Join our team in a seasonal (temporary) role supporting hands-on botany and restoration ecology work that helps conserve and restore native plant communities. You'll collect and analyze ecological data, assist with seed collection and plant material programs, and contribute to habitat restoration and environmental projects.
These position is located in Arcata, CA and Redding, CA. We expect to fill 2 vacancies at this time, however additional vacancies may be filled if available.
Summary
Join our team in a seasonal (temporary) role supporting hands-on botany and restoration ecology work that helps conserve and restore native plant communities. You'll collect and analyze ecological data, assist with seed collection and plant material programs, and contribute to habitat restoration and environmental projects.
These position is located in Arcata, CA and Redding, CA. We expect to fill 2 vacancies at this time, however additional vacancies may be filled if available.
Multiple - This is a temporary appointment. Appointment to this position will not convey permanent status and will be for a period not-to-exceed 1039 hours in a service year.
Assists with botany, plant ecology, and restoration ecology projects using standard methods to support vegetation management and habitat restoration.
Collects, records, and verifies ecological and botanical data to support monitoring of native plant communities and special status plant species.
Supports native seed and plant materials programs, including seed collection, plant material development, and application for restoration efforts.
Provides input for environmental documents (e.g., NEPA) and prepares routine technical reports for review.
Assists with conservation and restoration activities, including monitoring projects and ensuring proper collection and preservation of plant specimens.
Coordinates with interdisciplinary teams, agencies, and the public to share information and support land management planning.
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. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
Requires that you possess and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this 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/application. No assumptions will be made about your experience.
This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) that must be met to be considered. The IOR differs for each series within this position. Please ensure you meet the below requirement for the series you are applying for. You may apply for both series.
Ecologist 0408 - A degree in biology, or a related field of science underlying ecological research that included at least 30 semester hours in basic and applied biological sciences. These hours must have included at least 9 semester hours in ecology, and 12 semester hours in physical and mathematical sciences.
Botanist 0430 - A degree in botany; or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany OR A combination of education and experience that includes courses equivalent to a major in botany or basic plant science with at least 24 semester hours in botany, plus appropriate experience. Courses in basic botany, plant anatomy or morphology, cytology, histology, genetics, taxonomy or systematics, algology, mycology, ethnobotany, and those dealing with specific problems of a botanical nature or with specific groups of plants are qualifying.
To qualify, in addition to the IOR, you must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-5 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: Experience assisting with botany, plant ecology, or restoration ecology work. Supporting native seed collection and plant materials development, including collecting, processing, and using seeds for restoration projects. Assisting with monitoring plant communities or special status plant species, including conducting surveys, collecting field data, and documenting population status and habitat conditions. Providing support to natural resource or land management projects in accordance with established guidelines. OR 1 year of graduate level education related to the position; or a combination of qualifying education and experience.
Applicants may also qualifying based on Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.): Superior Academic Achievement (See OPM's General Policies, Application of Qualification Standards Section 4.f.) must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled. Completion of a bachelor's degree, with Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.), in a curriculum directly related to the position. S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.
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: Some work may be completed in an office with no special demands. A majority of field work may require routine physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, walking on rough, uneven, rocky or mountainous terrain, bending, crouching, stooping, reaching, lifting moderately heavy items. May require use of hand tools such as shovels, trowels, or screening devices.
Work Environment: Some work may be completed in a general office setting. Field work is performed outdoors and subject to moderate risks or discomforts which may require special safety precautions. May be exposed to weather changes (up to extreme hot or cold temperatures), diverse terrain, hazardous chemicals, wildlife, and other environmental factors.
Education
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.
Additional information
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.
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 85 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP
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 is not eligible for Telework.
All positions may not be filled or they may be filled at different times depending on budget, hiring needs, and requirements. These positions are temporary and are expected to last for up to 6 months. 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.
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?).
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
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, see the required documents section for more information.
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. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of the following additional assessment: Subject Matter Expert Resume (SME) Panel Review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job. Based on the SME review, qualified applicants will be placed in one of three predefined categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified and Qualified. 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.
CTAP, iCTAP, and Veterans preference will be applied. Eligible CTAP/iCTAP applicants who are rated well qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above will receive priority. Eligible Veterans in the Best Qualified category may receive priority consideration over non-Veterans.
Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas: Botany, Conservation Biology, Field Data Collection, and Plant Ecology
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
Resume and Application. At a minimum, your resume MUST contain job title (include job series and grade, if federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours worked per week, and salary. USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YX7o1PBoFkResumes 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. Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. You are welcome to submit an optional cover letter.
Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. You are welcome to submit an optional cover letter.
Transcripts: You must submit a copy of ALL your college transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. Upon selection, official transcripts must be received prior to appointment. 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.
Veterans: If you are claiming veterans' preference, submit all applicable documents.
A copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy preferred) showing your dates of active duty and type of discharge.
For current active duty members, submit a letter written on a letterhead from your Unit/Battalion/Brigade that states at a minimum, your military service entry date, estimated discharge date, type of separation (retirement, medical, regular), character of service (honorable, general), qualifying campaign medals and/or dates of overseas service during a war/campaign.
Disabled Veterans claiming 10 point preference (CP/CPS) are also required to submit a VA letter that states your combined disability percentage. If selected, you will be required to complete an SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference.
If you are claiming military spouse preference, submit a copy of your spouse's current military orders and copy of marriage certificate. If applying based on military spouse's 100% disability, you must also submit a copy of their VA rating.
If you are claiming Sole Survivorship Veterans' Preference (SSP), please provide the DD214, SF-15, Official certification from the military/VA confirming sole survivorship.
Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles: Submit documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.
Please note that documents selected for transfer from your USAJOBS profile are NOT automatically added do your application. You need to transfer your document(s) in the "Documents" step during the application process.
Hard copy paper supplemental documents, submitted without prior Human Resources approval, will be considered as an incomplete application.
Required documentation must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
This vacancy announcement uses an online application process through USAJOBS. You must submit your complete application by 11:59 PM Eastern Time by 05/12/2026 .
If you need assistance in applying on-line, please contact the listed HR Point of Contact at the bottom of the vacancy announcement.
Application Steps
Create or log in to your USAJOBS account. You must have a current resume uploaded to your account.
Click "Apply" on this announcement to begin the application.
Complete the online application and questionnaire. Note - You will only be considered for the eligibility options you select. You must submit supporting documentation to verify each eligibility claimed.
Upload documents and review your application. Make sure all required documents are included before submitting. Reminder resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted.
Submit your application. Applications with missing or incomplete information may not be considered.
You may check the status of your application by logging into your USAJOBS account. All submitted applications appear on your account home page, along with the date they were last updated. We recommend checking your application before the announcement closes to make sure it is complete. It is your responsibility to submit a resume, online questionnaire, and all required documents by the closing date.
BLM California State Office
BLM California State Office, CA-945
2800 Cottage Way
Suite W-1623
Sacramento, CA 95825
US
Next steps
You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJobs account. You will receive an acknowledgement email from USAJobs that your submission was successful once we have received your online questionnaire, resume, and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application and/or referral to the hiring official via your USAJobs account after the evaluation process is complete. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required.
More than one position may be filled from this announcement, at the discretion of Federal hiring officials. Department of the Interior may share the list of eligible candidates with other Federal agencies/departments, authorized to appoint new employees under the same hiring procedures if the position is in the same: job series, grade level, promotion potential, and in the same geographic locations (including the same metro/commuting area) provided herein. You will have the opportunity to "opt-in" to appear on a shared list. "Opt-in" does not guarantee your application will be shared, but you will be contacted in the event your application is shared
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
Resume and Application. At a minimum, your resume MUST contain job title (include job series and grade, if federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours worked per week, and salary. USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YX7o1PBoFkResumes 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. Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. You are welcome to submit an optional cover letter.
Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. You are welcome to submit an optional cover letter.
Transcripts: You must submit a copy of ALL your college transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. Upon selection, official transcripts must be received prior to appointment. 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.
Veterans: If you are claiming veterans' preference, submit all applicable documents.
A copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy preferred) showing your dates of active duty and type of discharge.
For current active duty members, submit a letter written on a letterhead from your Unit/Battalion/Brigade that states at a minimum, your military service entry date, estimated discharge date, type of separation (retirement, medical, regular), character of service (honorable, general), qualifying campaign medals and/or dates of overseas service during a war/campaign.
Disabled Veterans claiming 10 point preference (CP/CPS) are also required to submit a VA letter that states your combined disability percentage. If selected, you will be required to complete an SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference.
If you are claiming military spouse preference, submit a copy of your spouse's current military orders and copy of marriage certificate. If applying based on military spouse's 100% disability, you must also submit a copy of their VA rating.
If you are claiming Sole Survivorship Veterans' Preference (SSP), please provide the DD214, SF-15, Official certification from the military/VA confirming sole survivorship.
Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles: Submit documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.
Please note that documents selected for transfer from your USAJOBS profile are NOT automatically added do your application. You need to transfer your document(s) in the "Documents" step during the application process.
Hard copy paper supplemental documents, submitted without prior Human Resources approval, will be considered as an incomplete application.
Required documentation must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
This vacancy announcement uses an online application process through USAJOBS. You must submit your complete application by 11:59 PM Eastern Time by 05/12/2026 .
If you need assistance in applying on-line, please contact the listed HR Point of Contact at the bottom of the vacancy announcement.
Application Steps
Create or log in to your USAJOBS account. You must have a current resume uploaded to your account.
Click "Apply" on this announcement to begin the application.
Complete the online application and questionnaire. Note - You will only be considered for the eligibility options you select. You must submit supporting documentation to verify each eligibility claimed.
Upload documents and review your application. Make sure all required documents are included before submitting. Reminder resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted.
Submit your application. Applications with missing or incomplete information may not be considered.
You may check the status of your application by logging into your USAJOBS account. All submitted applications appear on your account home page, along with the date they were last updated. We recommend checking your application before the announcement closes to make sure it is complete. It is your responsibility to submit a resume, online questionnaire, and all required documents by the closing date.
BLM California State Office
BLM California State Office, CA-945
2800 Cottage Way
Suite W-1623
Sacramento, CA 95825
US
Next steps
You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJobs account. You will receive an acknowledgement email from USAJobs that your submission was successful once we have received your online questionnaire, resume, and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application and/or referral to the hiring official via your USAJobs account after the evaluation process is complete. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required.
More than one position may be filled from this announcement, at the discretion of Federal hiring officials. Department of the Interior may share the list of eligible candidates with other Federal agencies/departments, authorized to appoint new employees under the same hiring procedures if the position is in the same: job series, grade level, promotion potential, and in the same geographic locations (including the same metro/commuting area) provided herein. You will have the opportunity to "opt-in" to appear on a shared list. "Opt-in" does not guarantee your application will be shared, but you will be contacted in the event your application is shared
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
