Position Description and Application Information
These integrated entry-level Forestry Aid positions coupled with career ladders, provide a sequence of training steps that lead to progressively more advanced jobs and skillsets throughout a Forest Service employee's career. Recruitment Incentives may be offered to qualifying candidates.
For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact the Workforce Entry Team at sm.fs.weteam@usda.gov.
- This is a trainee position in the Forestry Technician profession that performs basic duties and receives training in support of:
- The responsibilities are listed at the full performance level and may include:
- Provides pre-sale timber services to forests located throughout the southern United States and nationally.
- Timber marking, timber sale boundary layout, timber cruising, and GPS/GIS field work.
- Other opportunities may include wildlife habitat improvement, insect and disease prevention or mitigation, prescribed fire, wildland fire, and recreational services to requesting forests.
Conditions of Employment
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
- Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
- Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
- Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.
Qualifications
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.For the GS-03: Applicants must have 6 months of general experience. General experience is defined as 1 or more of the following:- performing manual labor such as construction work, stocking shelves, working on farms, ranches, or other settings such as feeding and tending to livestock, maintaining farm facilities and equipment, and/or like facilities and equipment;- working in greenhouses, nurseries, or landscaping by tasks like planting, moving, watering, and caring for plants; and/or
- engaging in general maintenance duties like custodial work, mowing, or tending grounds; and/or
- providing mechanical, electrical, or plumbing services; and/or
- working as an animal caretaker in laboratories, zoos, or pet stores, tending to tribal livestock and/or hatchery resources; and/or
- working outdoors or in the recreation industry; and/or
- serving as a cashier and managing money; and/or
- conducting administrative tasks and/or managing correspondences or files; and/or
- working in customer service or the service industry; and/or
- being a delivery truck driver or working in transportation; and/or
- gaining other work experience, whether paid or unpaid, such as volunteering or interning for research or academic projects; tribal, cultural or art organizations; professional association or societies; at various organizations like parks, food banks, youth camps, caregiving, hospitals or nursing homes; participating in community and tribal engagement initiatives; and supporting sports leagues, local fire and police departments and/or other non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
OR Successful completion of 1 year of study that included at least 6 semester hours in a combination of courses such as range management or conservation, agriculture, forestry, wildlife management, engineering, biology, mathematics, or other natural or physical sciences;
OR An appropriate combination of experience and education above high school as described above. The education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university and include courses that are related to the occupation of the position.
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
See above for educational qualifications.