OUTREACH NOTICE
BOTANIST, GS-0430-09, Permanent-Full Time
Black Hills National Forest, Spearfish, South Dakota
Reply By: April 17, 2018
The Northern Hills Ranger District located on the Black Hills National Forest is conducting an outreach to assess interest in a permanent-full time Botanist position, GS-0430-09, with a duty station in Spearfish, South Dakota. The vacancy announcement will be posted on www.usajobs.gov. Please see the Contact Information section at the bottom of this notice for information on how to express interest in this position.
* THE POSITION *
Serves as the district botanist with responsibilities for developing, evaluating, and monitoring threatened, endangered and sensitive plant species and plant community and vegetation management programs.
Participates on interdisciplinary teams to provide the documentation and coordination necessary for the effective management of threatened, endangered and sensitive plant species.
Develops and/or modifies established procedures for recording plant survey information in order to meet environmental assessment requirements, botanical baseline data requirements, and for maintaining plants. Assists others in plant identification, as well as conducts training to help assigned field personnel recognize, identify, and locate plant species.
Conducts and oversees vegetation inventories, population, and community monitoring in compliance with selected protocols to contribute to the project’s baseline data for botanical resources and coordinating surveys for special status plants and noxious weeds.
Maintains plant surveys and monitoring records in appropriate data base files, in addition to collection and preparation of voucher specimens for plants. Is responsible for the analysis and interpretation of population trend and community composition monitoring data and the preparation of summary reports. Assists unit personnel or contract personnel in conducting botanical research and studies.
Assists in the development and implementation of management plans for the protection and enhancement of habitat for special status plants, and the control of noxious weeds or other invasive species. Performs assignments which may include collaborating with other resources specialists in the preparation of prescribed fire, pesticide use and NEPA compliance documents for a variety of vegetation management and restoration actions. Assists in project planning and identifying suitable plants for restoration projects.
Responsible for the hiring and supervision of at least one seasonal employee.
*NORTHERN HILLS RANGER DISTRICT*
The Northern Hills Ranger District employs approximately 50-55 permanent full-time employees and an additional 50 seasonal hires. It encompasses approximately 326,000 acres in the northern part of the Black Hills. Vegetation management (timber harvest/fuels reduction) and related silvicultural activities are the largest resource programs on the district. Average annual timber offer is about 30 million board feet. Fuels and KV programs treat about 10,000 acres per year. The district also has active programs in lands and minerals, wildlife habitat improvement, recreation, cultural resources, and livestock grazing. Game species on the district include white-tailed and mule deer, elk, Merriam’s turkey and ruffed grouse.
* BLACK HILLS NATIONAL FOREST *
The Black Hills National Forest employs 275 full-time permanent employees on four ranger districts and at the Forest Supervisor’s Office. Offices are located in Sundance and Newcastle, Wyoming and Custer, Rapid City and Spearfish, South Dakota. The Black Hills National Forest is the largest forest in the Rocky Mountain Region in terms of budget, workforce, timber production, and fire and fuels management.
The Black Hills has 1.2 million acres of forested hills and mountains. It is 110 miles long and 70 miles wide, approximately 87 percent in South Dakota and 13 percent in Wyoming. The Black Hills rise from the adjacent grasslands into a ponderosa pine forest to 7,246 feet at Harney Peak Lookout in the Black Elk Wilderness. It is described as an “Island in the Plains” with the diversity of wildlife and plants reaching from the eastern forests to the western plains. The Forest boasts a good balance of multiple use between timber production and grazing to hiking, camping, mountain biking, horse back riding, rock climbing, mining and wildlife veiwing. Big game hunting opportunities include deer, elk, mountain lion and antelope.
The Black Hills area consistently rates as one of the top five tourist destinations in the nation. Four National Park System destinations lie within the Black Hills proper: Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Jewel Cave National Monument, Wind Cave National Park, and Devils Tower National Monument. Custer State Park, the nation’s second largest state park, is within five minutes of Custer. Historic Deadwood/Lead offers an interesting look at the Wild West, and features exciting gaming opportunities. Several beautiful mountain lakes and blue-ribbon trout streams attract thousands of recreation users to the Black Hills each year.
*COMMUNITY*
Spearfish is located 45 miles west of Rapid City, South Dakota, and 10 miles east of the South Dakota/Wyoming state line. It is also located about 400 miles northeast of Denver, Colorado, and 500 miles west of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Interstate 90 is adjacent to the town. Elevation is 3,680 feet above sea level. Population is about 13,000 including nearby developments.
Spearfish is a thriving, progressive, and scenic community. It is immediately adjacent to the northern most slopes of the Black Hills. Temperatures are moderate, though seasonal, with warm, dry summers and cold, snowy winters. Average rainfall is 22 inches, and average snowfall is 31 inches. Prevailing winds are from the northwest. The average annual mean temperature is 47.5 degrees, with an average January temperature of 36.6 degrees and an average July temperature of 72.6 degrees.
Spearfish offers a four-year university (Black Hills State University) and a public library. Spearfish has numerous churches, motels, grocery stores, and banks. There is a hospital and nursing home in town. A variety of dental and medical services are available. The town offers two newspapers, indoor theaters, and radio stations. Telephone, cable television and internet provider services are also available. Spearfish has a police and fire department, emergency medical technicians, city offices and many retail businesses. The nearest airport is the Black Hills Airport four miles east of Spearfish; commercial airline service is available at the Rapid City Regional Airport 55 miles east of Spearfish.
Recreation facilities include a golf course, bowling alley, soccer and baseball fields, tennis and horseshoe courts, museums, parks, a large indoor fitness and athletic center, a city campground, and several private campgrounds. Forest Service campgrounds are available within 15 miles of town. Access to over 300 miles of snowmobile trails, groomed and ungroomed cross-country ski trails, a 100-mile long hiking trail (Centennial Trail), a 110-mile long biking, hiking and horseback trail (Mickelson Trail), and 2 downhill ski areas are nearby.
Major employers in or near Spearfish are Black Hills State University, Spearfish Forest Products (sawmill), Spearfish School District, Wal-Mart, Dorsett Home (nursing home), Spearfish Regional Hospital, the City of Spearfish, the USDA Forest Service, and Black Hills Special Service Cooperative.
Spearfish has a public school district with two elementary schools, one middle school (grades 6-8), one high school and one accredited Christian school (grades K-12). Black Hills State University (http://www.bhsu.edu/) offers both day and night classes.
Numerous housing options are available in and around Spearfish. In Spearfish, the average cost to rent a two-bedroom apartment is $500, and the average cost to rent a two-bedroom house is $900. Homes to purchase range from about $100,000 and up, with the average cost of a family home being about $200,000. There is no state income tax in South Dakota, but property taxes in Spearfish are fairly high. Housing is also available in the neighboring cities of Belle Fourche (12 miles north of Spearfish), Lead/Deadwood (17 miles south), and Sturgis (22 miles east). To view a listing of homes currently on the market, please visit http://www.nbhrealtor.com/default.aspx.
For more information on the Spearfish community, contact the Spearfish Chamber of Commerce at 605-642-2626 or view the following website at http://www.spearfish.com/.
Botanist, GS-0430-09, Permanent-Full Time
Northern Hills Ranger District, Spearfish, SD
Black Hills National Forest
Please respond by April 17, 2018 to:
Chris Stores, cstores@fs.fed.us, 605-443-3081
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Submission of this form is voluntary —– Thank you for your interest.