Washington Conservation Action Education Fund (WCA EF) seeks a qualified independent contractor to represent the Forests and Fish Conservation Caucus in the scientific arm of the Adaptive Management Program (AMP). The contractor will participate in the Upland Processes Scientific Advisory Group (UPSAG), contribute technical expertise on roads, landslides, and channel processes, and provide monthly updates and recommendations to the Caucus. This is a one-year, part-time consulting contract with hourly compensation and potential for ongoing renewal.
Organizational Overview:
WCA EF is a statewide environmental advocacy organization that advances environmental policies and actions that equitably address climate pollution, restore Puget Sound, sustain our state’s forests, and protect our democracy. We develop, advocate, and defend policies that ensure environmental progress and justice by centering and amplifying the voices of the most impacted communities.
The Conservation Caucus participates in and supports the AMP through participation in the Timber, Fish, & Wildlife Policy Committee and Cooperative Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research Committee (CMER) science process. The Caucus’s mission is to improve Washington’s aquatic ecosystems by advancing science-based policy and technical information through the AMP, and to assist the Forest Practices Board in determining if and when it is necessary or advisable to adjust rules and guidance to meet the resource objectives and performance targets outlined in the Forest Practices Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP).
Background:
The Washington State Forest Practices Board approved a comprehensive package of forest practice rules in the 1999 Forests & Fish Report, which was adopted by the Washington state Legislature in 2001.
The AMP is designed to provide science-based, technically sound recommendations and guidance in support of the resource objectives related to aquatic habitats and water quality outlined in the WA Forest Practices HCP The CMER committee was formed to conduct research in support of the AMP meeting the HCP’s resource objectives.
Within CMER, UPSAG focuses on research related to sediment delivery and slope stability, including forest roads, shallow and deep-seated landslides, and channel processes. UPSAG’s studies provide the science needed to guide updates to forest practices rules and Board Manual guidance in these areas.
Requested Scope of Work:
The selected contractor will be expected to do the following as a representative of the Conservation Caucus:
- Attend UPSAG meetings representing the Conservation Caucus.
- Conduct research, review, and edit documents.
- Communicate with UPSAG members and other experts between meetings as needed.
- Serve on project teams to scope, develop, and help implement CMER-approved study designs, in alignment with the CMER Protocols and Standards Manual.
- Provide monthly status updates and technical recommendations to WCA EF’s Forest and Fish Program Senior Manager and the Conservation Caucus, and brief verbal updates in monthly caucus meetings.
- Coordinate monthly with the Conservation Caucus CMER representative regarding UPSAG updates and CMER agenda items.
- Provide additional input concerning AMP work at the discretion of WCA EF’s Forest and Fish Program Senior Manager.
- Review Forest Practices Applications related to landslide-prone harvest areas as needed.
Proposal Qualification Requirements:
Applicants should demonstrate:
- Technical expertise in upland processes such as roads, shallow and deep-seated landslides, and channel processes related to forest practices.
- Experience in collaborative, multi-stakeholder science or policy forums.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- A record of producing professional technical deliverables.
Please include the following in your proposal
- Your CV/resume. If not evident from your CV, please provide a summary of your scientific experience related to sediment delivery and slope stability, including forest roads, shallow and deep-seated landslides, and channel processes.
- A summary of your experience working in coalitions.
- A summary of your experience working with conservation organizations.
- A summary of your experience working with Tribal nations.
- A summary of your experience with sensitive information and coalition conflict.
- A description of your experience navigating politicized environments and coordinating with counterparts with at-times opposing perspectives.
- Provide an hourly rate.
Contract Details:
- Anticipated Contract Term: December 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026 (subject to change and annual renewal).
- Compensation: Based on hourly rate, with compensation for the contract term not to exceed $30,000. Applicants should include a proposed hourly rate and travel rate.
- Expenses: Mileage reimbursed at the standard IRS rate of .70 per mile.
- Invoices: Monthly, itemized in an Excel spreadsheet submitted by the 8th of each month.
Selection Determination:
- Demonstrated technical expertise and subject matter knowledge.
- Quality and clarity of written materials.
- Experience working collaboratively in science and policy contexts.
- Cost competitiveness and value.
Application Process:
Deadline: November 8, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
Format: Single PDF, submitted electronically to rico@waconservationaction.org
Contact: Questions and submissions should be directed to:
Rico Vinh, Forest and Fish Program Senior Manager
Washington Conservation Action Education Fund
rico@waconservationaction.org
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