Forester (Silviculture) - Forest Service

Summary This position is located in Region 6, on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington. This position serves on a Forest Service unit as a program leader with resposibility for the development and/or review of silvicultural plans and programs including compartment prescription, reforestation, timber stand improvement, tree improvement, and NEPA planning. For additional information about the duties of the position, please contact Joshua Chapman, joshua.l.chapman@usda.gov Responsibilities Duties listed at the full performance GS-12 Evaluate adequacy and effectiveness of timber improvement programs through periodic on-the-ground inspections of compliance with established policies, standards, program objectives and initiate corrective action as needed. Provide program leadership for the silviculture program on the forest to draft local policy and technical guides and standards for timber marking, reforestation, and timber stand improvement programs. Review and critique short-range plans and annual work plans prepared by first level unit personnel for timber sale planning, reforestation, timber stand improvement, and pest management. Serve as the Forest budget coordinator for the silviculture program which includes coordinating with Regional staff on budget allocations and making adjustments to ensure the Forest silviculture program budget remains within its annual allocations. Prepare budget reports and project work plans to coordinate and monitor funding for partnership projects. Coordinate insect, disease, and animal damage control programs as applied to silvicultural activities on the individual operating units. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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: 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 were 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: GS-12. One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. Qualifying specialized experience includes meeting 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; 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. Work Experience: Your resume must clearly document the following for each block of work experience; the beginning day, month and year the work assignment started and ended; the hours worked per week; position title, and series and grade if applicable; and description of duties performed. This information must be provided for each permanent, temporary, or seasonal appointment/work assignment or volunteer work and should be clearly documented as a separate block of time. Incomplete, inaccurate, or conflicting work history may not be credited for qualifications purposes. This can result in an applicant not being considered for the position. Education See above for education that may be qualifying for the specific grade level. Additional Information Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP 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 applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary and term employees the 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 and the last temporary or term appointment must have been with Region 6 of the Forest Service. 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. 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. This is a bargaining unit position and is represented by either NFFE, AFGE, or NAGE. We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.