This position provides program leadership for the silviculture program on the forest with responsibility for the development and/or review of silvicultural plans including reforestation, timber stand improvement and NEPA planning for vegetation projects. Multiple positions will be filled. See EDUCATION SECTION for the contact information for each location. In order to be considered for any of these locations, please verify that the appropriate location is selected.

Duties

Assist in the development of long-range vegetation management plans and programs, including formulation of policies, objectives, and priorities, and/or the correlation and/or integration of timber plans into the overall land management plans. Prepare plans and technical specifications to collect and analyze data related to timber stand classification, volume and growth. Provide prescriptions and prescription certification and oversight to complete vegetation treatment projects. Plan and conduct studies to address problems created by timber harvesting. Make on-the-ground inspections to evaluate effectiveness of timber improvement programs. Draft local policy and technical guides and standards to address timber marking, reforestation and timber stand improvement programs. Review and critique short-range plans and annual work plans to address adequacy of timber sale planning, reforestation, timber stand improvement and pest management. Provide prescriptions and prescription certification and oversight for vegetation treatment projects, including stand thinning, timber harvest, and/or prescribed application of fire.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or 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-0460: 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 in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience in the amounts listed below. Specialized Experience Requirement: For the GS-12 grade level: You must have one-year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as the following: Prepared silvicultural/vegetative portions of environmental analysis reports and impact statements; planned and administered a timber management program which may have included providing technical direction in all phases of reforestation and timber stand improvement; directed studies on problems created by timber management practices, including the regeneration of cut-over areas; and/or developing land use plans for a multiple-use forest resource area, specifically management of vegetation, with diverse and complex problems. 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

There is no substitution of education for specialized experience.

LOCATION INFORMATION:In order to be considered for any of these locations, please verify that the appropriate location is selected. Final determination of duty station will be made by the selecting official at the time of job offer.

Asheville, NC: GS-0460-12 Contact: Carol Milholen at [email protected]
Columbia, SC: GS-0460-12 Contact: Jennifer Weston-Spotts at [email protected]

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]