Resource Monitoring and Assessment Program
The Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland Forestry Sciences Lab, anticipates advertising one position as the Plot Setup Assistant in Portland, Oregon. There is no government housing available.
PLEASE NOTE: This Outreach Notice is being submitted in order to generate and assess interest in the position. To apply for the position, you must apply to the vacancy announcement throughwww.usajobs.gov once the position is advertised. Respondents to this Outreach will be notified when the position is advertised.
This is a permanent seasonal position consisting of 18 pay periods of full time work and 8 pay periods in non-pay status per year. Appointees may be offered the opportunity to work longer depending on workload and funding.
This position is with the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program, part of the Resource Monitoring and Assessment Program within the PNW Research Station. FIA conducts forest inventory and forest health monitoring on forestlands of all land ownerships in Washington, Oregon, and California. This position supports the field staff by preparing forest inventory plot materials.
ABOUT THE POSITION:
The Plot Setup Assistant is responsible for tracking, filing, and maintaining over 35,000 forest inventory field plot files.
This position researches, assembles and prepares materials for field research work by using databases of historical information. In addition to using existing databases, the Plot Setup Assistant creates and maintains tracking databases to account for forest inventory materials. Direct communication with cooperating Agencies is necessary to compile materials from multiple inventories.
Additionally, the incumbent reviews plot information for land conditions, selects aerial photos and maps, and transfers map and photo point locations manually or through the use of software applications, including ArcGIS. Interpretation of each point may be conducted to classify by land use, forest type and ecological conditions.
Duties also include scanning and cataloging historical plot information and photos.
The Plot Setup Assistant prepares and tracks plot shipments using Fed-Ex and accounts for files coming and going between the Portland Office and remote duty stations.
This position is nonsupervisory and works under the direct supervision of the Prefield Coordinator.
ABOUT THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION:
The PNW Research Station is one of seven research units in the USDA Forest Service. The USDA Forest Service conducts the most extensive and productive program of integrated forestry research in the world. The scientific information produced by the station has application on public, private, andtribal lands in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere in the United States and other parts of the world. The Station’s programs reflect the changing character of the questions that science is being asked to help answer.
THE COMMUNITY:
The city of Portland is located in northwestern Oregon, bordering Vancouver, Washington. The major highways intersecting the city are I-5, I84, and US-26. The population of Portland is 580,000; the metropolitan population is the 29th largest in the US. Additionally, there are many large suburban communities.Portland is a full service community with various and numerous businesses, banking, restaurants, theaters and entertainment, festival, denominations of churches, health care and educational facilities. The downtown area is complete with an open air plaza and offers a world-class public transportation system. Commuting is easy, whether it be by public transportation system, car or bike.
Portland is one of the country’s most livable cities. It is known as the “Rose City” and world-renowned for its annual Rose Festival. Portland is recognized for itseffervescent arts community and for the dozens of urban parks and green spaces. The city is divided between the east and the west by the Willamette River, and divided from the state of Washington by the Columbia River. Within a few minute’s drive of metropolitan downtown Portland are farms and orchards, kayak-friendly waterway, wildlife preserves and the foothills of Mount Hood. The breath-taking Oregon Coast, the Cascade Mountain Range, the Columbia River Gorge, Mt. St. Helens, and the high desert of central Oregon are only 1 to 3 hours away. Portland is the main hub for various outdoor activities including biking, running, boating, camping, fishing, hiking, hunting, mountaineering, river rafting, water and snow skiing, wind and kite sailing and much more. Portland’s professional sports teams include the Trail Blazer basketball team and Portland Timbers soccer team.
For more information about Portland, Oregon, visit the following websites:
http://www.portlandonline.com, www.travelportland.com/visitors/
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE POSITION:
Please use the attached response form to express your interest in this position no later than March 2, 2012, and you will be notified when the position is advertised.
For more information about the position, contact Melissa Patterson at mhpatterson@fs.fed.us or (503) 808-2073.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs). Persons with disabilities who require alternate means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotapes, etc) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202)720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.