Summary This is a developmental trainee position. The incumbent will participate in an 18-24 month program with an emphasis of training in rangeland management. Incumbent will be expected to complete at least 18 semester hours of undergraduate or graduate coursework in range management from a qualifying accredited educational institution. Upon successful completion, incumbent will be promoted into a GS-09 Range Management Specialist position. See Education Information for Contact Information. Responsibilities Plans, manages, schedules, coordinates, reviews, and reports on an ecosystem-based rangeland and watershed management program on the unit. Assists with development of management plans to coordinate range use with other resource management and land uses. Participates in the development, preparation, and review of annual operating instructions, allotment management plans, habitat management plans, and environmental assessments. Maintains permitted and actual use records in the range management plan and documents observations made in the course of range inspections. Plans a wide variety of range-related projects such as revegetation, fencing, spring developments, cattle guard placement, and erosion control procedures. Resolves a full range of irregular or problem situations encountered when performing a wide variety of nonstandard technical tasks or assignments pertaining to timber stand, rangeland or watershed improvements. Develops a schedule and works plans for monitoring and inspecting. Performs a wide variety or limited operational projects incorporating diverse technical knowledge, such as serving as the Coordinating Officers Representative (COR) on timber stand, rangeland and watershed improvement projects. Develops service contracts and writes supplemental specifications to fit site specific project solutions. Receives training in more advanced forestry, range and watershed skills, techniques, and procedures by performing a variety of natural resources work. Receives advanced training through accredited classroom education to provide a more thorough understanding of laws and regulations, administrative polices, and the various methods employed in research, and other resource management functions. Receives on-the-job training to provide a more thorough understanding of range management techniques. Conducts cruises of timber stands, and evaluates condition and trends of rangelands and watersheds. Performs related data collection of timber stand, range and watershed conditions and records study results in accordance with established procedures. Makes recommendations to improve processes, estimates project costs, and prepares environmental analysis reports for restoration projects being considered for implementation. Incumbent must complete at least 18 months of work experience in the program prior to reassignment or promotion. Performs other duties as assigned. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/general-natural-resources-management-and-biological-sciences-series-0401/ 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: GS-0401 Series: Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major field of study that included 24 semester hours in course work in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. Related course work generally refers to courses that may be accepted as part of the program major. OR Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Note: For a degree in a related discipline to be acceptable for consideration, it must include 24 semester hours in subject areas described above. In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below. Specialized Experience Requirement: For the GS-07: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following: Assisted higher grade employees, or worked as a team member in collecting field data on range, forestry, watersheds, lands, etc., for preparation of management plans. Carried out weed management plans, removing weeds as instructed and preparing for revegetation of native species. Followed a schedule to monitor and inspect grazing allotments. OR One full year of graduate level education. The education must have been obtained in an accredited institution of learning; 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. 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. Please note that Superior Academic Achievement can only be applied if you have graduated or completed (or expect to complete within 9 months) all the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Education Education completed in foreign colleges and universities may be used if it has been accredited or evaluated by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. This position has a positive education requirement, as outlined above under basic qualifications. The term positive education requirement refers to an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) determination that the duties of a scientific, technical, or professional position cannot be performed by an individual that does not have the prescribed minimum education. For additional information on the qualification standards for the 0401 series, visit the OPM Qualifications Standard found at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/general-natural-resources-management-and-biological-sciences-series-0401/ POSITION INFORMATION: This announcement is associated with the 2024 Society of Range Management (SRM) hiring event. The targeted start date for these positions is Summer 2024.To see where these Forest Service offices are located, click here. Click each region name to see the different locations within the Forest Service. Please click this link to see the Career Map for these positions. If you have questions regarding duty locations in this announcement please email [email protected]. Please include the announcement number and the exact location(s) for which you have questions in your email. The duty locations listed in this announcement include primary and alternate locations for available positions. You must select all duty locations for which you wish to be considered; final duty location for each position will be determined at the time of selection. Selecting the "Location Negotiable after Selection" option in addition to selecting your preferred specific duty locations, implies your willingness to accept positions to alternative duty locations that may or may not have been indicated in this announcement. Selecting this duty location option may increase your chances of receiving an offer. Additional Information GS-07 Salary wage as shown is for Rest of the U.S. For more information, refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Salary and Wages web page. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA). Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary and term employees the opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years and the last temporary or term appointment must have been with the Forest Service. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Part-time and intermittent service will be credited only for time actually worked. Non-pay status such as leave without pay is credited for up to six months in a calendar year; anything beyond six months is not credited. Applicants are responsible for providing sufficient information/documentation to determine if the 24 month criteria is met. For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as the Military Spouses, Resource Assistants Program (RAP), Public Lands Corps (PLC), etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website. PROMOTION POTENTIAL: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied or guaranteed. TELEWORK: This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements. RECRUITMENT/RELOCATION INCENTIVES: The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/ GOVERNMENT HOUSING: May be available. DAYCARE AVAILABILITY: Daycare facilities are not available. We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.