Senior Conservation Officer - Lake Pend Oreille Fisheries Officer

Please Note: Applications will be accepted through 4:59 PM MST on the posting end date. 

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is seeking to dedicated and experienced Senior Conservation Officer (SCO) to join our team as the Lake Pend Oreille Fisheries Officer, stationed in Sandpoint Idaho. This position will focus on the Lake Pend Oreille watershed. If you are passionate and committed to protecting Idaho’s natural resources and have a strong background in conservation law enforcement, we encourage you to apply for this rewarding and impactful role. 

Senior Conservation Officer - Lake Pend Oreille Fisheries Officer:

The Lake Pend Oreille (LPO) Fisheries Officer is a unique law enforcement position focused on the Lake Pend Oreille watershed. This position is an opportunity to join a multi-year project that works in conjunction with multiple government and non-profit stakeholders to protect native cold-water species through enforcement and education programs.

The LPO Fisheries Officer operates under an individual budget approved by AVISTA and produces semi-annual reports. The position does have an educational component where they work alongside various bureaus to facilitate educational events in the spring and early fall. This currently amounts to about 15-20 days of outreach and is flexible based on officer and department objectives.

Though the focus of the position is within the LPO fishery, the officer assists in all other aspects of the job of Senior Conservation Officer regarding all species throughout the Panhandle (especially the fall) and the state of Idaho. The successful candidate will be expected to perform functions and duties related to District, Region, and State goals.

Specific responsibilities for the LPO Fisheries Officer include:

• Monitoring tributaries known to support adfluvial, spawning salmonids and the apprehension and prosecution of people harvesting or attempting to harvest protected fish species.
• Patrolling multiple lakes and rivers contacting anglers to increase the enforcement presence on the waterways throughout the year.
• Education of anglers during routine enforcement contacts, and education of school children through presentations and field trips, about fish identification and other fishery management objectives.

Responsibilities for Senior Conservation Officer:

• Conducts biological, wildlife, and wildlife population studies.
• Monitors stream alterations, fish kills, and other activities that impact wildlife populations and habitat.
• Conducts wildlife feeding programs and evaluates effects of proposed habitat manipulation for impact on wildlife.
• Patrols an assigned geographic area to detect and control violators of fish and game laws.
• Checks licenses, bag limits, and field camps of sportsmen.
• Plans and conducts investigations of suspected violators of fish and game laws and issues citations and makes arrests.

Minimum Qualifications: (These qualifications are required.)

• Permanent status as a Conservation Officer OR one year of experience as a sworn peace officer and equivalent level of comparable experience overseeing fish and wildlife management activities; working with interdisciplinary issues; dealing with and speaking before local sportsmen and citizen groups regarding wildlife issues (Typically gained by successful completion of at least 12 upper division (300-400 level) credits in fish, wildlife, biology, or a closely related natural resources field from an accredited college or university and at least one year of professional experience as a sworn peace officer gaining knowledge of fish and wildlife management practices including habitat and forage requirements, behavior of various fish and wildlife species, and wildlife population dynamics.)
• Willingness to participate and to instruct in hunting and fishing activities.
• Idaho Law requires that peace officers be certified by Idaho's Peace Officer Standards and Training Council ("POST"). The statutes and regulations of POST require that every peace officer be a citizen of the United States, and that citizenship must be established through one of the following: A birth certificate issued by the city, county or state and filed within one year of birth; Naturalization Certificate; U.S. Passport; Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth; or Certificate of Citizenship
• POST requires the disclosure of all charges, citations, arrests, or convictions of any crime, and if so to provide information describing the circumstances and disposition of each charge and to include all police and court documents.
  o NOTE: Per IDAPA Rule 11.11.01.056.02 An applicant shall be rejected who has been convicted of any felony crime. Any felony convictions whether withheld judgment, suspended or imposed, conviction of a DUI in the last two years and/or conviction of a sex crime, illegal drug crime, or crime of deceit in the last five years are also cause for rejection.
  o A misdemeanor conviction of any federal, state, or local crime may be grounds for rejection of the applicant.
  o The term “Conviction” shall include any conviction in a federal, tribal, state, county, or municipal court; a voluntary forfeiture of bail, bond, or collateral deposited to secure a defendant’s appearance; payment of a fine; plea of guilty, nolo contendere; a finding of guilt regardless of whether the sentence is imposed, suspended, deferred, or withheld, and regardless of whether the plea or conviction is set aside or withdrawn, or the case or charge is dismissed, or the record expunged under Section 19-2604, Idaho code, or any other comparable statute or procedure, where the setting aside of the plea or conviction, or dismissal of the case or charge, or expungement of the record is based upon lenity or the furtherance of rehabilitation rather than upon any defect in the legality of factual basis of the plea, finding of guilt, or conviction.
• POST Requirement one of the following:
  o High school graduate from a school accredited as a high school at the time of graduation by the recognized regional accreditation body;
  o Have passed GED or IBM Assessment Test in subject areas required by POST;
  o Have successfully completed a high school equivalency program and obtained a state-issued certificate;
  o Have successfully completed a minimum of fifteen (15) academic credits at a U.S. regionally-accredited college (please see IDAPA Rule 11.11.01.053.01.d for a list of the POST-accepted regional accreditation agencies.);
  o Completed a course of study, either in a formal school setting or through homeschooling if the program is recognized by a state or by a local school district within a state as having met that state’s high school graduation requirements.
• Be at least 21 years of age by the date of hire.
• Valid driver’s license from your state of residence and that you qualify for an Idaho driver’s license.
• Physical Fitness Standards must be met twice a year by all Conservation Officers. Listed below are the exercises that will be assessed and the required minimum passing score for each exercise:
  o Vertical Jump - Minimum Passing Score = 14 Inches
  o Sit-Ups (in one minute) -Minimum Passing Score = 15 Repetitions
  o Push-Ups (no time limit) -Minimum Passing Score = 21 Repetitions
  o 1.5 Mile Run/Walk -Minimum Passing Score = 17:17 Minutes/Seconds
  o 300 Meters Run-Minimum Passing Score = 77 Seconds 

 Automatic Disqualifiers: 

• The incumbent must be a sworn peace officer.
• POST requires the disclosure of all charges, citations, arrests, or convictions of any crime, and if so to provide information describing the circumstances and disposition of each charge and to include all police and court documents.
  o NOTE: Per IDAPA Rule 11.11.01.056.02 An applicant shall be rejected who has been convicted of any felony crime. Any felony convictions whether withheld judgment, suspended or imposed, conviction of a DUI in the last two years and/or conviction of a sex crime, illegal drug crime, or crime of deceit in the last five years are also cause for rejection.
  o A misdemeanor conviction of any federal, state, or local crime may be grounds for rejection of the applicant.
  o The term "Conviction" shall include any conviction in a federal, tribal, state, county, or municipal court; a voluntary forfeiture of bail, bond, or collateral deposited to secure a defendant's appearance; payment of a fine; plea of guilty, nolo contendere; a finding of guilt regardless of whether the sentence is imposed, suspended, deferred, or withheld, and regardless of whether the plea or conviction is set aside or withdrawn, or the case or charge is dismissed, or the record expunged under Section 19-2604, Idaho code, or any other comparable statute or procedure, where the setting aside of the plea or conviction, or dismissal of the case or charge, or expungement of the record is based upon lenity or the furtherance of rehabilitation rather than upon any defect in the legality of factual basis of the plea, finding of guilt, or conviction.
• Federal law prohibits individuals convicted of domestic violence from carrying a firearm.
• Any felony convictions
• Marijuana usage, which is considered illegal in the state of Idaho, within the last year.
• Drug usage, excluding marijuana, which are considered illegal in the State of Idaho within the last three years.
  o The term "used" is defined as any intentional or unintentional testing, smoking, injecting, absorbing, sniffing, or inhaling of any drug not prescribed, administered, or provided to the applicant by a licensed physician, their authorized agent, or practitioner allowed to do so by statute.
• Drug conviction within the last three years.
• Served in the military and been given any of the following military discharges: Bad Conduct Discharge (BCD), Dishonorable Discharge (DD), or Administrative Discharge of other than Honorable (OTH). 

How to Apply:

Please apply online at the URL listed below.

URL:

• Senior Conservation Officer - Lake Pend Oreille Fisheries Officer in Sandpoint, Idaho, United States or
• https://statecareers.idaho.gov/jobs/15199162-senior-conservation-officer-lake-pend-oreille-fisheries-officer 

To learn more about the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, please see the following:

• (Video) Idaho Fish and Game - We Make It Happen

Salary:

• $29.70 - $37.12 per hour DOE, Plus Competitive Benefits!

Additional Comments:

EEO/Veteran's Preference.