You may also be called on to acquire more public land in order to develop more habitats, in which case you will have to set priorities and establish guidelines for the acquisition. This may involve appraisals, determining purchasing requirements, negotiations, and budgetary meetings. It will also require your knowledge of laws and regulations regarding land acquisition and use. Environmental impact studies may have to be generated at this stage of the process.
As reports come to your desk, you will be responsible for analyzing and evaluating them. Therefore, you will have to have a wide-ranging knowledge of ecology, plant/animal/fish dynamics, feeding needs, behavioral patterns, and habitats in order to implement recommendations based on the results of research.
Your communications skills will come in handy at the managerial level because you will be writing technical reports for statewide distribution regarding your plans and programs. You may also write articles for trade journals or for popular consumption. You may speak at community or school events or scientific conferences.
Any work done by state employees requires disclosure to the public. The reports you prepare may be for consumption not only by other scientists or state officials but also by the citizens of the state. You may be required to present these reports orally to groups of constituents. Or you may appear on radio or television shows for informational purposes.
Knowledge of your state's geography will help you plan programs that ensure an improved environment for all forms of life in the area. In some cases you may have to interpret aerial photographs of land areas to determine how those areas might best be utilized. In many cases, you may also have to use computers to compile and analyze field data and store the information in a database.
You will also have to plan and organize large research projects. In the process, you will work out costs and budgeting considerations, allocate funds, and oversee equipment purchases and repairs.
As manager of a staff, you will have to set policy, procedures, and priorities for your employees. If you use outside services, you will have to review contracts and supervise and evaluate their work. You will conduct staff meetings to get information on the progress of all projects under your supervision. You will set deadlines and make assignments for those projects and be sure that the proper methods are employed in carrying them out. You will see to it that your staff has the equipment, funds, and outside help they need.
In most states, you will have to have a Master of Science (M.S.) degree and knowledge of the ecology and geography of your region or state. Your work affects not only wildlife and fish. In its complexity it may impact a wide range of elements within the community, including business, law enforcement, recreation, geography, real estate, land development, and education.
As fish managers, you may be additionally responsible for setting standards of regulation for the spawning and harvesting of fish, protecting fish populations, and taking part in committee work that oversees these regulations. You may even be involved in making state laws regarding use of fish by ensuring that legislators have the proper background material and that sound fish management principles are incorporated into any proposed statutes. In this aspect of the job, you would testify at public hearings, prepared with essential facts and data.
As you advance in your career from biologist to manager, you will probably be less and less involved in the day-to-day contact with animals. But you can be consoled by the fact that all your planning, strategizing, writing, reporting, testifying, coordinating, developing, and evaluating will serve to improve the environment, habitat, and living conditions of the fish and wildlife in your jurisdiction.
Remember that each state has different educational requirements, job titles and descriptions, salary ranges, and benefits. This overview was intended only to give you a brief idea of the possibilities available to you as a member of a natural resources department. Be sure to contact the specific agency in your state for a more precise, specific, and thorough explanation of their employment procedures.
Some states might recommend that you work on a seasonal or part-time basis as a volunteer before you make up your mind about working with wildlife and fish populations. All states are looking for enthusiastic, dependable, and reliable employees who are also thoroughly trained professionals. Above all, state fish and wildlife workers must be committed to the animals' welfare-and that may mean you.
