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Forester

Department of the Interior
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is a Forester, GS- 0460-9/11 working in Boise, Idaho for the R1-Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office.

This position is also open to the public under announcement R1-25-12655225-LL-DE. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
01/06/2025 to 01/21/2025
Salary
$59,966 to - $94,317 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Boise, ID
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
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
R1-25-12655226-LL-MP
Control number
826893900

Duties

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The Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office is an Ecological Services office headquartered in Boise, Idaho with field offices in Chubbuck, Idaho and Spokane, Washington. We work with our partners - both government and private - to conserve, protect, and enhance species from grizzly bear, wolf, and sturgeon to slickspot peppergrass and Bliss Rapids Snail. Our office is responsible for various Ecological Services issues such as contaminants, endangered species recovery and consultation, energy projects, and conservation agreements. We work extensively on contaminant issues throughout the state including the Coeur d'Alene River Basin in northern Idaho and phosphate mine issues in eastern Idaho. We also have a successful Partners for Fish and Wildlife program that works with private and tribal landowners who want to voluntarily improve fish, wildlife and plant habitat on the lands. Our offices address these and a myriad of other issues throughout Idaho that improve habitat and safeguard endangered and threatened species for all the American people.

This position is responsible for working with private landowners to cooperatively assist with management of private forest lands and implementing sustainable forest management practices. The incumbent serves as a senior professional responsible for planning, executing, and evaluating complex forest management projects.

The duties as a Forester will include, but are not limited to:

  • Forest Management Inventory and Planning: Determine Forest inventory sampling method and design; and coordinate or prepare forest management, fire management, and resource management plans.
  • Forest Protection: Monitor management units to detect potential damage and loss to forest resources from insects or diseases.
  • Forest Development: Develop forest development plan to identify program goals and objectives.
  • Timber Harvest Operations: Plans, coordinates, and executes proposed and ongoing timber sale and preparation programs to prevent loss of timber productivity and damage to the environment based on an on-the ground inventory of sample plots and stands, maps, and aerial resource photography.
  • Growth & Management: Works with tribal representatives and specialists from other disciplines to write portions of the management plan.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Merit promotion applicants must meet time-in-grade requirement as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
  • Suitability for employment, as determined by background investigation.
  • Driver’s License: This position requires the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee must hold and maintain a valid state driver’s license throughout their employment in this position.
  • Uniform: Official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uniform is required.
  • Probationary Period: Selectees may be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
  • Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration visit SSS.gov.

Qualifications

Only experience and education obtained by 01/21/2025 will be considered.

In order to qualify for this position you must possess both the Basic Requirement and Minimum Qualification.

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 Qualification [GS-9]:
Have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal Service. Examples of specialized experience includes performing 4 or more of the following: (1) implementing plans or recommendations for timber management, harvesting, reforestation, stand improvement or fuels management; (2) inspecting forest management or timber sale contract activities (3) assisting with spatial analyses and management of geospatial data; (4) inventorying and monitoring forested habitats; and (5) providing training on forest inventory protocols.
OR
Have two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Master's or equivalent graduate degree in a field directly related to Forestry. NOTE: Transcripts required.
OR
Have an equivalent combination of professional experience and graduate level education which together equals 100% of the requirements.

Minimum Qualification [GS-11]:
Have one year of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include performing 4 or more of the following: (1) administering vegetation management projects for timber management, harvesting, reforestation, stand improvement or fuels management; (2) inspecting work for forest management or timber sale contracts to ensure all contract provisions are met in accordance with contract objectives; (3) reviewing standards for prescribed burning that affects the health of the ecosystem;; (4) utilizing GIS to capture and manage remote sensing data; and (5) implementing forest inventory protocols.
OR
Have successfully completed 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a discipline directly related to the position. NOTE: Transcripts required.
OR
Have a combination of qualifying specialized experience and qualifying graduate education (both as described above) that, when computed as percentages of their respective requirements, equals at least 100% when combined. Only education beyond the second graduate year (36 semesters or equivalent) is creditable using this method. NOTE: Transcripts required and Your resume must contain sufficient detail of this level of work, i.e., complete begin/end dates, hours worked per week, duties performed, etc. for each timeframe for consideration.

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: Applicants must meet both eligibility and qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the JOA. Specifically,
i. Area of Consideration.
ii. Time-in-grade (TIG) requirements as specified in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
iii. Time after competitive appointment as specified in 5 CFR 330.502.
iv. Qualification requirements outlined in OPM's Qualifications Standards for General Schedule Positions or for Federal Wage System (FWS), wage grade positions, applicants are evaluated using the OPM Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations and the job element examining method
Your SF-50 will be used to confirm you meet all requirements

Education

PROOF OF EDUCATION: All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of official or unofficial transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, institution name, and student name. If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: 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.

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.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Additional information

PCS INFORMATION:
-No PCS entitlements authorized

If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed.

Telework:
This position is suitable for telework and may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval.

Additional Vacancies: One or more positions may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service offices in the local commuting area.

Reasonable Accommodation: Please visit USAJOBS Help Center | Reasonable accommodation policy if you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Department of Interior (DOI) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) procedures apply in filling this vacancy. 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 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements) for the position with a score of 85 or above on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application.
For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.

The Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA),P.L. 114-47, allows certain individuals who currently or formerly were under time-limited competitive appointments at certain land management agencies (U.S. Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management; National Park Service; Fish and Wildlife Service; Bureau of Indian Affairs; or Bureau of Reclamation) to compete under merit promotion procedures.

Note: You must submit ALL SF-50s and performance information for each period of temporary/term employment if you are requesting to be considered Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act eligibility.
Current appointees:

  • Must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency;
  • Must have served under 1 or more time limited appointments by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; AND
  • Must have performed at an acceptable level.

Former appointees:

  • Must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency;
  • Must have served under 1 or more time limited appointments by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years;
  • Must apply for position within 2 years after separation;
  • Must have been separated for reasons other than misconduct or performance; AND
  • Must have performed at an acceptable level.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you meet the qualifications your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. Note: If, after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications which resulted in you being listed in the highest quality category, you may lose consideration, or be assigned to a lower quality category for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Knowledge of professional forestry land management principles, practices, and concepts sufficient to independently develop proper land use plans and direct management activities.
  • Knowledge of natural resource management, fire ecology, fire behavior, and fire management theories, concepts, principles, and standards.
  • Knowledge of related fields such as wildlife habitat management, plant genetics, hydrology, soil science, disturbance ecology, landscape ecology, and entomology ensuring ability to understand interrelations of multiple factors in making best forestry land management recommendations.
  • Knowledge of the basic steps in designing a monitoring program to ensure proper collection and preservation of specimens and to calculate and correlate results.
  • Knowledge of standard techniques, process, and procedures to assess, select, apply precedents, and devise strategies and plans to overcome significant resource problems related to species production, conservation, habitat restoration, construction, or program management and evaluation.

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 Noncompetitive 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.

This vacancy will utilize a multiple hurdle assessment process to determine the qualifications of applicants. The first hurdle will consist of applicants completing an occupational questionnaire related to the major duties and competencies of the position. The second hurdle will consist of applicant resumes being reviewed by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel for related position competencies against a pre-determined rating schedule. This process will determine the final rating of the applicant for possible referral to the hiring official for hiring consideration.

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