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Forestry Technician (Timber Sale Preparation)

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The duty location for positions filled through this announcement are not remote and will be located at a Forest Service office. Final determination of the duty location will be made at the time of the job offer. To see where these Forest Service offices are located and where each position is being filled, click here. Click here to view each region or national office staff name to see the different locations within the Forest Service.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
03/11/2022 to 03/28/2022
This job will close when we have received 750 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$36,118 to - $40,262 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 - 6
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Location Negotiable After Selection, United States
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for site visits, meetings, and/or trainings. Extensive travel may be required at some locations.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - or Permanent Seasonal (18/8 or 13/13) based on location.
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
6 - Full performance level (target grade) will vary based on location of position.
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-NHE-0462-5-6-FS6075-DP
Control number
642244600

Duties

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  • Conduct timber cruises and surveys within varying stand conditions to locate and estimate the quantity of timber on a given area, according to species, type, and quality.
  • Measure and defect timber on the ground using maps and written cruise plans provided by an advanced cruiser that explain sampling intensity, plot locations, type of cruise, and any special instructions.
  • Lay out boundaries of cutting areas as outlined in the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), considering variables such as accessibility, steep slopes, stream protection, nesting tree protection, wildlife impacts, and fuels requirements.
  • Estimate volume, defect, and quality of timber in a given area.
  • Summarize cruising and marking data to prepare reports and topographic maps indicating quantity of timber, condition of area, difficulties to be encountered, etc.
  • Prepare area maps using global positioning system (GPS) to record boundary locations.
  • Monitor and/or inspect contractor performance for compliance with terms of timber contracts.
  • Mark trees using marking rules in areas complicated by variations in type, species composition, defect, site, age, class, etc.
  • Lead a small group of employees to perform timber sale preparation duties.

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.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

For the GS-05: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-4 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include: Assisted in preparing timber reports and maps which provide information concerning topography, livestock trespass, invasive species and general conditions of the area; Assisted in executing fuel treatment plans, slash hazard appraisals and hazard reduction plans; Assured recreation areas are maintained in accordance with standards and reported on condition; Performed maintenance on range fences or other structural range improvements;
OR A bachelor's degree or 4 years of successfully completed education above high school (120 semester/180 quarter hours) with major study in forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position, or 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, 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 of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include: Provided support with tree measurements, timber cruising, map reading, compass use, species identification, defect recognition and determination, quality determination, GPS and traverse, use of aerial photos, and use of timber cruising tools and techniques; Interpreted silvicultural prescriptions and timber marking guides to designate harvest timber; Measured amount and quantity of timber in designated timber sale areas; Applied instructions issued in a cruise plan.

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 Qualifications section for educational requirements.

Additional information

IMPORTANT: This announcement is using an Applicant Cut Off - The system will STOP accepting applications on the earlier of: (1) the first day the established number of applications (750) is reached or (2) the closing date.

This position is being concurrently announced under Merit Promotion Announcement Number 22-NHE-0462-5-6-FS6075-G. Current or former Federal employees or other eligible applicants may apply to both announcements to expand all 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 positions with a seasonal work schedule where full-time work is guaranteed for 18 pay periods (18/8 Seasonal) or 13 pay periods (13/13 Seasonal) and when not working, you will be placed in non-pay/non-duty status.

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 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.

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.


The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/

Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.

Forest Service daycare facilities may be available.

Government Housing may be available.

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/11421510

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