Forester (Silviculture)
To apply for this job, go to: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/726230000#
Summary
These positions serves on a Forest Service unit as a program leader with responsibility for the development and/or review of silvicultural plans and programs including compartment prescription, reforestation, timber stand improvement, and tree improvement, as well as participation in NEPA planning for vegetation projects.
For additional information about the duties of this position contact James Pitts at james.pitts@usda.gov
See ADDITIONAL INFORMATION for duty location information.
Duties
Make on-the-ground examinations and analyses of forest areas to determine which areas require short- or long-range cultural treatment in terms of the total ecosystem.
Plan, coordinate, and administer the technical phases of forest area control of animals, insects, or diseases affecting reforestation and regeneration programs.
Participate in preparation and review of environmental analysis reports and environmental impact statements.
Provide technical assistance on mutual reforestation problems.
Serve as a consultant and advisor to district personnel in all facets of reforestation and timber stand improvement techniques and the effect of resource activities on silvicultural plans and programs.
Assist in the development of long-range vegetation management plans and programs, including formulation of policies, objectives, and priorities, and the correlation and integration of timber plans into the overall land management plans.
Provide program leadership for the silviculture program on the forest or equivalent to draft local policy and technical guides and standards for timber marking, reforestation, and timber stand improvement programs.
Serve as the budget coordinator for the silviculture program which includes coordinating with staff on budget allocations and making adjustments to ensure the silviculture program budget remains within its annual allocations.
Provide prescriptions and prescription certification and oversight for vegetation treatment projects, including stand thinning, timber harvest, and prescribed application of fire.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.Successful completion of one year probationary period, unless previously served.Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.govGS-12 only: Must be a certified Silviculturist OR attain Silviculturist certification within three years from entrance on duty.
Qualifications
In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.
Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.
Basic Requirement:
GS-0460:
Degree: forestry; or a related subject-matter field that included a total of at least 30 semester hours in any combination of biological, physical, or mathematical sciences or engineering, of which at least 24 semester hours of course work was in forestry. The curriculum must have been sufficiently diversified to include courses in each of the following areas:
- Management of Renewable Resources -- study of the science and art of managing renewable resources to attain desired results. Examples of creditable courses in this area include silviculture, forest management operations, timber management, wildland fire science or fire management, utilization of forest resources, forest regulation, recreational land management, watershed management, and wildlife or range habitat management.
- Forest Biology -- study of the classification, distribution, characteristics, and identification of forest vegetation, and the interrelationships of living organisms to the forest environment. Examples of creditable courses in this area include dendrology, forest ecology, silvics, forest genetics, wood structure and properties, forest soils, forest entomology, and forest pathology.
- Forest Resource Measurements and Inventory -- sampling, inventory, measurement, and analysis techniques as applied to a variety of forest resources. Examples of creditable courses include forest biometrics, forest mensuration, forest valuation, statistical analysis of forest resource data, renewable natural resources inventories and analysis, and photogrammetry or remote sensing.
OR: Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in forestry, or at least 30 semester hours in any combination of biological, physical, or mathematical sciences or engineering, of which at least 24 semester hours were in forestry. The requirements for diversification of the 24 semester hours in forestry are the same as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.
Specialized Experience Requirement:
For the GS-11: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following: Performed vegetation management duties including timber management, harvesting, reforestation, timber stand improvement, and fuels management; assisted in analyzing technical issues and/or provided advice and assistance on forestry resource management policies and practices. Assisted in reviewing or developing standard plans for well-established programs or projects or recommended short-range plans for a component of a forestry resource management program.
OR: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (coursework directly related to position being filled);
OR an appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education (beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester hours leading to a Ph.D.)
For the GS-12: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following: Prepared silvicultural/vegetative portions of environmental analysis reports and impact statements; planned and administered a timber management program which may have included providing technical direction in all phases of reforestation and timber stand improvement. Directed studies on problems created by timber management practices, including the regeneration of cut-over areas; and/or developed land use plans for a multiple-use forest resource area, specifically management of vegetation, with diverse and complex problems.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
See the Qualifications Section for required education.
Additional information
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).
Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Part-time and intermittent service will be credited only for time actually worked. Non-pay status such as leave without pay is credited for up to six months in a calendar year; anything beyond six months is not credited. Applicants are responsible for providing sufficient information/documentation to determine if the 24 month criteria is met.
Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.
For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as the Veteran's Recruitment Act (VRA), 30 percent disabled veterans, certain military spouses, Schedule A Disabled, etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website.
PROMOTION POTENTIAL: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied or guaranteed.
This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.
The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/
Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.
DUTY LOCATION INFORMATION:
Multiple positions will be filled. Full performance grade level varies by location.
In order to be considered for a locations verify that the appropriate location is selected.
Final determination of duty station will be made by the selecting official at the time of job offer.