Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Cle Elum Ranger District
Biological Technician (Plants)
Temp GS-0404-4
Summer 2016
Description: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Cle Elum Ranger District will be advertising for one TEMP GS-0404-4 Biological Technician (Plants), located in Cle Elum, Washington.
This incumbent will work primarily in the field independently to complete inventories on vascular plants with a focus on non-native plant species. The duties will include using a hand-held sprayer mounted to a truck bed and at times a backpack sprayer to apply herbicide on National Forest Lands. Other duties will also include mapping (GPS, ArcMap GIS) invasive plant populations and support for the native plant program such as seed collection. The successful applicant will have experience in plant identification, computer data entry, GPS, operating a 4-wheel drive vehicle, and field navigation skills. Applicants with the ability to field identify local flora, experience with the use of microscopes and dichotomous keys, and a commercial applicator’s pesticide certification are preferred.
Qualifications: Prefered applicants should have some course work in biology, botany, plant ecology, forest ecology, or a related discipline, or have an equivalent combination of education and experience . Applicants must have the ability to lift a minimum of 50 pounds and to carry heavy loads. The position may be filled at a GS-04 pay grade ($13.68/hr), based on applicant qualifications. United States citizens only will be considered for these positions. Applicants must have: 1) botanical skills to identify state-listed noxious weeds and other exotic plants at various growth stages and to distinguish these from native species that may be “look-alikes” . 2) Applicants must have a current driver’s license.
Physical Demands: This position requires field work for up to four months (approximately June 16 through September 30th). The incumbent may encounter temperature extremes, rough walking surfaces, steep terrain, rain, wind, and possibly snow.
Location: The position’s duty station is located at Cle Elum Ranger Station, Cle Elum, Washington, 82 miles east of Seattle, and 27 miles west of Ellensburg.
ABOUT THE OKANOGAN-WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST: This forest encompasses more than 4-million acres in Washington State and stretches north to south from the Canadian border to the Goat Rocks Wilderness – a distance of about 180 miles. The forest lies east of the Cascade Crest, which defines its western boundary. The eastern edge of the forest extends into the Okanogan highlands, then south along the Okanogan and Columbia Rivers, and then to the Yakima River valley. Because of this wide geographic range, the forest is very diverse – from the high, glaciated alpine peaks along the Cascade Crest and the numerous mountain ranges extending eastward from the crest, through deep, lush valleys of old growth forest, to the dry and rugged shrub-steppe country at its eastern edge. Precipitation varies widely – from more than 70-inches along the crest to less than 10-inches at its eastern edge. This greatly affects the forest and vegetation types across the area.
Cle Elum Ranger District: The Cle Elum Ranger District encompasses approximately 375,000 acres and extends from near the city of Ellensburg and the Yakima River to the crest of the Cascades in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and Snoqualmie Pass areas. It is bordered by the Wenatchee River Ranger District to the north along the Wenatchee Mountains – Mt. Stuart divide and by the Naches Ranger District to the south along the Manastash Ridge divide. To the west of the district is the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
HOW TO APPLY: Please apply online through www.usajobs.gov to the following Single Vacancy Recruitment announcements, Opens a period in Nov-Dec. Specify Cle Elum, Washington as the location (duty station), for GS-4: TEMP-OCR-404-4-PLANT. This announcement will be open for 15 days. Please provide your contact info and when the announcement number is released, you will be emailed
FOR MORE INFO: Helen Lau, District Botanist hlau@fs.fed.us
(509) 852-1074 (Cle Elum Ranger Station)
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