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Forestry Technician

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

Summary

This serves to amend the closing date of this position to read: 10/04/23.

This position is located in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Medford and Northwest Oregon Districts. The primary purpose pf the work is to provide technical forestry work in support of forestry programs and activities.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
09/18/2023 to 10/04/2023
Salary
$37,696 to - $60,703 per year

The salary range for each grade/location is stated in the Major Duties section of this announcement.

Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 7
Locations
Few vacancies in the following locations:
Grants Pass, OR
Medford, OR
Salem, OR
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
9
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
OR-23-DE-MP-12083254-KF
Control number
749235800

Duties

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Salary Ranges - Grants Pass/Medford Oregon: GS-05: $37,696 - $49,009 per year; GS-06: $42,022- $54,625 per year; GS-07: $46,696 - $ 60,703 per year

Salary Ranges - Salem Oregon: GS-05: $40,440 - $52,577 per year; GS-06: $45,080 - $58,601 per year; GS-07: $50,094 - $60,703 per year

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level. Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

The selectee will serve as a Forestry Technician in a Bureau of Land Management office. The work of this position will train the selectee in higher level technical forest management work to include supporting the work of higher graded technicians and/or foresters.

Major Duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Assisting the resource area in all timber measurement and appraisal assignments, to include basic tree measurements and log measurements using common measurement instruments.
  • Assisting cruiser/appraiser on 3P sales and commonly used cruise methods.
  • Assisting with basic timber sale appraisal work.
  • Entering cruise data into field polychords' and downloading information.
  • Learning and utilizing basic computer applications used in the cruiser/appraiser program.
At the full performance level (GS-09), Major Duties include, but are not limited to:
  • Interpreting field examination data and making preliminary treatment recommendations for harvest, post-harvest, and timber stand improvement projects.
  • Collecting data during field examination of forest stands and compiling data and updating inventory records.
  • Investigating and initiating reports of unauthorized use including affected site examination and preliminary determination of the extent of damages.
  • Recommending actions to resolve issues and began rehabilitation; and coordinating pre-inventory mapping by preliminary delineation in geographic information systems (GIS).
  • Serving as a crew leader for various forestry projects to include organizing, scheduling/ executing work crew assignments; documenting work progress; and ensuring projects are properly completed and recorded.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • May be required to complete background investigation.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents) prior to the closing date of this announcement.
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
  • If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • Status applicants must meet time-in-grade requirements.
  • You may be required to occasionally travel overnight away from home. You must be eligible to obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • BLM may use certain incentives, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract high quality applicants.
  • Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions may affect your rating.
  • You must obtain and maintain a valid state driver's license.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the experience and/or education requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. When using education, a copy of your unofficial or official transcripts must be provided with your application.

Minimum Qualification Requirement, GS-05:

A. Specialized Experience: Have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following in a developmental capacity: (1) Collecting forest inventory data; (2) Inspecting or reporting on timber stands or timber sale areas; and (3) Using various equipment necessary for data collection.
OR
B. Education: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree 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. You must submit transcripts for verification.
OR
C. Combination of Experience/Education: An equivalent combination of the specialized experience stated in 'A' and education stated in 'B'. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to one year of specialized experience. Determine the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the year of specialized experience required in 'A'. Then determine the education as a percentage of the education that meets the requirements for 'B'. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must submit transcripts for verification.

Minimum Qualification Requirement, GS-06:

A. Specialized Experience: Have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following in a developmental capacity: (1) Conducting segments of forest inventories; (2) Examining timber stands to determine need for insect and disease control; and (3) Compiling maps of forest and woodland areas, cutover areas, burned areas, and/or special use areas.

Minimum Qualification Requirement, GS-07:

A. Specialized Experience: Have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following: (1) Recognizing variations in timber stand conditions such as species composition, age classes, and/or silvicultural treatments; (2) Conducting timber sale reconnaissance and unit design for proposed timber sale tracts; and (3) Conducting field surveys of timber sale boundaries, roads, and/or property lines.
OR
B. Education: Successful completion of 1 full year of graduate level education which included courses directly related to the work of the position 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. You must submit transcripts for verification.
OR
C. Combination of Experience/Education: An equivalent combination of the specialized experience stated in 'A' and education stated in 'B'. Determine the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the year of specialized experience required in 'A'. Then determine the education as a percentage of the education that meets the requirements for 'B'. (Only education in excess of the first 9 semester hours of graduate level education is eligible for this combination). Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must submit transcripts for verification.

Status merit promotion applicants must meet applicable Time-In-Grade (TIG) requirements to be considered eligible. (One year at the GS-05 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-06 level and One year at the GS-06 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-07 level. Note: TIG does not apply for the GS-05 level. Must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted).

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Volunteer 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 include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies".

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made
and compared against your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position.

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

There is no substitution of education for experience at the GA-06 grade level(s) of this announcement.

Additional information

  • Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
  • You will be required to obtain and maintain a valid state driver's license.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 5 nights per month. You must be eligible to obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
Physical Demands: The work ranges from sedentary when completing duties in the office to frequent field work requiring a considerable amount of walking, riding, stooping, bending, and lifting. Field work may occasionally require the incumbent to climb ladders and trees.

Working Conditions: Office work is performed in adequately lighted, heated, and air-conditioned offices. Much of the time is spent in the field where exposure to extremes of heat and cold, rough terrain, insects, snakes, and other hazards are common. The work may occasionally require working at heights. The incumbent carefully adheres to all safety procedures to mitigate hazards encountered.

Telework: The Bureau of Land Management has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) or Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible see http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 90 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please contact San Antonio Services Branch at SASBMailbox@opm.gov or 816-541-8101.

How you will be evaluated

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

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a subject matter resume review and/or a panel interview. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed below that are required to successfully perform the job.

You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Forest Management
  • Problem Solving
  • Technical Competence
  • Technology Application
  • Writing


Candidates not eligible to apply under merit promotion will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:
  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Candidates who apply under Non-Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Performance Appraisals for Competitive and Non-Competitive Merit Promotion Applicants: In the evaluation process, due weight will be given to job related experience, education, training, incentive awards and performance appraisals. Applicants must submit a performance appraisal with a performance rating of at least the equivalent of fully successful to be eligible for promotion or placement. Applicants may provide a copy of a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months. If the applicant is unable to provide a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months, the applicant may provide a written explanation as to why.

Recruitment incentive awards: Applicants that have received recruitment incentive awards during the last two years, must list them on their resume.

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