This position is located in Region 6, on the Blue Mountain Ranger District of the Malheur National Forest in John Day, Oregon.

The incumbent serves as an assistant Silviculturist and is responsible for the development, planning and application of silvicultural methods and practices.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Amanda Lindsay at (541) 575-3333 or by email at amanda.lindsay@usda.gov.

Responsibilities

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

Basic Requirement:
Forester GS-0460:

Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor’s or higher degree that included a major field of study 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.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 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess specialized experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

For the GS-07: Applicants must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level. Examples of specialized experience are: Laid out unit boundaries, selected and marked individual trees for cutting, gathered data about wildlife, planted, or stand improvement implementation; Gathered and analyzed soil and water data used for resource planning; Gathered and summarized data collected from vegetation surveys for input to resource planning; Collected vegetation data needed for stand improvement problems, reported observations and recommended solutions to problems; drafted suggestions for managers to consider about specific treatment or action needed;

OR

one (1) full year of graduate level education;

OR

an appropriate combination of graduate level education and specialized experience;

OR

Superior Academic Achievement (to determine if you are eligible, go to: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp)The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

For the GS-09: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level. Examples of specialized experience are: Provided direction on treating forested vegetation in order to meet resource objectives; Determined volume of merchantable timber, species composition, accessibility, and environmental constraints; performed related timber sale preparation, stand improvement, and reforestation duties; Collected timber compartment and stand prescription, or presale information data;

OR

two (2) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master’s degree or have received a master’s or equivalent graduate degree in biological science or directly related coursework;

OR

an appropriate combination of specialized experience and education (beyond 18 semester hours). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

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.