Nooksack Senior Restoration Specialist - Environmental Planner 4 - Permanent - 2026-09447

Salary: $6,384.00 - $8,583.00 Monthly
Location : Snohomish County - Other, WA
Job Type: Full Time - Permanent
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number:
Department: Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
Opening Date: 11/10/2026
Closing Date: 11/22/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Description
Title- Nooksack Senior Restoration Specialist

Classification- Environmental Planner 4

Job Status- Full-Time - Permanent

WDFW Program- Habitat Program

Duty Station- Stanwood, Washington - Snohomish County

Hybrid/Telework- This position offers a hybrid work schedule, with at least 3days per week onsite at the Stanwood, WA regional office/in the field and up to 2 days of telework. The selected candidate must be available to work onsite for in-person meetings and to meet business needs.

This is an opportunity to lead and coordinate salmon recovery planning and habitat restoration initiatives throughout the Nooksack River watershed.

Envision yourself advancing watershed restoration by assessing environmental conditions, building community partnerships and support, facilitating communication among project sponsors and stakeholders, and tracking project implementation and progress toward salmon recovery goals.
What to Expect:

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, the Nooksack Restoration Planner will,
Lead internal and external coordination to develop restoration and habitat projects and identify and pursue funding opportunities:

• Actively engage tribal partners in restoration planning, including the Lummi and Nooksack Tribe, Regional Fish Enhancement Groups, Lead Entities, state and federal agencies, Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 1 Management Board, and other restoration entities.
• Actively and regularly engage tribal partners to ensure open communication on habitat restoration progress and limitations.
• Long-term planning such as identifying potential future projects for levee setbacks, flood/fish multi-benefit projects, and collective co-manager needs.
• Support and ensure that Restoration Pathway guidelines and policy are properly implemented.
• Lead discussions and negotiate agreements associated with habitat restoration projects and opportunities on WDFW lands by cooperatively engaging regional and district teams.

Develop fundable restoration project proposals and manage planning, design, and/or implementation of restoration projects:

• Develop proposals for new and/or expanded projects that meet the highest habitat needs and recovery objectives for Nooksack River Chinook recovery.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to assemble habitat and fisheries data to inform the development of goals, objectives and actions for advancement of restoration projects in the Nooksack watershed.
• Attend WRIA 1 Management Board, WRIA 1 Management Team, WRIA 1 Salmon Work Group, City of Bellingham and Whatcom County culvert work group meetings in-person and collaborate closely with WDFW Fish Program District Fish Biologist and WRIA 1 Habitat Biologist to understand and assess conditions throughout the Nooksack watershed.
• Participate in the Lummi, Nooksack, and WDFW co-manager meetings and provide regular updates.
• Coordinate with regional habitat, fish and wildlife biologists, and engineering staff to develop recommendations for project proposals by the WDFW Regional Management Team (RMT).

Develop and manage grants and effective and efficient budgets:

• Work with Regional Habitat Program Manager (RHPM) and program budget managers to develop fiscally responsible proposals and scopes of work.
• Ensure staff allotments are complete and efficient for accomplishing work.
• Actively manage expenditures, and report discrepancies to RHPM monthly.
• Support to meet project tracking, reporting, and close out administrative requirements to ensure all projects meet goals, objectives, and deliverables within schedule and budget.

Working Conditions:

Work setting, including hazards: Work primarily in an office and meeting setting. Travel to meetings within the region and statewide, as needed. Fieldwork duties may include walking over rough terrain for short distances (
Schedule: Typically, Monday - Friday, 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M., working 40 hours per week. The standard work schedule includes the potential for occasional evening or weekend work as needed.

Travel Requirements: Travel up to 15% of the time. Periodic statewide or regional travel and occasional attendance at evening meetings required. May include extended travel and evening or overnight trips.

Customer Interactions: Interact with state agency, tribal, and local government staff and leads, including Ecology, Agriculture, Health, county commissioners, tribal staff and the public

Qualifications:

Closely related qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-by-year basis.
Required Qualifications:

A bachelor's degree (or higher) in urban, regional, environmental or natural resource planning, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related field.

And

Five (5) years of professional experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental or natural resource planning, and/or program development.

Or

One (1) year of experience as an Environmental Planner 3.

Certifications/Licenses:

Valid Driver's License.

Preferred Qualifications:

In addition to the required qualifications, our ideal applicant will possess one or more of the following:

A Master's Degree or higher with major emphasisurban, regional, environmental or natural resource planning, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related field.
Experience with:

• Marine, nearshore, and freshwater ecosystems, including salmon life histories.
• Environmental regulations and permitting, including State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA), Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, Growth Management Act (GMA) and Shoreline Management Act (SMA).

Competencies:

• Ability to apply fish and wildlife management techniques, general ecological principles and practices and conservation and restoration biology.
• Knowledge of environmental engineering principles.
• Knowledge of human influence on aquatic ecosystems.

Your application must include the following:

• A completed online application showcasing how your qualifications align with the job requirements.
• An up-to-date resume.
• A cover letter detailing your interest in the position, your relevant skills and experience, and why you are the ideal candidate.
• At least three professional references with current contact information.

Supplemental Information
In addition to and other , there are other that WDFW employees may be eligible for. Click the "Benefits" tab at the top of this announcement to learn more.

Union - WAFWP:

This position is in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Association of Fish & Wildlife Professionals and is subject to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the State of Washington, Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the Washington Association of Fish & Wildlife Professionals.

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More than Just a Paycheck!
Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.

We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.

Read about our benefits:
The following information describes typical benefits available for full-time employees who are expected to work more than six months. Actual benefits may vary by appointment type or be prorated for other than full-time work (e.g. part-time); view the job posting for benefits details for job types other than full-time.

Note: If the position offers benefits which differ from the following, the job posting should include the specific benefits.

Insurance Benefits
Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state.

Staff are eligible to enroll each year in a medical flexible spending account which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care expenses. Employees are also covered by basic life and long-term disability insurance, with the option to purchase additional coverage amounts.

To view premium rates, coverage choice in your area and how to enroll, please visit the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) website. The Washington Wellness program from the Health Care Authority works with PEBB to support our workplace wellness programs.

Dependent care assistance allows the employee to save pre-tax dollars for a child or elder care expenses.

Other insurance coverage for auto, boat, home, and renter insurance is available through payroll deduction.

The Washington State Employee Assistance Program promotes the health and well-being of employees.

Retirement and Deferred Compensation
State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site.

Employees also have the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP). This is a supplemental retirement savings program (similar to an IRA) that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.

Social Security
All state employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The state and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.