This position is located in a Forest Service unit where the employee serves as a silviculturist with primary responsibility for the development, planning, and application of silvicultural methods and practices. 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

Duties listed are at the full performance level. Make on-the-ground examinations and analyses of forest areas to determine which areas require short- or long-range cultural treatment in terms of the total ecosystem. Review and approve project plans for special administrative studies of silvicultural methods and techniques. Provide advice, technical support, and evaluation of proposed and ongoing timber sale programs to prevent loss of timber productivity and damage to the environment. Make 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. Make recommendations to management/staff on techniques, policies, and procedures to increase the effectiveness or improve the quality of treatments. Coordinate the technical phases of forest area control of animals, insects, or diseases affecting reforestation and regeneration programs. Conduct training on silvicultural principles and practices, including planting and seeding procedures; ground and seedbed preparation and timber stand improvement techniques.

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: Basic Requirement: 0460 - Forestry 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-9: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS 7 level. Examples of specialized experience may include: Assisted with timber sale contracts, ensuring that all contract provisions were enforced in accordance with contract objectives; conducted cruises of timber stands to determine volume of merchantable timber, species composition, accessibility, and environmental constraints; performed related timber sale preparation, timber stand improvement, and reforestation duties; collected timber compartment and stand prescription, or presale information data; and/or participated on dispersed and developed recreation, oil, gas, special uses, and lands projects. OR A master's 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., if related. OR An equivalent combination of specialized experience and education (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level) as described above. For the GS-11: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS 9 level. Examples of specialized experience may include: Performed vegetation management duties including timber management, harvesting, reforestation, timber stand improvement, and fuels management; assisted in analyzing technical issues and/or provided advice and assistance on forestry resource management policies and practices; and assisted in reviewing or developing standard plans for well-established programs or projects or recommended short-range plans for a component of a forestry resource management program. 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.) as described above. 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 Qualifications section for Basic Requirement.

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.

Chatsworth, GA: GS-0460-9/11;Contact: Danielle Monroe at [email protected]

Talladega, AL: GS-0460-11;Contact: Nina Donley at [email protected]

Winnfield, LA: GS-0460-11; Contact: Lida Eichenauer [email protected]

Boyce, LA: GS-0460-11;Contact: Lida Eichenauer at [email protected]

Ratcliff, TX: GS-0460-11; Contact: Tammie Mask at [email protected]

Unicoi, TN: GS-0460-9/11; Contact Hutson Vann 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]