Forester (Silviculture)

Summary

This announcement is part of a Forest Service National Hiring effort to fill multiple vacancies. Positions may be filled at one or more of the duty locations included in this announcement. Final determination of the duty location will be made at the time of the job offer. For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Brian Jackson at [email protected]. USDA Employees: Please refer to the Next Steps section.

Duties

• •Duties listed are at the full performance level GS-12.
• •Assists in the development of long-range vegetation management plans and programs, including formulation of policies, objectives, and priorities, and the correlation and integration of timber plans into the overall land management plans.
• •Reviews and critiques short-range plans and annual work plans prepared by first level unit personnel for timber sale planning, reforestation, timber stand improvement, and pest management.
• •Reviews all compartment prescriptions for technical adequacy and compliance with policies and standards.
• •Provides Forest-wide coordination advice and program direction in the development of prescriptions for treatment of vegetation.
• •Performs supervisory duties 20% or less of the time.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards. Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary. Basic Requirement: GS-0460 Series: Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in 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 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below. Specialized Experience Requirement: For the GS-11 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following: Reviews and recommends plans for the timber harvest program. This includes sale design, layout, and marking in accordance with approved silvicultural prescription and environmental assessment reports. Participates in timber sale unit layout and sale administration to ensure that silvicultural management objectives are maintained. Conducts examinations of timber compartments and stands on the unit and evaluates the conditions found. Makes silviculture prescriptions and action plans for TSI and reforestation work necessary to attain timber management objectives using aerial photographs and on-the-ground observation and measurements. OR 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (coursework directly related to position being filled); OR An appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education (beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester hours leading to a Ph.D.). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. For the GS-12 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following: Assists in the development of long-range vegetation management plans and programs, including formulation of policies, objectives, and priorities, and the correlation and integration of timber plans into the overall land management plans. Serves as the Forest budget coordinator for the silviculture program which includes coordinating with Regional staff on budget allocations. Provides program leadership for the silviculture program on the forest. Drafts local policy and technical guides and standards for timber marking, reforestation, and timber stand improvement programs including site preparation, stand release, cleaning and weeding, pre-commercial thinning, elimination of undesirable species, pruning, species conversion, and prescribed burning. 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: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

See above for education that may be qualifying for the GS-11 grade level. There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for the GS-12.