This position is assigned to a field office in West Virginia, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The incumbent participates in the development of conservation planning alternatives and in area-wide conservation and watershed planning activities, including contracting and application of the woodland resource management systems based on NRCS conservation planning principles.

Duties

Assist the District Conservationist in following procedures for local implementation of NRCS conservation programs and development of woodland conservation plans. Use NRCS standards, specifications, and field inventory data to develop technical materials regarding forest conservation practice implementation. Utilize NRCS computer tools to document and store information. Establish and maintain relations with federal, state, and local agencies, and private organizations for coordinating forestland conservation activities. Provide training to NRCS team members and partners in areas of forestry techniques.

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. If selected you will be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are not able to reimburse any fees incurred for fingerprints.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state motor vehicle operator's license for the type of vehicle(s) operated to perform the duties of this position.
• Physical Demands: A considerable amount of physical activity is required while making on-the-ground examination or appraisals of ongoing operations, including walking and climbing over rough terrain.
• Work Environment: The work involves regular and recurring exposure to weather conditions including extreme temperatures, and rain, snow and ice; irritating plants and insects; and herbicide and chemical spray.
• Work Environment: Risk associated with moving machinery and the rugged topography during on-the-ground assistance in forestry and woodlands areas. Incumbent must wear protective gear such as hard hats and protective boots in the forest area.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Basic Education Requirement: Degree: Bachelor's degree or higher 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. (You must submit transcripts.) 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. (You must submit transcripts.) In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level(s) in which you are applying: GS-07 Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties: Using geographic information systems (GIS) and technology to manage natural resources; Assisting with planning conservation plans and programs for forestry resources; Meeting with landowners to share information about forestry and woodland conservation programs; and Using forest survey and mapping to provide technical assistance for conservation planning. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) OR Education: Must have successfully completed at least one full year of graduate level education in forestry or directly related subject-matter field. One full year is generally equivalent to 18 semester hours. (You must submit transcripts.) OR Combination: Must have a percentage of the graduate education and experience as described above that totals 100% when combined. When combining education with experience, first determine total qualifying education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; then determine experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; finally add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify an applicant for that grade level. (You must submit transcripts.) OR Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): Must meet the qualifications for Superior Academic Achievement, which include a bachelor's degree in forestry or directly related subject-matter field and one of the following methods: A grade point average of "B" (3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for your completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study. A grade-point average of "B+" (3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in the major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; *Grade point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9. Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. Note: If more than 10 percent of your courses were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim must be based on class standing or membership in an honorary society. (You must submit transcripts.) GS-09 Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties: Using geographic information systems (GIS) and technology to manage natural resources; Planning conservation plans and programs for forestry resources; Collaborate with landowners to plan forestry and woodland conservation programs; Using forest survey and mapping to provide technical assistance for conservation planning; and Identifying techniques best suited to resolve forestry problems (e.g.: annual burning, clear-cutting, or over grazing). OR Education: Must have successfully completed at least two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in forestry or other directly related field of study that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Two full years is generally equivalent to 36 semester hours. (You must submit transcripts.) OR Combination: Must have a percentage of the education and experience as described above that totals 100% when combined. When combining education with experience, first determine total qualifying education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; then determine experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; finally add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify an applicant for that grade level. (Note: Only education in excess of one year (18 semester hours) is qualifying when calculating education percentage). (You must submit transcripts.) IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The OPM Qualification Standards for this position can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series

Education

You must submit a copy of your college transcripts or a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify all education requirements (i.e. substitution of education and/or basic education requirement). If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement. You must document all requirements on every vacancy; we cannot use previous determinations as a basis for rating. All required information must be received by the closing date of this announcement, and non-submission of all required documents/documentation will result in non-consideration. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. This information must be received by the closing date of this announcement. Non-submission of these documents will result in non-consideration. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that 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: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Contacts

• Address Natural Resources Conservation Service 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 US
• Name: Midwest Services Branch
• Phone: 8164265706
• Email: [email protected]