathematics, or hydrology.

Additional required qualifications include:

• A high level of expertise and extensive experience with processes, document preparation, and production of NEPA or ESA documents for NMFS analyses of salmon and steelhead hatchery programs.
• Extensive familiarity with the effects of hatcheries on natural resources, including physical operation of hatchery facilities, water quality and use, potentially affected listed and non-listed aquatic and terrestrial fish and wildlife species, fisheries, socioeconomics, environmental justice, human health, and cumulative effects.
• A thorough enough understanding of NMFS requirements for sufficient NEPA or ESA documents.

Additional preferred qualifications include:

• Experience working with Columbia River basin and/or Puget Sound hatchery programs.
• Proven experience working under the guidance and direction of NMFS, using NMFS’ document formats and approaches for NEPA or ESA analysis of hatchery programs

Start Date: As soon as possible

Location: Remote. On-site work or attendance for various trainings and/or meetings could occur at any of the following locations: the NMFS office located at 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Building #1, Seattle, WA 98115; or 1009 College St. SE. Suite 210, Lacey, WA 98503; or 304 South Water, #201, Ellensburg, WA 98926; or 1201 Northeast Lloyd Boulevard, Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97232; or 800 E. Park Blvd, Plaza IV, Suite 220, Boise, ID 83712-7768; or 1848 South Mountain View Road, Box 5, Moscow, ID 83843-7019 or other agreed to NMFS office depending on what site might be closest to the contractor off-site location.

Salary and Benefits: These will be full time positions with benefits. Salary range $32 to $43 per hour depending on experience.

Travel: Travel is anticipated. Several day trips will be necessary for technical collaboration and check-ins. Estimated expenses for these trips include per Diem (MI&I) for travel days, mileage reimbursement, and lodging for a trip, should it be deemed necessary and within the expected budgeted expectation.

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: 60,000 - 80,000.

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