GS-0482-11 –PFT FISH BIOLOGIST

MALHEUR NATIONAL FOREST

Emigrant Creek Ranger District

Hines, Oregon

POSTED: JULY 30, 2014

The Malheur National Forest is at the center of a nationally recognized effort that is doubling the scale of restoration in Eastern Oregon.  If you are looking for an opportunity to do ground breaking nationally recognized work we are certain you will find a refreshing approach to leadership in natural resource management.  The vacancy announcement number will be shared when it’s ready, to those interested in the position and those who respond to this outreach.

This Outreach Notice is open to current employees and non-employees alike.  Please respond accordingly.  The purpose of this Outreach Notice is to determine the potential applicant pool for this position and to establish the appropriate recruitment method and area of consideration for the vacancy announcements.  Responses received from this outreach notice will be used to make this determination.   Your response by August 15, 2014 would be greatly appreciated.

Anyone interested in further information may contact Christy Cheyne, District Ranger, at (541)573-4344, or cacheyne@fs.fed.us.

THE POSITION:

This is a permanent full-time position that serves as the District Fish Biologist on the Emigrant Creek Ranger District, Malheur National Forest.  The position supervises a group of employees who are at various grade levels; and serves as a member of the District Leadership Team, assisting in or independently administering the Fish Biology program and related resource coordination at the Ranger Station.  The direct supervisor of this position is the District Ranger.

DUTIES

• Develops detailed project documents as required.
• Prepares biological evaluations and assessments.
• Provides assistance in preparing and reviewing environmental assessments affecting fishery resources.
• Provides advice and develops plans related to the protection and management of aquatic resources, including fish passage, stream inventory, stream productivity, stream utilization, physical and biological characteristics, endangered or sensitive species, and habitat improvements or rehabilitation programs.
• This position provides technical and administrative supervision to subordinate employees.
• Plans work to be accomplished; sets and adjusts short-term priorities and prepares schedules for completion of work.
• Assigns work based on priorities.
• Reports on program accomplishments for annual reports.
• Integrates program goals with other resource programs. Promotes understanding and cooperation between the Forest Service, other Federal agencies, Tribal, and State wildlife agencies, and special interest groups with respect to the fisheries resource and other resource activities.

• Keeps abreast of ongoing fish habitat projects, population studies, and monitoring.
• Analyzes and interprets project and study data and results, and provides information for use in fish habitat management and project proposal reviews and decisions.
• Participates in management investigations and surveys necessary for protection, restoration and enhancement of fish habitat.
• Prepares technical, progress and final reports, presenting results of administrative studies, surveys, and other activities related to fish management habitat.
• Represents the Forest Service at meetings related to fisheries management.

THE DISTRICT:

The Emigrant Creek Ranger District consists of a Ranger and Ranger District Management Assistants (RDMA).  The staff areas are: Administration, Rangeland Management, Vegetation Management/Fuels, Planning, Fire, Fish and Wildlife, and Heritage Resources.

There are approximately 45 permanent employees.  The suppression program are managed and coordinated with the Burns Interagency Fire organization.  There is considerable program interaction between the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service under the Service First concept.  This includes shared staff in fire suppression and recreation program areas.

BURNS/HINES COMMUNITY:

The District office is located in Hines, Oregon, on the south side of the Burns/Hines community.  Burns/Hines is considered the gateway to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (36 miles) and the Steen’s Mountains located south of town (50 miles).  The Strawberry Mountains Wilderness (50 miles) and Malheur National Forest are located north and west of town.

The approximate population of Burns/Hines is 5500.  As the service center for Harney County, an area roughly the size of the State of Massachusetts, Burns/Hines is a full-service community.  There are two large grocery stores, hardware and ranch supply stores, clothing stores, a variety of restaurants and large motels, two drug stores, several fitness centers, bed and breakfasts, two lumber yards, a number of service stations, as well as many other services and stores.  The closest urban centers include Bend, Oregon (2 hours west), Ontario, Oregon (2 hours east), and Boise, Idaho (3.5 hours east).

There is a full set of schools, from kindergarten through high school.  Extension campuses for both Treasure Valley Community College and Eastern Oregon University are located in the community.

A state of the art hospital, medical, dental, and optical clinics are located in Burns.  There are three nursing homes and/or assisted care living facilities.  Health programs include home health, hospice, public health, mental health, as well as specialized services such as orthopedic and fracture clinics, orthodontic services, and physical therapy.

Harney County has about 7600 residents, with Burns as the county seat.  There are a number of other federal and state agencies in the community including Bureau of Land Management, Oregon State Police, Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Dept of Transportation, Employment, Family Services, Natural Resources Conservation Services, Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Station.  The base economy is about evenly split between ranching, light manufacturing, and government.

Relationships between the community and federal agencies are excellent.  Joint projects and assistance between the federal agencies and the community is common.  The District has numerous volunteer and partnership opportunities.  Newcomers to the community find the residents friendly and accepting of others.

Located at an elevation of 4142 feet, Burns/Hines is located at the transition between the shrub-steppe ecosystem of the High Desert and the ponderosa pine forest.  Summers are warm (80-90’s), with low humidity, and cool summer nights.  Winter days are cool (temps in 10-20’s), with little snowfall.  Average snow depth in the valley is 1 foot or less; 3 feet or more in the mountains.  Days are typically sunny in both winter and summer.

The area offers unlimited outdoor recreational opportunities including hunting (elk, deer, antelope, upland birds, waterfowl), fishing, horse riding, birding (especially during Spring migration), hiking, mountain biking/cycling, rock hounding, camping, dramatic scenery, history, winter sports such as cross country and back country skiing or snowmobiling.  It offers wide open spaces for those seeking peace and solitude.  Deer and quail are common residents in most neighborhoods within the community.  Managed wild horse herds are still found throughout the Harney Basin.

More information is available on the Harney County Chamber of Commerce website:

http://www.harneycounty.com/

About the Malheur Forest:

The Malheur National Forest encompasses 1.7 million acres of wilderness, rangeland, and general forest in the majestic Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon.  It sustains a diversity of vegetation ranging from juniper-sagebrush woodlands and bunchgrass grasslands to high elevation alpine forests of sub-alpine fir and white bark pine.  Extensive tracts of ponderosa pine, western larch, Douglas-fir, grand fir, and lodge pole forests occur between the juniper/grassland foothills and alpine peaks.  Elevations range from 4000 feet to 9038 feet atop Strawberry Mountain.  The majority of the Forest lies in Grant and Harney counties, with portions in Baker, Crook, and Malheur counties.  U.S. Highway 395 bisects the Forest north-to-south, and U.S. Highway 26 from east-to-west.  The Forest has three Ranger Districts:  Blue Mountain and Prairie City to the north, and the Emigrant Creek Ranger District on the southern portion of the forest.

The Forest provides the headwaters of the Middle, Main, and South Forks of the John Day River system which provides habitat for the largest remaining wild runs of salmon and steelhead.  Threatened and endangered wildlife species include Chinook salmon, Summer steelhead, bull trout and bald eagles.  The Forest manages two Wildernesses and two Wild and Scenic Rivers as well as lands along a State Scenic Waterway.  The Forest has the second largest grazing program in Region 6 and is the home of an incredibly rich archaeological resource.  This Forest has a high frequency of wildfires in a fire-dominated ecosystem, with a correspondingly large fire and aviation program that includes a rappel base and a single engine air tanker base.

Strategically, the Forest is a leader in the Region for collaborative partnerships.  Over the past 7 years in partnership with our two collaboratives, the size of planning areas has expanded and timelines for completing NEPA documents has substantially reduced.  Additionally, working in these partnerships the Forest has seized the opportunity to be progressive in treatments using HFRA authorities.  The collaboratives formed a Coalition in 2010 and lead the development of a CFLRP proposal that was one of 10 in the nation to be chosen by the Secretary of Agriculture for multi-year funding opportunities.  Over the next 8 years, the Forest has the opportunity to use this program to implement an “all lands” approach for restoration on almost 700,000 acres of the Forest.  Building on the success of our Vegetation centric collaborative, the Forest is working to expand our collaboritives model to include the Range Program.

The complexity of the natural resources is matched by complexity of relationships and interactions with other entities.  The southern Ranger District of the Forest is engaged in a Service First project with the Burns District of the Bureau of Land Management, sharing an integrated fire suppression workforce and recreation program.  Numerous individual positions are shared among the northeast Oregon Forests.  In addition, these three Forests will release their draft Forest Plan later this spring.  Economically, the communities in the Malheur National Forest area of influence are extremely resource dependent with minimal opportunities for diversification and resilience.  The Forest is in the ceded area or area of aboriginal use of several tribal governments with the strongest ties to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, and the Burns Paiute Tribe.  The Forest is also a partner in two shared BLM/FS Resource Advisory Councils; the John Day/Snake RAC to the north and the Southeast Oregon RAC to the south.

Forest Vision

Healthy Watersheds

• Whole watersheds are healthy, functional and provide a diversity of native aquatic, wildlife and plant habitats.
• Landscapes are restored and resilient to disturbance regimes and climatic influences. Resulting services and products support sustainable ecosystems.

Vibrant Rural Environments

• Forest-related industries such as restoration services, wood-products, grazing and recreation are sustained to remain viable and responsive.
• Local communities build on historical and traditional cultures, seek opportunities to retain and expand community capacity, and are responsive to new opportunities.

Productive Work Environment

• Well-functioning teams, founded on a safety culture, are respectful, accountable and effective.
• Employees feel valued as they are trained and mentored to develop their unique contribution to achieving Forest goals.

Guiding Principles

• We accept that the welfare and safety of people is a fundamental responsibility in project planning and mission accomplishment.
• We value diversity of thought, skills and styles in achieving the Forest’s vision.
• We efficiently invest financial allocations and manage operational resources for greatest effectiveness.
• We base decisions on the foundations of economics, ecology, and sustainability.
• We promote collaboration and partnerships to improve services and achieve shared goals.
• We enhance organizational function through inclusive conversation and dissemination of information through all levels of the organization.
• We conduct our business respectfully and are accountable for what we do.
• We follow laws, regulations, executive direction, and congressional intent.

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

Revised 6/8/2005

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 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 alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202)720-2600 (voice and TDD).  To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).  USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”

CURRENT STATUS:

Thank you for your interest in our Vacancy!