Multiple positions located throughout the Northern Region, Region 1. Incumbent serves as a fully operating rangeland management specialist assisting in or independently administering an ecosystem based rangeland management program and related resource coordination. For additional information about points of contacts and duty locations for these positions, please see Education section.

Duties

Duties listed are at the full performance level. Monitors, gathers, analyzes, interprets and evaluates data to determine if land management, economic, and social goals and objectives identified for the land involved are being achieved. Conducts short and long term monitoring of plant community change, trends, grazing impacts; precipitation; soil erosion hazards; and correlates other rangeland resource activities and uses. Plans and carries out systematic ecosystem based rangeland surveys and inventories to identify and assess rangeland characteristics, amounts, types, values, and susceptibility of various land areas to specific land uses. Gathers and assembles data concerning rangeland health, trends, ecological status of vegetation communities, site potential and desired plant community. Prepares assigned portions of environmental assessments as a member of an interdisciplinary team. Prepares environmental analysis reports in assigned functional areas. Coordinates range and wildlife ecological management with other functional activities in harmony with the concept of multiple use management. Compiles material and supply estimates, or oversees compilation of estimates for facilities construction and maintenance of rangeland projects and prepares budgetary plans and controls for rangeland management functions Makes recommendations for improved rangeland and livestock administration and provides input into the development of subsequent rangeland and livestock management decisions. Prepares livestock management plans, determines location and proper stocking and locates, prescribes, designs, and schedules rangeland improvement projects such as fences, pipelines, cattle guards, plant community changes, or prescribed burning.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• 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.

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 for Rangeland Management Series 0454: 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 range management; or a related discipline that included at least 42 semester hours in a combination of the plant, animal, and soil sciences, and natural resources management, as follows: Range Management - At least 18 semester hours of course work in range management, including courses in such areas as basic principles of range management, range plants, range ecology, range inventories and studies, range improvements, and ranch or rangeland planning. Directly Related Plant, Animal, and Soil Sciences - At least 15 semester hours of directly related courses in the plant, animal, and soil sciences, including at least one course in each of these three scientific areas, i.e., plant, animal, and soil sciences. Courses in such areas as plant taxonomy, plant physiology, plant ecology, animal nutrition, livestock production, and soil morphology or soil classification are acceptable. Related Resource Management Studies - At least 9 semester hours of course work in related resource management subjects, including courses in such areas as wildlife management, watershed management, natural resource or agricultural economics, forestry, agronomy, forages, and outdoor recreation management. OR Combination of education and experience - at least 42 semester hours of course work in the combination of range management; plant, animal, and soil sciences; and natural resources management 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-05: The basic education requirements above are fully qualifying for the GS-5 grade level. No additional experience is required. For the GS-07: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as meeting one or more of the following: Collected basic data from on-the-ground observations to determine rangeland activity suitability, ecological health, ecological status, trend and grazing capacity of the rangeland resource; Gathered basic information for rangeland vegetation programs and monitored strategies and activity permits for compliance and on-the-ground results; and/or Assisted with rangeland improvement projects and maintenance. OR Successful completion of at least one year (18 semester/27 quarter hours) of graduate education leading toward a Masters degree or higher in a field that is directly related to this position. OR Superior academic achievement (SSA) with a bachelor's degree in a field that is qualifying for this position and one of the following: graduated in the upper third of the college graduating class; member of a national honor society (excluding freshman honor society); had a 3.0 GPA or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education or courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or had 3.5 GPA or higher out of a possible 4.0 on the average of all required courses completed in the major or courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum (GPA will be rounded to one decimal place, i.e., 2.95 rounds to 3.0 and 2.94 rounds to 2.9). OR A combination of graduate level education and specialized experience as described above that together meets the qualification requirements for this position. 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-09: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following: Assisted senior specialists in performing scientific and technical analysis and/or providing technical advice concerning rangeland management topics and/or issues; Assisted in performing recurring, well-defined, and moderately difficult range improvement projects such as preparing allotment management plans, locating, designing, and placing fences, signs, cattle guards, determining stocking and rotation plans and similar projects; and/or Assisted in preparing segments of conventional range use plans under multiple-use sustained yield concepts or developing simple activity plans. OR A Masters or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B or J.D., that is directly related to the work of the position. OR An appropriate combination of specialized experience and education. Only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify for this grade level. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. 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. Work Experience: Your resume must clearly document the following for each block of work experience; the beginning day, month and year the work assignment started and ended; the hours worked per week; position title, and series and grade if applicable; and description of duties performed. This information must be provided for each permanent, temporary, or seasonal appointment/work assignment or volunteer work and should be clearly documented as a separate block of time. Incomplete, inaccurate, or conflicting work history may not be credited for qualifications purposes. This can result in an applicant not being considered for the position.

Education

See above for education that may be qualifying.

Contact information:
Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest, Dillon Ranger District (two positions): Supervisor: Brian Thompson, [email protected]. Duty location Dillon, MT.

Dakota Prairie Grasslands, Medora Ranger District (two positions): Supervisor: Stacy Swenson, [email protected]. Duty location: Dickinson, ND.

Dakota Prairie Grasslands (two positions): Supervisor: Stacy Swenson, [email protected]. Duty location: Watford City, ND.

Dakota Prairie Grasslands: Supervisor: Stacy Swenson, [email protected]. Duty location: Lisbon, ND.

Contacts

• Address USDA Forest Service HRM Contact Center DO NOT MAIL IN APPLICATIONS, SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT. Albuquerque, NM 87109 US
• Name: HRM Contact Center
• Phone: 1-877-372-7248 X2
• Email: [email protected]