State seeking aquatic invasive species inspectors
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks has announced that it is recruiting additional aquatic invasive species inspection and laboratory technicians for the upcoming season. The seasonal jobs, which offer competitive pay and benefits, will generally run from April through October.
The job opportunities are part of the state’s ongoing effort to battle the risk of spreading invasive mussels to other areas in the state. In October 2016, Montana’s first-ever detection of invasive mussel larvae showed up in Tiber Reservoir – and “suspect” detections turned up in Canyon Ferry Reservoir, the Missouri River below Toston Dam, and the Milk River. The discovery triggered a natural resource emergency in Montana and led to several strategies to manage the threat of invasive mussels spreading to other areas.
To qualify for one of the seasonal positions on the AIS team, applicants must be at least 18 years old, possess a valid driver’s license and clean driving record. Additional skills should include excellent customer service, a strong public service work ethic, and the ability to work in a team atmosphere. Interest in natural resource conservation is desired but not required.
FWP hiring staff will be on hand at the following locations to review resumes, conduct interviews and accept applications:
Kalispell:
FWP Regional Headquarters, 490 Meridian Rd.
March 17– Interviews
March 18 – Interviews
March 18 – Complete Paperwork
March 19 – Complete Paperwork
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
8 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Missoula:
FWP Regional Headquarters, 3201 Spurgin Rd.
March 20– Interviews
March 21 – Complete Paperwork
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
8 a.m. – 11 p.m.
FWP also will attend the Feb. 21 job fair at Salish Kootenai College to answer questions and recruit potential applicants.
Recent Joint Mussel Response Implementation Team recommendations to the Montana Legislature addressed annual preventative actions including additional mandatory Montana watercraft inspection stations; deployment of watercraft decontamination stations at Tiber and Canyon Ferry reservoirs; and doubling sample collection to more than 1,500 taken from more than 200 waterbodies.
Information on the AIS lab tech position is available online at: https://mtstatejobs.taleo.net/careersection/200/jobdetail.ftl?job=17140264. Inspection tech job information can be found at: https://mtstatejobs.taleo.net/careersection/200/jobdetail.ftl?job=17140265