FORESTER

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Degree: Bachelor’s degree or higher 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. (You must submit transcripts.) 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. (You must submit transcripts.) In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level(s) in which you are applying: GS-05: Must meet the basic requirement as described above and therefore, meet minimum qualifications at the GS-05 grade level. (You must submit transcripts.) GS-07: Specialized Experience: Must have one or more years of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service performing duties such as: Using geographic information systems (GIS) and technology to manage natural resources; Assisting with planning conservation plans and programs for forestry resources; Meeting with landowners to share information about forestry and woodland conservation programs; and Using forest survey and mapping to provide technical assistance for conservation planning. OR Education: Must have successfully completed at least one full year of graduate level education in forestry or directly related subject-matter field. One full year is generally equivalent to 18 semester hours. (You must submit transcripts.) OR Combination of Education and Experience: Must have a percentage of the education and experience which when combined totals 100% of the necessary education and experience to qualify for this position. (You must submit transcripts.) OR Superior Academic Achievement: Must meet the qualifications for Superior Academic Achievement, which include a bachelor’s degree in forestry or directly related subject-matter field and one of the following methods: A grade point average of B (3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for your completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; A grade-point average of B+ (3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in the 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 in the college, university, or major subdivision; or Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. Note: If more than 10 percent of your courses were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim must be based on class standing or membership in an honorary society. (You must submit transcripts.) GS-09: Specialized Experience: Must have one or more years of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service performing duties such as: Using geographic information systems (GIS) and technology to manage natural resources; Planning conservation plans and programs for forestry resources; Collaborating with landowners to plan forestry and woodland conservation programs; Using forest survey and mapping to provide technical assistance for conservation planning; and Identifying techniques best suited to resolve forestry problems (e.g.: annual burning, clear-cutting, or over grazing). OR Education: Must have successfully completed at least two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master’s degree or master’s or equivalent graduate degree in forestry or other directly related field of study that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Two full years is generally equivalent to 36 semester hours. (You must submit transcripts.) OR Combination: Must have a percentage of the education and experience as described above that totals 100% when combined. When combining education with experience, first determine total qualifying education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; then determine experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; finally add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify an applicant for that grade level. (Note: Only education in excess of one year (18 semester hours) is qualifying when calculating education percentage). (You must submit transcripts.) IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). 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. The OPM Qualification Standards for this position can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series
This position is located in the State Conservationist office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Okanogan, WA. The incumbent participates in the development of conservation planning alternatives and in area-wide conservation and watershed planning activities, including contracting and application of the woodland resource management systems based on NRCS conservation planning principles.