Forester (Forester)

  Department of the Interior

  Karnack, Texas, United States

Department of the Interior, US Fish and Wildlife Service

Job Summary

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This position is part of the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge. As a Forester you will serve as a Forester on the Caddo Lake, Little River, Little Sandy and Neches River National Wildlife Refuges. As such, incumbent assists refuge staff in carrying out the multi-use management program on 30,000+ acres of upland pine and bottomland hardwood forest. Position will be stationed at Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

This announcement is being advertised concurrently under R2-18-10101951-TL-MP for current and former federal employees serving under a competitive service career or career-conditional appointment or reinstatement eligible. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

Responsibilities

As a Forester, you will be responsible for:

• Carrying out timber cruises
• Assisting in writing both annual and long range timber management plans and annual prescriptions by compartments
• Carrying out beaver control activities, including removal of beaver dams.
• Assisting refuge staff and fire management module in conducting and preparing prescribed fire operations
• Investigating the illegal cutting of timber; determines damage and monetary value involved

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
• Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply)
• Suitability for employment, as determined by background investigation
• Drug testing position
• Medical Requirements
• Official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uniform required
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period

Only experience and education obtained by 01/17/2018 will be considered.

Physical Demands/Work Environment:
Work requires long periods of standing or walking over rough terrain; recurring bending, crouching, stooping, reaching, or similar activities. Work may also include frequent lifting of moderately heavy items, such as equipment and samples that weigh less than 23 kilograms or approximately 50 pounds. The work requires both office and outdoor work. The office is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. Temperature, weather extremes, bad weather, flooding, and high risks of exposure to potentially dangerous situations during the course of normal work, use of high explosives in remote locations, use of ATVs, boats, and four-wheel drive vehicles. The incumbent is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to injure self, fellow workers, the public, or property.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications for the 0460 Forestry Occupational Series (must meet A or B): 

A. A degree 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 

B. A 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.

Additional Qualifications at the GS-07 grade level (must meet A,B, or C): 

A. At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level in the Federal Service. Examples of specialized experience may include: Knowledge of the technical phases of the forest planting and seeding programs; Knowledge of timber sale and preparation programs; Knowledge of wildlife management and the relationship of various forest plant species and habitat conditions to wildlife. OR 
Completion of one full year of graduate education (18 semester hours) in an accredited college or university in a field directly related to forestry such as dendrology, forest ecology, silvics, forest genetics, wood structure and properties, forest soils, forest entomology, and forest pathology. OR 

B. A bachelor's degree, in a field directly related to forestry, and one of the following Superior Academic Achievement provisions: A grade point average (GPA) of "B" (3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or for those courses completed during the last 2 years of undergraduate study; A grade point average of "B+" ( a GPA of 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; Rank in the upper one-third of your class; Membership in a national scholastic honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.
OR 

C. An equivalent combination of professional experience and graduate level education beyond the first year which together equals 100% of the requirements. 

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.

Promotion Potential: This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed represent the full performance level of GS-7. At lower grade levels, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-7. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds.The selectee may be promoted without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.Education

PROOF OF EDUCATION: All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of official or unofficial transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, institution name, and student name. If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: 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.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: 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 school's 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.

Compensation

Salary: $41,365 to $65,778 per year

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