Forester

Summary This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Northwest Region, Yakama Agency, Forestry in Toppenish, Washington. This is a Bargaining Unit position, for more information see What are bargaining units? For Pay Flexibilities and Travel/Relocation authorized, read under ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. Responsibilities Plan, schedule, direct, supervise and conduct timber sale contracts. Plan, schedule, direct, supervise and conduct mitigative measures in the EA. Act as a Timber Sale Officer in charge of one or more large complex logging units. Designate timber for cutting through application of technical silvicultural prescriptions, assignments include forest-wide conditions. Assist in the preparation of forest-wide guidelines and training programs. Summarize and analyze data, prepare maps, reports findings, evaluates results and makes recommendations. Assisting in the evaluation of current forest conditions, identifying desired future conditions, calculating the maximum amount of timber which can be harvested annually, and development of silvicultural prescriptions and harvest schedules. Prepare contracts and permits for the sale of timber and other forest products. Prepares Forest Officers Report that contains all pertinent information about the proposed sale. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: (OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for Professional and Scientific Positions, Individual Occupation Requirements for Forestry Series GS-0460. And OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for Professional and Scientific Positions, Series GS-0460). BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL GRADES: A. Degree: forestry; or a related subject-matter field, which includes a total of at least 30 semester hours in any combination of biological, physical, or mathematical sciences or engineering of which as least 24 semester hours of course work was in forestry. The curriculum must be 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 including courses, such as silviculture, forest management operations, timber management, wildland fire science or fire management, utilization of forest resources, forest regulations, 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 including courses such as 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 including courses such as forest biometrics, forest mensuration, forest valuation, statistical analysis of forest resource data, renewable natural resources inventories and analysis, and photogrammetry or remote sensing. – OR – B. 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, or 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. ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: In addition to meeting the basic entry level qualification requirements, applicants must have the following: GS-09: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level in the Federal Service (obtained in either the public or private section). This experience must include timber sale preparation; delineation of stand boundaries and harvest operability; designation of timber for harvest; stand examination and timber cruising; preparation of documents relating to timber sale packages and other forestry matters; administer the sale of timber through contract procedures, professional application of forest management principles; train forestry technicians and tribal employees in the technical and professional application of various techniques and procedures in Forestry. OR EDUCATION: Masters or equivalent graduate degree or 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a masters degree (36 semester hours, 54 quarter hours or equivalent), in a forestry related curriculum. GS-07: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level in the Federal Service (obtained in either the public or private section). This experience must include work involving timber sale preparation: delineation of stand boundaries and harvest operability; designation of timber for harvest; stand examination and timber cruising; preparation of documents relating to timber sale packages and other forestry matters. OR EDUCATION: 1 year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement. GRADUATE EDUCATION: Graduate education must be related to the occupation and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled. S.A.A. is based on (1) Class standing-applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class, based on completed courses; or (2) Grade-Point Average-applicants must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (3) Election to membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society – membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. GS-05: If you have met the Basic Requirements for this position then you are qualified at the entry grade level of a GS-5. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Merit Promotion candidates must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date. Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472). Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur in the same location within 90 days from the closing date. Education If you are qualifying based on your education, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society. One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate schools definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education which shows 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: FOREIGN EDUCATION Additional Information All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1). See 2023 Salary Tables here and select the duty station from the Toppenish, Washington to choose the appropriate pay chart. If no specific chart is listed for this geographic location, see the “rest of U.S.” chart. The pay flexibilities of a recruitment bonus, relocation bonus or student loan repayment maybe authorized, pending availability of funds and managements approval. Travel and Relocation expenses will be authorized in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations. The full performance level of this position is GS-9. Promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. A career ladder promotion is at the discretion of management, and in no way guaranteed. TELEWORK: Indian Affairs has determined that the duties of the position are not suitable for telework under any circumstances. You will be required to operate a government-owned or leased motor vehicle in the performance of duties, therefore, a valid drivers license is required. Incumbent must have a safe driving record within the three-year period immediately preceding submittal of GSA Form 3607 and be able to meet the safe driving requirements of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employeeguides/careertransition.asp . Certain candidates may be eligible to apply under a special hiring authority including those for disabled individuals, Peace Corps employees, Foreign Service employees, veterans, etc. For more information, visit the following OPM websites: USAJOBS Information Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/; Vets Info Guide: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/. Former Federal Employees are required to indicate whether they received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) buyout in their previous employment with the Federal government, and are required to submit a copy of the applicable Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) regarding the VSIP. Most individuals who accept reemployment with the Federal government within 5 years of receiving the VSIP amount, must repay the gross amount of the separation pay prior to reemployment.