Forestry Aid / Technician

Duties

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM – where our people are our greatest natural resource.

For additional information about the BLM, please visit Our website .

All positions may not be filled or they may be filled at different times depending on budget, hiring needs, and requirements. These positions are temporary and are expected to last for approximately 6 months. These positions have no promotion potential, if you want to be considered for a higher grade you must apply for the higher grade.

Physical Demands / Work Environment : May be required to work outdoors in conditions that include steep and rough terrain, dense vegetation, heavy rains, and insects. Field work is performed outdoors in rugged terrain; to include very steep, wet, muddy, rough, uneven or rocky surfaces; positions require physical exertions, such as, bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities. Individuals should be capable of working alone, or with other people, during early morning hours, night, or during the day.

Salary : Salary shown is taken from the Rest of the U.S. pay table, step 1. You may view the OPM salary tables, with the various locality rates, at 2018 General Schedule (GS) Locality Pay Tables .

If selected from this or a similar competitive, seasonal announcement, your appointment may be creditable for consideration under PL-114-47, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) . The Act allows certain individuals, who have or had time-limited appointments at land management agencies, to compete for any permanent position in the competitive service under “internal” merit promotion procedures. For more information, see the section under Eligibility , which starts with Question #15 ( Q15. Who is eligible for appointment under these provisions? ).

Responsibilities

Forestry Aids and Technicians collect forest and woodland management data regarding location, character, extent, volume, rate of growth, and quality of timber. They inspect and report on timber sale areas to determine compliance with contract requirements. They mark and designate timber to be removed in timber sales or for use disposals. They must be on call for emergency fire suppression and mop up work.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status

Promotion Potential

Who May Apply

This job is open to…

All U.S. Citizens – No previous Federal Service is required.

Questions? This job is open to 1 group.

Job family (Series)

0462 Forestry Technician
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- Conservation Technicians
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Requirements
Requirements

Conditions of Employment
- Direct Deposit Required
- U.S. Citizenship is required
- Read the "How to Apply" and "Required Documents" Sections
- You cannot hold an active real estate license; nor can
- you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Land
- Security Clearance/Background Investigation is required.
Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the specialized experience as defined in the announcement or vacancy questions. In addition, your responses to the questions must be adequately reflected in your resume.

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirement – please be sure to include this information in your resume.

GS-04 : 6 months of general and 6 months of specialized work experience. Examples of specialized experience may include participating in forestry inventory, timber sales, and trespass, cruising and road layout projects; and marking timber in accordance with simple specifications and marking rules; OR successful completion of 2 years of study above the high school level that included at least 12 semester hours (or 18 quarter hours) in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 3 semester hours in mathematics is creditable; OR a combination of experience and education to meet the total experience.

GS-05 : one year of specialized work experience equivalent to GS-4 level. Examples of specialized experience may include assisting in inspecting cutover areas on current sales for compliance with terms of timber sales contracts; assisting in investigating suspected timber trespass cases including locating and identifying trespass sites, quantities, etc.; and examining timber stands to determine need for insect and disease control work; OR successful completion a full 4 year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor’s degree (a) with major study in forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position, or (b) that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 6 semester hours in mathematics is creditable; OR a combination of experience and education to meet the total experience.

GS-06: one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level. Examples of specialized experience may include collecting and compiling forest and woodland management data regarding location, character, extent, volume, rate of growth and quality of timber; designating timber to be removed in timber sales or for use disposal; and preparing reports on forest and woodland trespass cases; OR one year of graduate level education directly related to the work of a Forestry Technician such as forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject matter field directed related to the position; OR a combination of experience and education to meet the total experience.

GS-07 : one year of specialized work experience equivalent to GS-6 level. Examples of specialized experience may include assisting professional foresters by gathering a variety of resource information for the forestry portion of resource analysis and management planning documents; researching and drafting assigned segments of documents; administering limited timber sales contracts; and preparing forest road layouts; OR one year of graduate level education directly related to the work of a Forestry Technician such as forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject matter field directed related to the position; OR A combination of experience and education to meet the total experience.

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.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the early consideration/closing date of the announcement.

Education

Additional information

Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify that they have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. To register or verify your registration go to the Selective Service System website.

Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is available from OPM’s Career Transition Resources website at CTAP or ICTAP . If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration or that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) This vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) You apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) You are found well qualified for this vacancy. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form.

CTAP and ICTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they fall within the Well or Best Qualified categories on the rating criteria for this position.

If tentatively selected for this position you will be required to complete and submit a OF-306 Declaration for Federal Employment prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.

The person tentatively selected for this position is subject to completion of a favorable background investigation. Failure to satisfy the preliminary background check will result in cancellation of the tentative job offer. Failure to satisfy the full investigation requirements may be grounds for termination, once you are placed in the position.

MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT: Employees required to operate a motor vehicle must be at least 18; otherwise, you must be at least 16 at the time you report for work.

Overnight travel may be required on a regular and recurring basis and employee will be required to obtain and use a government charge card, when travel is necessary.

If you are selected for this position, prior to appointment, you may be subject to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use. If drug testing is required for this position, it will be provided at Government direction and expense. Once hired, you may also be subject to random drug testing during employment. This is in accordance with Executive Order 12564 and under the Department’s Drug Free Workplace Program.

This position is not eligible for Telework.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Upon receipt of your complete application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. Your rating will be based on your responses to the Job Specific Questionnaire and the information stated in your resume. If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran’s preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. In addition, interviews may be conducted for this position. The interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis or may be scored. The job specific questions relate to the following knowledge, skills and abilities required to do the work of this position.

KSA 1: Knowledge of the principles of forest management and pertinent guidelines to complete a variety of forest management projects.

KSA 2: Knowledge of tree identification and cruising techniques, scaling rules and appraisal system to do forest inventory.

KSA 3: Knowledge on data collections, accuracy, determines causes of variances and applicability of data to the overall forest management program.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance

Not Applicable
Required Documents
Required Documents
Different locations begin hiring at different times. The following cutoff dates are interim dates before the closing date of the vacancy announcement when candidates can be referred to the different locations for consideration. Therefore, ALL required documentation must be received at the time you apply, or before 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time on the following early consideration dates / closing date: January 31, 2018; February 28, 2018; March 30, 2018; April 30, 2018; May 31, 2018; June 29, 2018.

Resumes must show relevant experience and other information. Your resume must list your education and work experience including the dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week and salary information. Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). You are welcome to submit a cover letter (optional).

In addition to the online application (resume and responses to the questionnaire), you are required to submit the following forms:

1. A copy of your college transcript(s), if qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience. If selected for this position you will be required to provide an original copy of your transcripts.

2. Veterans’ Preference: If you are entitled to veterans’ preference, you should indicate the level of veterans’ preference you are claiming on your resume. Your veterans’ preference entitlement will be adjudicated (verified) by the employing agency using the documents you provide.
- For 0-point Sole survivorship veterans’ preference (SSP), please provide the documentation you received granting this preference.
- For 5-point veterans’ preference, please provide your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty, or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions.
- For 10-point veterans’ preference, please submit a Standard Form (SF) 15 , Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, DD-214, and the required documentation.
For more information on which type of preference is applicable please visit VetGuide .

3. Any certifications required for the position. Requirements to submit additional documents may be stated in the job related questions. Failure to submit all required documents may result in a not qualified or not eligible determination.

4. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles: documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility – this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.

You may submit your documents either via Auto-Requested Fax or by uploading your documents from your USAJOBS Profile. Do not use both options. Auto-Requested Fax: allows you to submit required documentation that will be electronically displayed along with your resume. Uploading Documents: instead of faxing your documents you may use the uploading procedures thru Applicant Manager. Hard copy paper supplemental documents, submitted without prior Human Resources approval, will be considered as an incomplete application. Required documentation must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.

READ THIS : It is the responsibility of the applicant to illustrate that all eligibility requirements are met. This includes ensuring your resume / application documents specific information on each employment listed. Specifically, you must document Agency/Company Name, supervisor’s name and contact information, position title, grade/series/salary, and employment dates to include month, day and year. Failure to do so may result in your application being disqualified. If you have questions regarding the necessary documentation to include, contact the HR Specialist listed on this announcement prior to the closing date of the announcement.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Benefits
Benefits
A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits .
Temporary seasonal employees are eligible for the following:
- Annual and Sick Leave
- Depending on tour of duty – Sunday, holiday, shift differential
- Paid Federal Holidays
-Participation in the Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) program – Employees electing to participate in the FEHB will be responsible for the employee share of the premium while on the official agency roles, which is deducted from bi-weekly earnings. After separating from federal employment, employees will be offered to continue participation in FEHB under the Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) option. Employees electing to continue coverage under the TCC provision will be responsible for the full premium amount plus a 2% administration fee.
Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.