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Range Technician (Weeds)

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Physical Demands/Work Environment Work may take place in extremely remote areas and may require primitive camping and living skills for upwards of two weeks in duration. The work is performed outdoors in rugged terrain; to include very steep, wet, muddy, rough, uneven or rocky surfaces; positions require physical exertions, such as, bending, crouching, stooping, reaching, or similar activities. Individuals should be able to work alone or with people; during early morning, day, or night hours.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
11/01/2019 to 12/02/2019
Salary
$33,949 to - $54,670 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 05 - 07
Locations
MANY vacancies in the following locations:
Baker City, OR
MANY vacancies
Lakeview, OR
MANY vacancies
Prineville, OR
MANY vacancies
Wenatchee, WA
MANY vacancies
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - Temporary - This is a Temporary NTE 1039 hours.
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
No - None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
OR-TEMP-2020-0029
Control number
550461200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens – No previous Federal Service is required.

Duties

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Range Technicians (Weeds) work under the supervision and guidance of professional range and natural resource specialists performing a variety of duties related to implementation of on the ground noxious weeds and invasive plant control. Duties include controlling noxious weeds using techniques that may include manual hand digging or pulling, mowing, spraying weeds with herbicides using UTV tanks or backpack sprayers.  Individuals should be capable of wearing and manipulating a backpack sprayer weighing 15 to 45 pounds.

NOTE:

Lakeview, OR:  At this location, field work is performed at elevations ranging 4,000 to 8,000 feet.  During the field season temperatures can range from 30 degrees to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  The work is located from 1 to 3 hours away from the office and requires driving 4/x/4 vehicles while towing trailers loaded with UTVs and other field equipment on unimproved roads, as well as operating UTVs on rough rock roads to access remote field sites.  Duties include controlling noxious weeds through IPM activities that include manual hand digging/pulling, mowing, or spraying noxious weeds with herbicides, as well as assisting with surveys and inspections of plants sprayed with herbicides.  

Prineville, OR:   During the field season at this location, temperatures can range from 30 degrees to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and weather can be inclement, ranging from spring snows to summer thunderstorms.  The work is located from 1 to 4 hours away from the office and requires driving 4x4 vehicles and towing trailers loaded with UTVs, water, chemicals, and other field equipment on highways and unimproved roads.  Effective chemical application will involve operating UTVs on rough roads to access remote sites, and the use of backpack sprayers in wilderness and wilderness study areas not accessible with a vehicle. Duties include controlling noxious weeds using techniques that may include manual hand digging or pulling, mowing, spraying weeds with herbicides using UTV tanks or backpack sprayers, as well as assisting with monitoring surveys and post-spray inspections of noxious weed populations.  Some travel WILL BE required, as in addition to treating weeds in remote areas, the Prineville District has multiple Wild and Scenic Rivers with limited access, necessitating multi-day river floats to treat riparian noxious weeds through hand pulling and/or spraying.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required
  • Be sure to read the "How to Apply" and "Required Documents" Sections
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license; nor can you
  • have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Land
  • Direct Deposit Required
  • Background Investigation Required

Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the specialized experience as defined in the announcement or vacancy questions. In addition, your responses to the questions must be adequately reflected in your resume.

If qualifying based on education you will need to clearly state your undergraduate/graduate degree(s) and submit your college transcripts or a listing of your college courses that includes hours and grades.

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement - please be sure to include this information in your resume.

You must meet the qualification requirements to be found qualified. 

GS-05: one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-4 level. Examples of specialized experience may include conducting weed treatments under the supervision of another licensed pesticide applicator, assists with inventory and monitoring weed infestations, maintaining spraying equipment, and responsible for complying with proper application, storage, and handling of pesticides; OR Successful completion of a full four year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree (a) with a major forestry, range management, agriculture or a subject-matter field directly related to the position or (b) that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following courses: forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources, outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering or wildland fire science. No more than 6 semester hours in math is creditable; OR A combination of experience and education to meet the total experience.

GS-06: one year of specialized work experience equivalent to GS-5 level. Examples of specialized experience may include overseeing and performing maintenance work in connection with pesticide application; independently conducting weed treatments with minimal supervision; accurately documenting pesticide use; assisting in mapping infestations; and obtaining the appropriate license for pesticide application; OR Successful completion of one full year of graduate education directly related to the work of the position; OR A combination of experience and education to meet the total experience.

GS-07: one year of specialized work experience equivalent to GS-6 level. Examples of specialized experience may include independently performing all aspects of treating weeds with minimal supervision; serving as the crew lead; documenting pesticide use; assisting permanent staff with mapping, weed monitoring, and developing a weed management plan; assisting in the management of public range resources of a district or other specified area by observing and reporting special conditions regarding them; and performing the detailed work necessary to complete specific plans for development of an area for proper range management and conservation; OR Successful completion of one full year of graduate education directly related to the work of the position; OR A combination of experience and education to meet the total experience.


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.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

If qualifying based on education you will need to clearly state your undergraduate/graduate degree(s) and submit your college transcripts or a listing of your college courses that includes hours and grades.

Additional information

SELECTIVE SERVICE: Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify that they have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. To register or verify your registration go to the Selective Service System website.

Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources website at CTAP or ICTAP. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration or that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) This vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) You apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) You are found well qualified for this vacancy. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form.

CTAP and ICTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they fall within the Well or Best Qualified categories on the rating criteria for this position.

This position is not eligible for Telework.

Government facilities are required to provide a smoke free environment for their employees.  Smoking will be permitted only in designated areas.

This position may require you to wear an officially-approved uniform while in a duty status.

At some duty locations this position may require you to have a current valid driver’s license.

At some duty locations and for some grades this position may require you to have a current, or be capable of obtaining within 20 days of hiring, an appropriate pesticide applicator's license.

All positions may not be filled or they may be filled at different times depending on budget, hiring needs, and requirements. These positions are temporary and are expected to last for up to 6 months. These positions have no promotion potential, if you want to be considered for a higher grade you must apply for the higher grade.

If selected from this or a similar competitive, seasonal announcement, your appointment may be creditable for consideration under PL-114-47, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA)​. The Act allows certain individuals, who have or had time-limited appointments at land management agencies, to compete for any permanent position in the competitive service under “internal” merit promotion procedures. For more information, see the section under Eligibility, which starts with Question #15 (Q15. Who is eligible for appointment under these provisions?).

For additional information about the BLM, please visit Our website.

How you will be evaluated

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

Upon receipt of your complete application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.  Your rating will be based on your responses to the Job Specific Questionnaire and the information stated in your resume. If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be placed in one of three categories:  Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified.  Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans.    In addition, interviews may be conducted for this position.  The interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis or may be scored.  The job specific questions relate to the following knowledge, skills and abilities required to do the work of this position.

  1. Knowledge of the methods, techniques, and procedures related to rangeland management in order to plan, organize, and accomplish a wide variety of weed management projects within rangeland environments.
  2. Skilled at presenting information (including work instructions) in easy to understand formats that increase understanding of Bureau programs, policies, and objectives. 
  3. Knowledge of various data collection methods and techniques in order to make field observations of range conditions, monitor sites for weed population changes, and collect data to document weed growth, mitigation, and control measures.  
  4. Understanding of resource management principles and practices in order to support broader natural resource functions.
  5. Ability to use various types of computer programs to maintain and retrieve information from automated data systems, develop spreadsheets, and use word processing and statistical software programs to develop reports.

To preview questions please click here.

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