FORESTER

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Time in grade: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled (e.g., one year at the GS-07 grade level for the GS-09 grade level; one year at the GS-09 grade level for the GS-11 grade level. Applicants are encouraged to sumbit more than one SF50 proving time-in-grade requirements. Basic Education Requirement: 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 in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered: Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-09 grade level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include: Assisted with the development of conservation plans to address forest resource concerns, assisted in developing forestry and agroforestry outreach for socially disadvantaged and limited resource farmers, ranchers, and forest owners. Experience in the planning, contracting, and application of woodland resource management systems. OR Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience for the GS-09 grade level: 2 year(s) of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master’s degree or master’s or equivalent graduate degree; OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of graduate-level education and experience, as described above, may be used to qualify for this position. This combination must have equipped you with the necessary knowledge and/or experience to successfully perform the duties of this position. Combinations of experience and education must total at least 100% as outlined in OPM Qualifications policy. Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-11 grade level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include: planning and implementing forest land management actions on private lands; utilizing forest resources and environmental compliance to develop, review, implement, and resolve problems on conservation programs; conduct plant inventories in forests. Collect and analyzed data relating to forest/rangeland inventory. OR Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience for the GS-11 grade level: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of graduate-level education and experience, as described above, may be used to qualify for this position. This combination must have equipped you with the necessary knowledge and/or experience to successfully perform the duties of this position. Combinations of experience and education must total at least 100% as outlined in OPM Qualifications policy. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: 400 Series 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
This position provides technical leadership and program direction for forestry related resource assessment, development of conservation planning alternatives and participate in area wide conservation and watershed planning activities within the Bozeman Area Office, and has responsibility for the development, planning contacting, and application of the woodland resource management systems based on NRCS conservation planning principles in an assigned geographical area.