Forestry Technician

Summary
This position is a Forestry Technician, GS- 0462-7.
One (1) position will be filled at Northern Maine National Wildlife Refuge Complex, in Baring, ME;
and
One (1) position will be filled at Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge, in Errol, NH.
This is a term position expected to last 13 months but may be extended up to a total of 4 years at management's discretion.
This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
  Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
• The public
  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency
Open to all U.S. Citizens. ICTAP/CTAP eligibles.
Duties
As a Forestry Technician your duties will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Gathers a variety of resource information to prepare forestry portion of planning documents, amendments to plans, etc.
• Conducts reconnaissance of management areas, timber sale boundaries, roads, and property lines. Performs site evaluations and unit design for proposed management tracts. Recognizes variations in stand conditions such as species composition, structure, and age. Proposes silvicultural treatments and assists with developing management prescriptions. Reads physical characteristics of terrain as they relate to logging and trucking equipment.
• Conducts data collection following specific inventory and monitoring protocols. Prepares data for computation and enters into data management systems, when such are available. Conducts surveys, analysis, and reporting to assess pre and post management conditions including surveys to estimate stand conditions and timber volume. Establishes permanent plot when needed.
• Serves as timber sale contract administrator on final harvest and/or commercial thinning timber sales. Uses established regulations and guidelines to function as a contract administrator. Uses accepted cruising practices and sampling techniques for timber sales or contract modifications.
• Serves as a crew leader for various forestry projects. Organizes, schedules, and executes work crew assignments; documents work progress; and ensures each project is properly completed and recorded. Reports on status of work to supervisor and ensures all record keeping is complete and accurate. Provides advice, assistance, and training to lower graded technicians involved in various projects, as necessary.

Requirements
Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Resume (See "Required Documents"). Failure to provide ALL required information on your resume will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is provided on resume.
• Eligibility and Supporting documents - You will ONLY be considered for the eligibilities that you select "yes" to AND submit the required supporting documentation, as listed in the Required Documents section.
• Suitability for employment, as determined by background investigation.
• Driver's License: Selectees MAY be required to possess and maintain a valid State driver's license at all times during their tenure.
• Uniform: Official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uniform may required.
• Completion of 1-year Trial period required.
• Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. To verify registration, visit SSS.gov.

Qualifications
Only experience and education obtained by 12/14/2023 will be considered.
In order to qualify for this position, you must possess the Minimum Qualification.
Minimum Qualification [GS-7]
A. I have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level in the Federal service that equipped me with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience may include: 1) Planning and carrying out forest inventories for the purpose of estimating tree density, species, composition, regeneration, timber volumes, timber types, etc.; 2) Selectively marking timber for sale in accordance with approved silvicultural techniques and determining the volumes of trees to be sold; 3) Inspecting timber harvest operations to ensure compliance with provisions of Special Use Permits; 4) Assisting in conducting pest surveys and carrying out approved control measures; 5) Assisting in conducting systematic forest resource surveys and inventories to collect field data used in preparation of both long and short range management prescriptions. NOTE: Your resume must contain sufficient detail of this level of work, i.e., complete begin/end dates, hours worked per week, duties performed, etc. for each timeframe for consideration
(OR)
B. I have completed at least 1 year (18 semester hours) of graduate level education directly related to this position. NOTE: Transcripts required.
(OR)
C. I have a combination of successfully completed graduate level education, and specialized experience (both as described above) that, when computed as percentages of their respective requirements, equals at least 100% when combined. NOTE: Transcripts required and your resume must contain sufficient information, e.g., complete begin/end dates, hours worked per week, duties performed, etc., for each period of work for consideration to meet this standard.
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.
Education
PROOF OF EDUCATION: All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of official or unofficial transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, institution name, and student name. If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts.
PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Additional information
PCS INFORMATION: No PCS entitlements authorized.
Telework:This position is suitable for telework and may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval.
Additional Vacancies: One or more positions may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service offices in the local commuting area.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP):Department of Interior (DOI) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) procedures apply in filling this vacancy. CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For information on CTAP and ICTAP visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/"
Reasonable Accommodation: The USFWS provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Please visit USAJOBS Help Center | Reasonable accommodation policy if you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process.
Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

• Benefits
  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  Review our benefits
  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications outlined above.
Once the announcement has closed, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you meet the qualifications your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. Note: If, after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications which resulted in you being listed in the highest quality category, you may lose consideration, or be assigned to a lower quality category for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

• Knowledge of technical concepts, principles, methods, processes, and procedures associated with forestry sufficient to plan, manage, inventory, monitor, assess and implement forestry projects involving specialized or complex procedures; identify and correct deficiencies; resolve operational problems.
• Ability to utilize various types of computer programs and software applications related to a forestry program sufficient to enter, maintain, and retrieve information from various automated systems and databases.
• Ability to communicate technical information to various audiences; make recommendations based on preliminary data interpretation or analysis; present information that increases understanding of programs, policies, and objectives.

All qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. The category ratings for this position are: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified
The category rating process protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

• Benefits
  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  Review our benefits
  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
• Required Documents
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You ...