This position is located on the Prescott National Forest in Prescott, AZ. Serves as a fish biologist on a Forest Service unit, responsible for a Forest riparian/aquatic habitat management, protection, rehabilitation, and enhancement program. For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Francisco Anaya- Ecologist at [email protected] or 928-777-2240.

Duties

Provide technical and staff leadership, advice, and assistance concerning novel, complex problems arising from land use as it relates to riparian/aquatic habitat management. Collaborate with the Forest Hydrologist, Soil Scientist and Wildlife Biologist to translate higher level riparian/aquatic habitat management policies into Forest guidelines Advise on policies, plans, methodologies, and practices that will affect or be affected by riparian/aquatic habitat management considerations. Formulate and recommend Forest short-range programs for riparian/aquatic habitat management. Prepare and supervise training activities in recognition of riparian/aquatic habitat management requirements and evaluation of potential to maintain, rehabilitate, and enhance such management including protection of rare and endangered species. Assess overall effectiveness in accomplishing management objectives and degree of compliance with established policies, standards and procedures. Report conflicting goals, policies, and standards which reduce the Forest level of performance. Represent staff officer and Forest Sup in meetings with sportsmen’s associations and advisory boards, and users and cooperators to discuss mutual problems and solution, and explain new or improved techniques for riparian/aquatic habitat management. Determine need, initiate and formulate practices, procedures, and methods in the riparian/aquatic habitat management program for the Forest. Develop and recommends policies, plans, techniques, and project priorities for the improvement of riparian/aquatic habitat. Prepare environmental assessments, biological evaluations and environmental impact statements. Provide for active marketing of Forest’s riparian/aquatic habitat management program requests, respond to Regional Office tentative allocation of funds, recommend priorities for allocation of final dollars and targets, and tracks expenditures. Provide expert functional, specialized advice on an interdisciplinary approach to the development of short-and long-range plans. Prepare plans for and conduct detailed investigations of aquatic resource habitats. Analyze aquatic resources, give guidance, assistance, and training to District personnel in the preparation of riparian/aquatic habitat management plans. Review a variety of functional plans to ensure that the riparian/aquatic resources have received full consideration, including on-the-ground examination. Recommend revisions and provide needed advice and guidance to Line Officers and long-range planning teams to assist them in incorporating basic resource data into land use plans. Assist to achieve program and production goals as set forth in approved management plans, programs, and work plans by evaluating program accomplishment for quantity and quality. Study water development projects and other land use projects proposed for National Forest lands to determine whether riparian/aquatic resource values have received adequate consideration and have been coordinated with other features of the program. Recommend approval or disapproval and/or modification or amendments to the program to protect riparian/aquatic habitat.

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.
• 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.gov

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-0482: Degree: major field of study in biological science that included at least 6 semester hours in aquatic subjects such as limnology, ichthyology, fishery biology, aquatic botany, aquatic fauna, oceanography, fish culture, or related courses in the field of fishery biology; and at least 12 semester hours in the animal sciences in such subjects as general zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, entomology, parasitology, ecology, cellular biology, genetics, or research in these fields. (Excess course work in aquatic subjects may be used to meet this requirement when appropriate.) OR Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in biological science (i.e., at least 30 semester hours), of which a minimum of 6 semester hours were in aquatic subjects and 12 semester hours were in the animal sciences, 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: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as two or more of the following: Coordinating limited studies of fishery populations and prepares a variety of written reports or limited environmental analyses; And/Or Participating on interdisciplinary teams and preparing environmental analysis reports; And/Or Serving as a leader of fish habitat improvement projects and habitat inventory and monitoring programs. 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.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. 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 requirements.

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]