Forester

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 Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

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:

Basic Educational Requirement: 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 operations, 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 experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

Specialized Experience Requirement:
For the GS 11 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Examples of work experience that meet this requirement may include: Reviewed contract and related pre-sale data such as preliminary logging plan, environment assessment, and appraisal; Reviewed timber sale statements of account and maintained controls to ensure all payments and deposits were made; Prepared timber sale contracts and audited and inspected timber contract operations; Identified potential contractual problems and assisted in resolving issues; Reviewed timber sale contract packages for compliance with federal policy and regulations.

OR

Three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or have received a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree that is related to the work of this position.

OR

A combination of graduate level education (beyond 36 semester hours) directly related to this position and specialized experience that together meets the qualification requirements for this position.

For the GS-12 Level -Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent private sector experience. Examples of specialized experience may include: Participated in the management, planning and oversight of all of timber sale planning/preparation and/or silviculture programs; Assisted in gathering information for use in long-range resource management plans and programs, including formulation of policies, objectives, and priorities; Assisted both presale and sale administration personnel in timber removal techniques; Supported higher level personnel in all facets of sale preparation, reforestation and timber stand improvement techniques.

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.