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Forester (Silviculture)

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

These positions are located in Region 6 on the Malheur National Forest, with (1) position in Hines, OR and (1) positionin Prairie City, OR.

The incumbent serves as a silviculturist with primary responsibilities for development, planning, and application of silvicultural methods and practices.

For additional info, please contact Matthew Cawlfield: 541-573-4324, matthew.cawlfield@usda.gov for Hines, or Teresa Corning-Sevey: 541-820-3842, teresa.corning-sevey@usda.gov for Prairie City.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
04/21/2021 to 04/27/2021
Salary
$35,265 to - $53,433 per year

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.

Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 9
Locations
Hines, OR
1 vacancy
Prairie City, OR
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position for meetings, trainings, site visits, and occasional overnight stays.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
9
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
21-R6-GVA-11090527-DP-LT
Control number
598708700

Duties

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  • Duties listed below are at the full performance level of the GS-9 grade level.
  • Participates in the preparation of financial and work plans for assigned programs by estimating, combining, and coordinating project plans into an annual unit work plan.
  • Reviews work accomplishments for assigned areas of responsibility and compiles necessary reports.
  • Conducts examinations of timber compartments and stands on the unit and evaluates the conditions found.
  • Makes or recommends basic land management decisions based on these evaluations.
  • Makes silviculture prescriptions and action plans for TSI and reforestation work necessary to attain timber management objectives using aerial photographs and on-the-ground observation and measurements.
  • Reviews and recommends plans for the timber harvest program.
  • This includes sale design, layout, and marking in accordance with approved silvicultural prescription and environmental assessment reports.
  • Makes plantation and natural regeneration survival examinations to determine that results meet accepted standards.
  • Sets up checks and inspections to determine the effectiveness of culture treatments.
  • Makes recommendations to the TMA on techniques, policies, and procedures to increase the effectiveness or improve the quality of treatments.
  • Prepares multiple-use compartment prescriptions and environmental assessment reports based on field examination.
  • May administer or supervise the administration of timber stand improvement contracts.
  • Participates in timber sale unit layout and sale administration to ensure that silvicultural management objectives are maintained.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service 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.

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 series

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 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 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional education and/or experience are required for the grade(s) specified.

For the GS-5 grade level: The educational or educational/experience requirements above are qualifying for the GS-05 grade level. No additional experience is required.

For the GS-7 grade level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level; -OR- one full year of graduate level education; -OR- an appropriate combination of graduate level education and specialized experience; -OR- Superior Academic Achievement (to determine if you are eligible, go to: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Examples of specialized experience include one of more of the following: Performed duties applying academic theories and basic forestry principles while received instruction on the practical application of forestry principles, theories, methods, techniques and practices with an emphasis on silviculture; evaluated conditions found when conducting timber compartment examinations, surveys and data collection; conducted studies of timber stand improvement problems and prepared reports of findings.

For the GS-9 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 in excess of 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 and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Examples of specialized experience include one of more of the following: Performed specific portions of low or standard complexity assignments in support of broad functional activities for which foresters of a higher level have overall responsibility; summarized and analyzed collected compartment, stand prescription and/or presale data for selected cutting areas; administered timber sales ensuring that contractual stipulations were carried out by the operator; corrected improper timber contractor practices and resolved misunderstandings; prepared timber reports and checked for timber trespass; conducted cruises of timber stands, delineating forest cover by use of aerial photographs and summarized such data; performed related preparation, timber stand improvement and reforestation duties; collected and summarized watershed data, and administered assigned watershed projects; planned implementation of individual vegetation management projects assigned by a Silviculturist; reviewed, recommend, and initiated development activities at tree improvement sites; and/or monitored for insect, animal and disease damage, determines treatment options in consultation with Regional experts, and carried out treatments.

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.

Education

See above for education that may be qualifying for the specific grade level.

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 eligibles must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

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.

This is a bargaining unit designated position.

Government Housing is not available.

Daycare facilities are not available.


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

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 for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications.

You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. You will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. Individuals with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. 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.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11090527

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