Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

NEPA Planner

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The position is responsible for performing work involved in Natural Resources Planning and Environmental law compliance, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Information on specific locations where jobs are being filled and the dates when applications are due for these locations can be found at Forest Service website.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
03/26/2019 to 09/30/2019
Salary
$51,440 to - $80,912 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Avery, ID
Bonners Ferry, ID
Coeur d'Alene, ID
Elk City, ID
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Entitlements for payment of basic moving expenses, as required and to the extent allowed by the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) 302-3.101, are authorized for eligible applicants changing duty station when the change meets the distance tests as provided in FTR 302-1.1 and 302-2.6. Additional relocation benefits are not available.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Announcement number
19-R1OCR-401-NEPA-9-11G
Control number
528516700

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Current permanent federal employees with competitive status, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP and VEOA eligibles, Farm Service Agency permanent county employees, 30 percent or More Disabled Veterans, Certain Former Overseas and Foreign Service Employees, Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement and Other Miscellaneous Authorities, People with Disabilities, Peace Corps and VISTA, Public Land Corps, Reinstatement, Resource Assistant Program and VRA eligible candidates.

Duties

Help
  • Responsibilities listed below are at the full performance level.
  • Conduct environmental studies and evaluations concerning a variety of resources, such as social economic, land, air, water, timber, recreation, wildlife, fisheries, and/or additional special areas.
  • Ensure National Environmental Policy Act ( NEPA) documents are in conformance with applicable law, regulation, and policy.
  • Coordinate with natural resource specialists to obtain, compile and analyze information used in formulating specific components of program and project plans.
  • Instruct project staff on the plan standards and guidelines related to the unit natural resource management proposal.
  • Write environmental analyses, assessments, and environmental impact statements.
  • Prepare annual operating plans and/or budgets.
  • Develop, monitor, and maintain planning documents and action plan for all aspects of the program of work.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US 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 https://www.e-verify.gov/.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the date the certificate of eligible candidates is issued. 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: General Natural Resources Management and Biological Science Series, 0401

Degree:
Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major field of study that included 24 semester hours in course work in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. Related course work generally refers to courses that may be accepted as part of the program major.

OR

Combination of education and experience that included 24 semester hours in course work in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position, AND experience sufficient to demonstrate that I possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation that is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field needed to perform the work of the occupation.

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-09 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level; OR a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related; OR an appropriate combination of specialized experience and education (only graduate education beyond 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. Examples of specialized experience include: Assisted in natural resource management activities; participated in environmental assessments and drafting segments of environmental impact statements; assisted in the permit review process by performing field inspections and collecting and analyzing environmental data; assisted in planning one or more conventional environmental resources projects, such as construction, production, or reclamation initiatives and ensure compliance with environmental plans and stipulations.

For the GS-11 level: Applicants must have 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 one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 level; 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.). Examples of specialized experience include: Participated in natural resource management activities by making observations, gathering data, and reporting findings where information was used in environmental assessments and environmental impact statements; participated in the permit review process or identifying regulatory compliance issues and requirements by performing field inspections and collecting and analyzing environmental data; served as a project planner for one or more conventional environmental resources projects, such as construction, production or reclamation activities and ensure compliance with environmental plans and stipulations.

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.

Additional information

This position is eligible for telework.

Bargaining unit status is dependent upon unit location.

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 above. 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.

Forest Service daycare facilities may be available.

Government housing may be available.

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 not guaranteed.

Information on special hiring authorities such as the Veteran's Recruitment Act (VRA), 30 percent disabled veterans, certain military spouses, and individuals with disabilities may be found on the USAJOBS website.

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 LWOP) 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.

We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.

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.

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).

THIS IS AN OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. This type of announcement provides the Forest Service with a readily available source of applicants when vacancies occur. Eligibility and qualifications will be verified when there is a vacancy for the location and grade for which you applied. Information on specific locations where jobs are being filled and the dates when applications are due for these locations can be found at https://fsoutreach.gdcii.com/Outreach.

Salary wage as shown is for Rest of the U.S. For more information, refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Salary and Wages web page.

Selectee will be responsible for tax obligations related to payments for moving expenses - 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, Public Law 115-97. Questions should be directed to the Travel Help Desk, 877-372-7248, Option 1, or email asc_tos@fs.fed.us.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the competencies listed below:

  • Oral Communication
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Project Management
  • Public Planning
  • Technical Competence
  • Technical Writing
  • Written Communication


Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position.

If you meet the qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified, you will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities must meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

Clicking on the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply Online" button to the right.

To view a preview of the application from, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10448851

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.