Forestry Technician
Salary
$40,262 - $58,158 per year
Duties
Assists with the preparation and implementation of prescribed fire plans, manual and mechanical hazardous fuels treatment, fire effects, and smoke and wildfire response monitoring. Conducts field surveys to determine hazardous fuel conditions. Assists in planning and conducts project assessments of hazardous wildland fuels. Enters fire behavior and fire effects into agency databases. May participate on prescribed burn projects to eliminate and record hazardous wildland fuel areas. Participates in wildland fire and safety training to establish techniques, fire suppression, and safe operation of wildland fire hand tools, while supporting suppression efforts. Assist senior staff with supervision of fuels modules.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship is required. Be sure to read the HOW TO APPLY and REQUIRED DOCUMENTS Sections. You cannot hold an active real estate license; nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Land. Direct Deposit Required. Background Investigation Required. Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination. Failure to possess or obtain a favorable determination will result in the cancellation of the offer or will be grounds for termination. You must also pass the work capacity test for arduous positions. You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position. You must pass a pre-employment physical. Applicant(s) tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use and to pass the test prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use. May require completion of a one year probationary period. Applicants appointed to this position must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license. Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.
Qualifications
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement- please be sure to include this information in your resume. In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.
To qualify for the GS-06 grade level: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-05 is required. Examples of work experience include but are not limited to: having participated in routine aspects of inventory and monitoring for wildland fire, prescribed fire, and/or natural resource activities; participated in field resource data collection for hazardous fuels management program; and assisted in implementing specific plans for fuels treatment projects.
To qualify for the GS-07 grade level: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-06 is required. Examples of work experience include but are not limited to: having performed specialized aspects of inventory and monitoring for wildland fire, prescribed fire, and/or natural resource activities; planned and directed field resource data collection for hazardous fuels management program; and assisted in developing and implementing specific plans for fuels treatment projects.
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.
Substitution of Education for Experience:
To qualify for the GS-06 and/or GS-07 grade level: Must have completed 1 full year (18 semester hours) of graduate education which is DIRECTLY related to work of the position OR an equivalent combination of specialized experience and education.
Selective Placement Factor(s): This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified.
1.) Prior on-the-line firefighting: The Department of the Interior defines wildland firefighting experience as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Wildland firefighting experience is gained through work on the fire line in containment, control, suppression or use of wildland fire. This experience can be met by serving in a temporary, seasonal, or equivalent private sector fire position for no less than 90 days. Wildland fires are categorized into two distinct types: (1) Wildfires - Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires; and (2) Prescribed Fires - Planned ignitions. This description includes only fireline experience on a Prescribed Fire; it does not include experience in the planning stages. Prescribed fire experience must be supplemented by fire suppression experience in order to be creditable as previous wildland firefighting experience. This experience must be documented in the online application or resume with specific to AND from dates (MM/YY), description of work performed, AND hours worked per week.
In addition, you must have possessed all of the following National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) incident management qualifications to be considered eligible for this position (currency not required):
Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1) and
S-290 - Intermediate Fire Behavior
You must meet all qualifications and selective placement factors requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
This is a secondary firefighter position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412(d) (FERS). While secondary positions are not subject to the maximum entry age policy, the selectee must have prior service in a primary position and meet the transfer requirement for movement from a primary to secondary position to be eligible for special retirement coverage. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure this office has enough information to determine your retirement status to ensure you do not lose benefits (normally through submission of your SF-50). YOU MUST LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY IN A PRIMARY POSITION.
Physical Demands: Work requires prolonged standing, walking over uneven ground, and recurring bending, reaching, lifting and carrying of items weighing over 50 pounds and shared lifting and carrying of heavier items, and similar strenuous activities requiring at least average agility and dexterity.
Work Environment: The work is primarily performed out-of-doors in steep terrain where surfaces may be extremely uneven, rocky, covered with vegetation, and in smoky conditions. Temperatures vary from above 100 degrees F to below freezing. Risks include smoke inhalation, fire entrapment, snake or insect bites and stings, exposure to excessive machinery noise, and falling and rolling material. Personnel must adjust and cope with exposure to adverse weather elements, dust and smoke, poor sleeping and eating conditions and unpredictable sets of circumstances. The employee may be required to live in backcountry camps for extended periods of time. The hazardous nature of the work requires that personal protective equipment be worn (boots, hardhat, gloves, flame resistant clothing, etc.). Work may require travel by fixed-wing or rotor-wing aircraft.
FACT SHEET for Fire & Law Enforcement Positions: Information on Special Retirement.
Education
Additional information
DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/e-verify.
Tax Law Impact for PCS: On 22-Dec-2017, Public Law 115-97 - the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 suspended qualified moving expense deductions along with the exclusion for employer reimbursements and payments of moving expenses effective 01-Jan-2018 for tax years 2018 through 2025. The law made taxable certain reimbursements and other payments, including driving mileage, airfare and lodging expenses, en-route travel to the new duty station, and temporary storage of those items. The Federal Travel Regulation Bulletin (FTR) 18-05 issued by General Services Administration (GSA) has authorized agencies to use the Withholding Tax Allowance (WTA) and Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) to pay for "substantially all" of the increased tax liability resulting from the "2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" for certain eligible individuals. For additional information on WTA/RITA allowances and eligibilities, please visit: Federal Travel Regulation - GSA Bulletin FTR 18-05
Tax Law Impact for PCS: Moving expenses reimbursement is a taxable benefit. However, the Federal Travel Regulation 18-05 issued by the General Services Administration has authorized agencies to use the Withholding Tax Allowance and Relocation Income Tax Allowance to pay for "substantially all" of the increased tax liability resulting from the "2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" for certain eligible individual
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources website at CTAP or ICTAP. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration or that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) This vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) You apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) You are found well-qualified for this vacancy. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form.
CTAP and ICTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they fall within the Well or Best Qualified categories on the rating criteria for this position.
Reemployment Priority List (RPL): The RPL is the mechanism agencies use to give reemployment consideration to their former competitive service employees separated by a RIF or who have fully recovered from a compensable injury after more than one year. If you are currently on a RPL, you may be given priority consideration.
The BLM has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.
Government facilities are required to provide a smoke free environment for their employees. Smoking will be permitted only in designated areas.