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Forester

Department of the Interior
Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs
Southwest Region, Southern Ute Agency
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Superintendent, Southern Ute Agency in Ignacio, Colorado.


NOTE:
TRAVEL AND RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL NOT BE AUTHORIZED. ANY RELOCATION EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH REPORTING FOR DUTY WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SELECTED EMPLOYEE.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
12/16/2024 to 12/30/2024
Salary
$59,966 to - $94,317 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Ignacio, CO
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
11 - A career ladder promotion is at the discretion of management, and in no way guaranteed.
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
STIMP-25-12643730-CAWZ-GJE
Control number
824243000

Duties

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  • Uses remote sensing and aerial photography to identify, map, and digitize management units, sub-units, compartments, and forest cover types.
  • Determines forest inventory sampling method and design, collects forest, and fuels inventory data, and performs statistical analysis of inventory data.
  • Assembles technical data and completes the environmental checklist that forms the basis of the environmental analyses report.
  • Must possess the ability to prepare and implement plans and environmental analyses that comply with NEPA.
  • Develops forest development plan to identify program goals and objectives and maintain current inventory of acres planned for silvicultural treatments.
  • Analyzes field reconnaissance to identify forest stands needing treatment, determine harvest feasibility, and recommend appropriate logging system options.
  • Verifies land ownership status and legal descriptions for proposed harvest units and obtains landowner consent through signed Power of Attorney or Tribal Resolution.
  • Monitors management units to detect potential damage and loss to forest resources from insects or disease.
  • Conducts field reconnaissance or aerial detection surveys, reports findings and management recommendations, and implements prevention or suppression projects.
  • Performs spatial analysis and modeling for forest resource analysis and growth and yield projections.

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 may be required to operate a government motor vehicle as incidental duty, must possess a valid driver's license, and have a safe driving record within the 3 year period immediately preceding submittal of GSA Form 3607.

Qualifications

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: (OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for Professional and Scientific Positions, and Individual Occupational Requirements for Forestry Series, GS-0460)

Basic Requirements:

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:
o 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.
o 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.
o 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.

In addition to the requirements describe above, the following additional education and/or experience are required for the grade specified.

GS-11: In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicant must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience includes the following: Forest management inventory and planning through researching and evaluating forest conditions to coordinate or prepare forest management plans; conducting appropriate aspects of environmental analysis and assessments; analyzes, verifies, designs, and prepares all necessary processes and documents in forest product sale preparation and administration; developing forest development plans; conducts field inspections. NOTE: Applicants must provide transcripts as verification of their education.
OR
Three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a field of study directly related to this position; or I have a combination of graduate level education beyond the two year of progressive graduate study in a field of study directly related to this position and appropriate specialized experience that together meet the qualification requirements of this position. Experience and education should be computed as percentages of the overall requirements and must equal 100 percent when combined. NOTE: Applicants must provide transcripts as verification of their education.

GS-09: In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicant must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes the following: Forest management inventory and planning through researching and evaluating forest conditions to coordinate or prepare forest management plans; conducting appropriate aspects of environmental analysis and assessments; assists in forest product sale preparation and administration; assists in developing forest development plans; conducts field inspections.
OR
Successfully completed at least two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree, in an accredited college or university, that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform the work of this position. NOTE: Applicants must provide transcripts as verification of their education.
OR
I have a combination of specialized experience as described above in A and progressive graduate study as described in B beyond the first year, that together meet the qualification requirements for this position. To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond year by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify. NOTE: Applicants must provide transcripts as verification of their education.

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

All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1). See 2024 Salary Tables here and select the duty station from the Ignacio, Colorado to choose the appropriate pay chart. 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-11. 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 this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.

You will be required to operate a government-owned or leased motor vehicle in the performance of duties, therefore, a valid driver's license is required. Incumbent must have a safe driving record within the three-year period immediately preceding submittal of GSA Form 3607 and be able to meet the safe driving requirements of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

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 .

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/.

Former Federal Employees are required to indicate whether they received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) buyout in their previous employment with the Federal government, and are required to submit a copy of the applicable Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) regarding the VSIP. Most individuals who accept reemployment with the Federal government within 5 years of receiving the VSIP amount, must repay the gross amount of the separation pay prior to reemployment.

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 12/30/2024 to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position. Competencies measured include:

  • Forest Management
  • Mathematical Reasoning
  • Oral Communication
  • Writing

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.

Qualified Indian preference candidates will be referred to the hiring manager in order of veterans' preference.

Due weight will be given to performance appraisals and awards during the interview/selection process conducted by the hiring manager. If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.

You may preview the assessment questions here in the https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12643730.

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