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Range Technician

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The primary purpose of this position is to perform technical work in support of the range function.

Information on specific locations where jobs are being filled, bargaining unit status, authorized relocation/recruitment incentives, and the dates when applications are due for these locations can be found on the Forest Service website.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
11/08/2021 to 04/15/2022
Salary
$35,265 to - $56,790 per year

Salary wage as shown is for the 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 - 7
Locations
many vacancies in the following locations:
Bridgeport, CA
Ashton, ID
Boise, ID
Burley, ID
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required to attend meetings, training and conferences.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Multiple - Multiple Appointment Types
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
7
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
22-R4OCR-455-RNGTECH-567G
Control number
620881400

Duties

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  • Responsibilities listed are at the GS-7 full performance level.
  • Participates in development of plans for range management by collecting data for grazing allotment plans and advising management as to division of allotments into units, what improvements are needed and what management practices can be affected.
  • Develops plans for the installation of range and soil condition and trend transects including clipping cages. Installs permanent and pace transects and clipping cages.
  • Implements allotment management plans and following up for compliance. Checks livestock use and inspects grazing allotments for forage conditions, distribution, salting, forage production, and use and condition of range improvements.
  • Gathers management data including location of existing and proposed range improvements, location of poisonous and noxious plant encroachments, etc., to be utilized in individual allotment plans.
  • Schedules and performs periodic livestock counts. Checks for trespass by livestock and takes initial action when trespass occurs by securing and documenting evidence and submitting it to superior.
  • Maintains permitted and actual use records in the range management plan and documents observations in the course of range inspections.

Requirements

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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.
  • 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/.
  • Must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If selected, must submit proof of vaccination or request a religious or reasonable accommodation.
  • This may be a bargaining unit position represented by the National Federation of Federal Employees, IAMAW. The bargaining unit coverage is dependent upon location.
  • Forest Service daycare facilities may be available.
  • Government housing may be available.

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.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

For the GS-5 level:
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience that is directly related to the work of the position. Qualifying specialized experience includes meeting one or more of the following: Conducted routine tests and inspections using work methods and techniques that were well-established and common to rangeland management functions; Performed crew-based rangeland management support work such as the installation of boundary and drift fences, water developments, implementation of re-vegetation projects, or the treatment of noxious weeds; or Performed procedural assignments in support of rangeland management programs or projects where methods and techniques were well-established.
OR
Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (a) with major study in 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 courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science (no more than 6 semester hours in mathematics is creditable);
OR
combinations of successfully completed post-high school education (in excess of the first 60 semester/90 quarter hours) and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

For the GS-6: Applicants must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 in the Federal service. Qualifying specialized experience includes meeting one or more of the following: Conducted tests and inspections using work methods and techniques that were standard to rangeland management functions; Recommended or performed rangeland management support work such as the installation of boundary and drift fences, water developments, implementation of re-vegetation projects, or the treatment of noxious weeds; or Performed a variety of assignments in support of rangeland management programs or projects where methods and techniques were generally applicable but sometimes required minor deviations based on field conditions.
OR
one (1) full year (18 semester hours) of successfully completed graduate level coursework that is directly related to the work of the position; such as: forestry, range management, agriculture.
OR
an appropriate combination of graduate level education and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

For the GS-7: Applicants must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-6 in the Federal service. Qualifying specialized experience includes meeting two or more of the following: Assisting in range capacity studies such as allotment analysis and production utilization studies; Assisting in planning a wide variety of rangeland management support work such as re-vegetation, fencing, spring developments, cattle guard placement, erosion control, or the treatment of noxious weeds; or Planning, directing, and/or performing the implementation of rangeland management projects and program goals and independently applying conventional solutions and practices for a variety of problems.
OR
one (1) full year (18 semester hours) of successfully completed graduate level coursework that is directly related to the work of the position; such as: forestry, range management, agriculture.
OR
an appropriate combination of graduate level education and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

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.

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.

Education

See Qualifications section for education requirements.

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.

This position is being concurrently announced under 22-R4OCR-455-RNGTECH-567DP. This announcement is open to all qualified candidates. Applying to both announcements may expand the possibilities of consideration since different referral criteria apply to each type of announcement. See the above announcement for more information.

This announcement may be used to fill permanent full time positions or positions with a seasonal work schedule where full-time work is guaranteed for 13 pay periods or 18 pay periods and when not working, you will be placed in non-pay/non-duty status.

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 available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/

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.

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
  • Rangeland Management
  • Technical Competence
  • 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.

To view the application form, visit:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11282538

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