KEY REQUIREMENTS



• U.S. Citizenship Required
• Recent Graduate Program requirements
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation

Timber Sales Preparation Utilizing on-the-ground inventory of sample plots and stands, maps, aerial photography, and computer reports, the forester develops and recommends unit timber plans to implement the approved timber sale program. Reviews and appraises the timber resource to determine the area's capacity to meet allowable cut/public demand. The review and appraisal considers future needs as well as the protection and regeneration of the resource, and the development of the reforestation and timber stand improvement program. The employee is responsible for the oversight of site preparation, seeding, planting, stocking surveys, release, pre-commercial thinning, animal control, pruning and fertilization. Conducts review of silvicultural prescriptions to ensure that plans, treatment, and harvesting techniques are compatible with timber management plan. Develops and evaluates the timber sale preparation program including determination of best access routes, location of cutting units, and consistency of logging methods with transportation and silvicultural plans. Oversees cruising and marking of timber; determines sale volume; preparation of timber sale report and appraisals; and the preparation of timber sale contracts. Conducts reviews to ensure protection of water retention capacity of the soil and reestablishment of forest growth to prevent or minimize soil erosion damage. Makes adjustments to cutting plans to include control measures necessary to prevent spread of insects or disease and to salvage infested or infected timber. Coordinates information to ensure integration of the timber management plans with other resources and activities and with the approved land management plans. Prepares or participates in the preparation of draft environmental impact statements or environmental analysis reports. Prepares and assembles the timber sales contract package. Timber Sales Administration Conducts joint review of logging plans with the operator to ensure understanding of contract requirements. Inspects logging operations to ensure that fulfillment of silvicultural objectives, protection of watershed, recreational, aesthetic, and wildlife values are observed and that contract stipulations met. Prepares Sale Area Improvement (SAI) and K-V Collection Plans. Performs inspection of logging operations to ensure compliance with specific contract provisions. Supervisory Responsibilities and Budget Planning May supervise one or two employees. Supervisory responsibilities include setting performance standards, performance ratings, approval of leave, recommending training and handling disciplinary problems of subordinates. Supports the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended and develops and carries out affirmative action efforts in the unit. Determines financial needs of the resource program and prepares recommendations for equipment, material and personnel needs; documents work progress and accountability of the timber resource program. Assists in budget planning for District or zone programs.

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

You must possess the Basic Requirements identified below to be considered eligible for all positions at the GS-5 grade level and above.

Bachelor's Degree: 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.

GS-7: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level; one full year of graduate level education; an appropriate combination of graduate level education and specialized experience; or Superior Academic Achievement (go to this site determine if you are eligible: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. 

GS-9: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level; 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 appropriate 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). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. 

Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet education requirements. Education completed in foreign colleges and universities may be used if it has been accredited by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and U.S. Department of Education websites at - http://www.opm.gov/qualifications and http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.

Recent Graduates are on a trial period for the duration of the program.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Qualified applicants will be referred to the Selecting Official for consideration.  If there are qualified candidates with Veteran's Preference, only those applicants will be referred to the Hiring Manager.
To view the application form, visit: https://fs.usda.ntis.gov/cp/?event=jobs.previewApplication&jobid=1BC35B73-49C1-42C1-9A48-A0DE000EA0AD

The Federal Government offers a comprehensive benefits package.  Explore the major benefits offered to most Federal employees at:  http://www.usajobs.gov/ResourceCenter/Index/Interactive/Benefits#icc .

OTHER INFORMATION:

Relocation expenses are not authorized.

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed

This position will require 40 hours of formal training to be completed per year.

Recent Graduates may be non-competitively converted to a term or permanent position in the competitive service. To be eligible for conversion, the Recent Graduate must:

• Be a U.S. Citizen;
• Have successfully completed all requirements of the program;
• Have demonstrated successful job performance;
• Meet the OPM Qualification Standards for the position to which the Recent Graduate may be converted.  Conversion is not guaranteed and is based on the needs of the agency; and
• Complete one year of continuous service.

Bargaining Unit Status: Eligible - Coverage is dependent upon unit location.

 • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION AND FINGERPRINT CHECK:  Selection and retention in this position is contingent on a successfully adjudicated FBI National Criminal History Check (fingerprint check) and a background investigation.

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin.

You must complete the application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. Assistance is available during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday). Applying online is highly encouraged. If applying online poses a hardship, please contact our office well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages with supporting documents must be received no later than noon on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.

Step1 – Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.

Step 2 - Create a Resume with USAJOBS or upload a Resume into your USAJOBS account. You may want to customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. In addition, your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).

Step 3 - Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required.

You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Simply log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application” to continue.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

The following documents must be submitted to constitute a complete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure that all required documents are received within the required timeframes. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service etc. Failure to submit required, legible documents will result in elimination from consideration.

1. Resume that includes the following information: 1) job information for which you are applying; 2) personal information; 3) education; 4) work experience; and, 5) other qualifications.

2. College Transcripts if education is required for meeting basic qualifications and/or you are substituting education for specialized experience. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application, however, if selected, an official college transcript will be required.

3. DD-214 (Member 4 Copy) and/or SF-15 Application for 10-point Veteran Preference if claiming Veterans’ Preference.

NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

If you set up your USAJOBS account to send automatic email notifications, you will receive an acknowledgment email that the submission of your online Occupational Questionnaire and resume was successful.  After a review of all applications are made, you will be notified of your qualification or non-qualification, if you were referred to the selecting official for consideration, and if you were selected or not selected.  If you choose not to set up automatic email notifications, you must check your USAJOBS account for the latest status of your application.  

Your application may be reviewed to verify that you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements for the position prior to issuing lists to a selecting official.  If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.