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Forester

Department of the Interior
Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs
Office of Trust Services, Division of Forestry Resources and Planning
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Deputy Director, Trust Services in Lakewood, Colorado. The incumbent in this position provides a full-range of expertise in forest inventory, data analysis, and forest management planning. The incumbent in this position reports to the Branch Chief, Forest Resources Planning.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
01/15/2025 to 01/21/2025
Salary
$98,811 to - $152,753 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Lakewood, CO
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
Excepted
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
ST-25-12635162-CBXH-LNS
Control number
823600500

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Duties

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  • Responsible for planning and coordinating within all 12 Regions, at the National level, multiple forest inventories and planning projects that include Continuous Forest Inventories, Temporary Plot Inventories, and Stand Exam Inventories. Coordinates with forestry staff on forest inventory methods, sample designs, and data analysis tools to ensure statistically sound and efficient inventory procedures and analyses are employed.
  • Evaluate applications for automating data collection from permanent plot inventories, stand level inventory, biological field measurements, and forest vegetation modeling. Participate in periodic reviews of inventory projects, and analytical procedures to evaluate proposed changes for field data collection. Assists in developing Bureau wide forest inventory and planning policies, in collaboration with the Regions.
  • Participate in the development, planning and maintenance of computer applications used for forestry data management and analysis. Develop and maintain strong communications with Regional Forestry staff. Prepare summaries of accomplishments for the Branch Chief of Forest Inventory and Planning, including interactions with Regional, Agency, and Tribal staff and any work with intertribal organizations. Prepare and/or review budget justifications for forest inventory projects.
  • Improve the quality of service, as it relates to forest inventory and planning, provided by the Branch to Regional and Tribal Forest programs. Review and analyze current research and recommend implementation of new or established forestry practices or techniques. Plan for and actively participates in National Forestry Meetings and Conferences including coordinating and moderating panel discussions/workshops and delivering presentations on FMI&P topics.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472). Form BIA -4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference.
  • You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit
  • You may be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
  • A background security investigation will be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
  • Incumbent is required to operate a government motor vehicle, must possess a valid driver's license, and have a safe driving record within the 4 year period immediately preceding submittal of GSA Form 3607.

Qualifications

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for Professional and Scientific Positions for this series in conjunction with the Individual Occupational Requirements for GS-0460 series https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/forestry-series-0460/

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Degree: 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 in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing at least three of the five following type of work and/or tasks:

GS-12: Recording of peer reviewed publications(s); independently collecting and analyzing forest inventory data, planning and coordinating forest inventories for permanent plot, stand level and stocking study sampling, developing forest inventory analysis report, providing technical expertise to Forest Managers for the collection, analysis and reporting of forest data.

GS-13: Collaborating or independently collecting and analyzing forest inventory data, and developed forest inventory analysis reports; provide technical expertise to Forest managers. Conducting technical forestry work including timber cruising, volume estimation, technical assistance for use of forest or sale of forest products; Collecting forest data for statistical analysis to be used by industries and government bodies; Establishing and measuring permanent forest sample plots for land management surveys for the collection, analysis, and reporting of forest data.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Merit Promotion candidates must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date.

Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472).

Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur in the same location within 90 days from the closing date.

Education

If you are qualifying based on your education, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

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.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education which shows the 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. For further information, visit: FOREIGN EDUCATION

Additional information

NOTE: THIS VACANCY IS A READVERTISEMENT. APPLICANTS WHO PREVIOUSLY APPLIED UNDER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE CONSIDERED AND NEED NOT REAPPLY UNDER THIS READVERTISEMENT, UNLESS UPDATING AND/OR SUBMITTING MISSING OR ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION.

All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1). See 2025 Salary Tables and select the pay chart for Lakewood, Colorado. If no specific chart is listed for this geographic location, see the "rest of U.S." chart.

The full performance level of this position is GS-13. Promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. A career ladder promotion is at the discretion of management, and in no way guaranteed.

TELEWORK: Indian Affairs has determined that the duties of the position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp .

SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY: Certain candidates may be eligible to apply under a special hiring authority including those for disabled individuals, Peace Corps employees, Foreign Service employees, veterans, etc. For more information, visit the following OPM websites: USAJOBS Information Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/; Vets Info Guide: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application package will be evaluated against the minimum qualification requirements specified above. In order to qualify, your resume must specifically describe your work history and the duties you performed in each position. Your resume will be evaluated after the closing date of 01/21/2025 to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position. Qualified candidates will then be rated as best qualified, well qualified, or qualified depending on their possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities, competencies and experience requirements as demonstrated by your responses to the assessment questions. Competencies measured include:

  • Data Management
  • Materials Engineering
  • Oral Communication
  • Production and Processing


We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire. If the information in your resume does not support your responses to the assessment questions, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your qualifications.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/application does not support your Assessment Questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level.

Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (Title 25, USC, Section 472). Verification Form BIA-4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference. Indian Preference eligibles not currently employed in Federal service may be appointed under the Excepted Service Appointment Authority Schedule A, 213.3112(a)(7). Consideration will be given to Non-Indian applicants in the absence of qualified Indian Preference eligibles. For more information, please visit: https://www.bia.gov/jobs.
Qualified Indian preference candidates will be referred to the hiring manager in order of veterans' preference.

DUE WEIGHT FOR PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS AND AWARDS. For Current and Former Federal Employees, due weight will be given for performance and awards. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

REVIEW BEFORE YOU SUBMIT: You may preview the assessment questions here in the https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12635162.

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