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Forestry Technician

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Joint Announcement - Burns, Coos Bay, NWOD, Spokane, and Vale

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource. We expect to fill many vacancies.

This is a Temporary seasonal appointment, defined as employment in a position performing annually recurring work lasting less than six months per year, not to exceed 1,560 hours per service year.

Salary Range for North Bend, Springfield, Burns, Roseburg, Spokane: $40,736 - $65,599

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
02/11/2026 to 02/19/2026
Salary
$40,736 to - $65,599 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 7
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Baker City, OR
Hines, OR
North Bend, OR
Springfield, OR
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
Temporary - not to exceed 1,560 hours per service year
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
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
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
OR-TEMP-12884266-PLM
Control number
857264500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens - No previous Federal Service is required. CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.

Duties

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  • Conducts timber cruises and stand surveys within varying stand conditions to locate and estimate the character and quantity of timber on a given area, according to species type and tree quality.
  • Assist professional foresters in the layout out of timber treatment areas including blazing/posting/painting unit boundaries, assist in identifying special treatment areas, and assist in identifying yarding methods within project units.
  • Forest Technicians would measure and identify defects of timber on the ground using maps and follow written cruise plans provided by an advanced cruiser that explains sampling intensity, plot locations, type of cruise and any special instructions.
  • Under supervision of a professional forester, and using pre-established marking guide/rules, Forestry Technicians select and mark trees to be harvested or left uncut.
  • Marks trees using an approved marking guide/rules in areas complicated by variations in type, species composition, defect, site, age, class, etc. Prepares area maps, marks unit boundaries and uses GPS to record boundary locations.
  • Forestry Technicians conduct stand examinations gathering stand metrics including tree species, diameter at breast height, tree height, crown height, age estimations, and an inventory of snags over a given area.
  • Forestry Technicians may lead small crews in routine tree marking and stand exams activities with oversight from higher grade Foresters or Forest Technicians.
  • Summarizes cruising, marking, and stand exam data and prepares reports and topographic maps indicating quantity of timber, condition of area, difficulties to be encountered, etc.
  • Forestry Technicians assist with cone collection, site preparation and planting, performing reforestation stocking surveys, determining the heath of planted trees, pre-commercial thinning.
  • Forestry Technicians assist with other timber sale preparation tasks as needed including stream inception surveys, native and non-native botanical surveys, and other duties as assigned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Be sure to read the 'How to Apply' and 'Required Documents' Sections.
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license: nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
  • Direct Deposit Required.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
  • Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement (Month/Year and hours per week). In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
  • Some locations may require that you possess (or obtain within 30 days of entrance on duty) and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.
  • This is a bargaining unit position.

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

GS-05: One (1) year of specialized work experience equivalent to GS-4 level. Examples of specialized experience may include assisting in inspecting cutover areas on current sales for compliance with terms of timber sales contracts; assisting in investigating suspected timber trespass cases including locating and identifying trespass sites, quantities, etc.; and examining timber stands to determine need for insect and disease control work; OR Successful completion a full 4 year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree (a) 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; OR A combination of experience and education to meet the total experience

GS-06: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level. Examples of specialized experience may include collecting and compiling forest and woodland management data regarding location, character, extent, volume, rate of growth and quality of timber; designating timber to be removed in timber sales or for use disposal; and preparing reports on forest and woodland trespass cases; OR one year of graduate level education directly related to the work of a Forestry Technician such as forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject matter field directed related to the position; OR a combination of experience and education to meet the total experience.

GS-07: One year of specialized work experience equivalent to GS-6 level. Examples of specialized experience may include assisting professional foresters by gathering a variety of resource information for the forestry portion of resource analysis and management planning documents; researching and drafting assigned segments of documents; administering limited timber sales contracts; and preparing forest road layouts; OR one year of graduate level education directly related to the work of a Forestry Technician such as forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject matter field directed related to the position; OR A combination of experience and education to meet the total 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 meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Physical Demands/Work Environments: Work requires some physical exertion such as bending and walking/hiking in terrain that is rough, rocky, mountainous and densely vegetated that may also be steep, wet and muddy. Required to lift and carry equipment necessary to perform the work of the position, this includes tools, personal protective equipment, food and water for extended periods away from a vehicle. Work while in the office is performed in adequately lighted, ventilated, cooled and heated area. Fieldwork is subject to cuts and bruises, extreme and adverse weather conditions and injuries and discomforts from pests and animals.

Education

Applicants may qualify for these positions based on experience, education, or an equivalent combination as described in the Qualifications section of this announcement.

Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. One full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7.

If using education to qualify, you must submit copies of all transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. See Required Documents section for more information.

If qualifying based on education, you will need to clearly state your undergraduate/graduate degree(s) and you must submit copies of all transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. If your degree is from a Foreign Institution See Foreign Education.

Additional information

This is a temporary seasonal appointment, defined as employment in a position performing annually recurring work lasting less than 6 months per year, not to exceed 1,560 hours per service year.

The service year is a 12-month period beginning on the employee's initial DOI appointment date. Employees may hold more than one appointment within the same service year, provided the appointments are to different positions.

Training hours:

  • For initial appointments, employees may receive additional training hours that do not count toward the 1,560-hour limit during the first 120 days following appointment.
  • For subsequent appointments, employees may receive up to 80 hours (two weeks) of training per year following reappointment, without regard to the service-year limitation.

For subsequent appointments, employees may receive up to 80 hours (two weeks) of training per year following reappointment, without regard to the service-year limitation.

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify.

Telework may be offered.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): 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, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well qualified for the position with a score of 90 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service

Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.

This position may require you to wear an officially-approved uniform while in a duty status.

At some duty locations this position may require you to have a current valid driver's license.

At some duty locations you may need the ability to lift and move objects weighing over 50 pounds.

If selected from this or a similar competitive, seasonal announcement, your appointment may be creditable for consideration under PL-114-47, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA). The Act allows certain individuals, who have or had time-limited appointments at land management agencies, to compete for any permanent position in the competitive service under "internal" merit promotion procedures. For more information, see the section under Eligibility, which starts with Question #15 (Q15. Who is eligible for appointment under these provisions?).

All positions may not be filled or they may be filled at different times depending on budget, hiring needs, and requirements. These positions have no promotion potential, if you want to be considered for a higher grade you must apply for the higher grade.

If selected from this announcement you may be rehired for identical positions without further competition based on work needs, funding, or any other condition of employment.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. Qualified applicants will be placed in one of three predefined categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified and Qualified. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Candidates placed in the Best Qualified category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be contacted for an interview.

Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

  • Forest Management
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Technical Competence
  • Technology Application


You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Please be sure that you state your qualifying education, training and/or experience in your resume.

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