Forestry Technician (Motor Vehicle Operator)

Full Job Description

About the Position: Serve as Forestry Technician (Motor Vehicle Operator) assisting professional forestry personnel in the management of woodlands using practical knowledge of scientific methods and special equipment to accomplish the various activities of forest management and fire control.

This position may be filled at the GS-06, GS-07, or at the full performance level, GS-08; see "Additional Information" below.

Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below.

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).

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application.

Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

GS-06 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes 1) Assisting with timber cruises to support forest management; and 2) assisting with wildland fire activities, such as prescribed burning, suppression, and fire tower operations or standby.

This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05).

-OR- Education: A half year (i.e., 9 semester hours) of graduate level education in a field directly related to the work of the position, such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources, etc.

(Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.).

-OR- Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%.

To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 9.

Add the two percentages.

GS-07 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes 1) Participating in forest management tasks such as timber cruising, marking, sales, and habitat preservation; 2) assisting with wildland fire activities, such as prescribed burns and suppression; and 3) using computer systems to record data and/or generate summaries for forest management plans.

This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-06).

-OR- Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field directly related to the work of the position, such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources, etc.

(Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.).

-OR- Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%.

To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18.

Add the two percentages.

GS-08 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) Executing forest management tasks such as timber cruising, marking, sales, and herbicide application; 2) performing wildland fire activities such as prescribed burns, suppression, and fire tower operations; 3) evaluating forest conditions such as health, volume growth, and wildlife activity; and 4) assisting with developing forest management plans to meet program objectives.

This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the Federal service (GS-07).

-OR- Education: One and a half years (i.e., 27 semester hours) of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources, etc.

-OR- Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%.

To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12.

Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond one year (total semester hours minus 18) by 9. Add the two percentages. Major Duties:

• Locate and record endangered species, critical wildlife habitat, wetlands, archaeological, and other environmentally sensitive sites.
• Participate in fire management including controlled burning and fire suppression activities.
• Prepare operating plans for technical projects such as timber cruising, vegetation management, reforestation, and firebreak maintenance.
• Operate crawlers, wheeled tractors, and hand tools in performing forest management work.
• Select and mark timber for commercial harvesting.