Title - NEPA-ESA Writer
Client: NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) – West Coast Region
Location: Remote (Off-site)
Employment Type: Full-Time Contractor
Position Overview
NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), West Coast Region, is seeking an experienced HGMP Biologist / NEPA-ESA Writer to provide scientific evaluation, technical writing, and environmental compliance support for hatchery programs affecting Pacific Northwest salmon and steelhead.
The successful candidate will prepare and review Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans (HGMPs) and associated environmental documentation under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Responsibilities include drafting Environmental Assessments, Environmental Impact Statements, ESA Biological Opinions, Section 10 permit documents, and ESA 4(d) evaluations supporting NOAA Fisheries'' hatchery management programs.
This position is primarily remote with periodic travel to meetings, workshops, hatchery facilities, and project sites throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Key Responsibilities
- Prepare ESA effects analyses for Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans (HGMPs) and Fishery Management and Evaluation Plans (FMEPs).
- Draft and revise NEPA documentation supporting NOAA hatchery programs and associated fisheries.
- Prepare or support:
- Environmental Assessments (EAs)
- Environmental Impact Statements (EISs)
- ESA Section 7 Biological Opinions
- ESA Section 10 permit documentation
- ESA 4(d) Limit 6 evaluations and determination documents
- Evaluate impacts of hatchery operations and fisheries on naturally spawning ESA-listed salmon and steelhead populations.
- Review and edit scientific documents for technical accuracy, clarity, consistency, organization, grammar, and regulatory compliance.
- Respond to technical comments received from NOAA reviewers, General Counsel, tribal co-managers, state agencies, and public stakeholders.
- Coordinate scientific analyses across watersheds, hatchery programs, and fisheries in collaboration with NOAA Fisheries staff.
- Maintain high-quality scientific documentation that supports NOAA''s environmental compliance and fisheries management objectives.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor''s degree in Biological Sciences, Fisheries Biology, Marine Biology, Aquatic Biology, Environmental Science, Ecology, or a related scientific discipline.
- Minimum three (3) years of professional experience supporting fisheries biology, hatchery management, or environmental compliance.
- Experience preparing NEPA Environmental Assessments (EAs), Environmental Impact Statements (EISs), or ESA Biological Opinions.
- Experience evaluating hatchery programs and assessing impacts on ESA-listed salmon and steelhead populations.
- Experience collaborating with federal agencies, tribal governments, and state resource agencies.
- Strong technical writing, scientific editing, analytical, and presentation skills.
- Ability to organize complex biological information and respond effectively to technical and public review comments.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Low-Risk Public Trust clearance and PIV/CAC credentials.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience preparing or reviewing:
- Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans (HGMPs)
- Fishery Management and Evaluation Plans (FMEPs)
- ESA Section 7 Biological Opinions
- ESA Section 10 permit documentation
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