VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
This position will be filled using our delegated examining authority. This
means that this recruitment is open to ALL QUALIFIED APPLICANTS, including
the general public.
The Defense Authorization Act of November 18, 1997, extended veterans'
preference to persons who served on active duty during the Gulf War from
August 2, 1990, through January 2, 1992. The law grants preference to
persons otherwise eligible and who served on active duty during this period
regardless of where the person served or for how long. The law also
authorizes the Secretary of each military department to award the Armed
Forces Expeditionary Medal for service in Bosnia during the period
November 20, 1995 to a date to be determined. The award of the Medal is
qualifying for veterans' preference. More information on veterans'
preference is available on the OPM web site at www.opm.gov.
If a status applicant is selected, he/she must serve another probationary
period.
Candidates claiming veterans' preference who are still on active duty will
be granted 5 points tentative preference if their applications shows that
they have the required service (i.e., served in a war, campaign, or
expedition). Candidates claiming 10 point preference on the basis of a
disability must include appropriate documentation from the service or VA.
At the time of appointment, all candidates must produce a DD Form 214
showing that their service was honorable.
POSITION: FORESTER GS-0460-07 ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: DEU4-98-104
SALARY RANGE: $026075 - $041470
OPENING DATE: SEPTEMBER 17, 1998 FULL PERFORMANCE LEVEL: GS-0460-09
CLOSING DATE: SEPTEMBER 24, 1998 AREA OF CONSIDERATION: ALL QUALIFIED PERSONS
LOCATION: WHITE RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
DEWITT, ARKANSAS
CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER: (404) 679-4025 (TTY) 679-4051
(404) 679-4022 (404) 679-4023
ADDRESS OF PERSONNEL OFFICE: FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
DELEGATED EXAMINING UNIT, SUITE 370
1875 CENTURY BOULEVARD
ATLANTA, GA 30345
** APPLICANTS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO REVIEW THE INFORMATION AND
SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED IN OUR APPLICATION GUIDELINES DOCUMENT. **
Our office does not accept applications by facsimile machine or by
electronic mail.
**** QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS ****
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Candidates must have at least 1 year of special-
ized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade that is directly
related to the described duties and that has equipped the candidate with
the particular knowledges, skills, and abilities identified to successfully
perform the work.
In addition to meeting these basic entry qualification requirements,
applicants must have specialized experience and/or directly related
education in the amounts indicated below.
To qualify at the GS-7 level, applicants must also possess one of the
following: (NOTE: education & experience may be combined to meet this
additional requirement.) EDUCATION - 1 year of graduate level education or
superior academic achievement. Completion of graduate education in this
amount must provide the knowledge, skills & abilities necessary to do the
work. - OR - EXPERIENCE - 1 year specialized experience equivalent to at
least the GS-5 that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge,
skills & abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position &
that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.
**** SPECIAL INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING CTAP PROCEDURES ****
Department of the Interior (DOI) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)
procedures apply in filling this vacancy. 5 CFR 330, Career Transition
Assistance for Surplus and Displaced Federal Employees, requires the
following order of selection for this position:
a) Personnel actions listed in 5 CFR 330.606(d);
b) The selection of an employee from within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service) and the same local commuting area after eligible SSP
applicants within the Service and local commuting area have been given
selection priority;
c) Any well-qualified SSP candidate who applies within the local commuting
area (surplus and displaced employees will be given equal consideration);
d) At the Service's option, personnel actions not subject to RPL;
e) Qualified RPL candidates in the local commuting area;
f) At the Service's discretion, any other former displaced well-qualified
DOI employee;
g) Well-qualified ICTAP applicants in the local commuting area;
h) Other outside applicants (other agencies, nonstatus - only if the area
of consideration is "All Qualified Applicants".)
AN ELIGIBLE CTAP APPLICANT IS DETERMINED TO BE WELL-QUALIFIED IF HE/SHE
MEETS THE FOLLOWING: OPM QUALIFICATION STANDARDS FOR THE POSITION; ALL
SELECTIVE FACTORS, WHERE APPLICABLE; SPECIAL QUALIFYING CONDITIONS THAT OPM
HAS APPROVED FOR THE POSITION; IS PHYSICALLY QUALIFIED WITH REASONABLE
ACCOMMODATION, WHERE APPROPRIATE, TO SATISFACTORILY PERFORM THE DUTIES OF
THE POSITION UPON ENTRY; AND IS RATED BY THE ORGANIZATION AT AT LEAST THE
MIDDLE LEVEL OF A 3-LEVEL RATING SYSTEM ON ALL QUALITY RANKING FACTORS.
IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE, WELL-QUALIFIED ALSO GENERALLY MEANS THOSE APPLI-
CANTS WHOSE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES CLEARLY EXCEED THE MINIMUM
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AS IDENTIFIED IN THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT BUT
WHO WOULD NOT NECESSARILY MEET THE DEFINITION OF HIGHLY OR BEST QUALIFIED.
The incumbent will be required to obtain and wear an official U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service uniform.
Incumbent must be able to operate a government-owned or leased motor
vehicle. A valid state driver's license is required.
THIS IS A DRUG-TESTING DESIGNATED POSITION. Applicant(s) tentatively
selected for this position will be required prior to appointment to submit
to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use. As a condition of continued
employment in this position, incumbent(s) will be subject to random testing
for illegal drug use.
If you have concerns about your application arriving, we suggest you use
certified mail "Return Receipt Requested."
BASIC REQUIREMENTS: A. Degree 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, Forest Biology and
Forest Resource Measurements and Inventory; OR B. 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 in A above, plus appropriate experience or
additional education. This is a career or career-conditional appointment
and is subject to a one year probationary period. Federal employees do not
have to meet the time-in-grade requirement to be promoted into this
position. Incumbent will be required to obtain a commercial driver's
license to transport hazardous material.
STATEMENT OF DUTIES:
Incumbent conducts forest inventories and collects basic field data for
annual management prescriptions; prepares and implements annual forest
management plans under the direct supervision of a higher-graded resource
specialist; participates in the fire management program by carrying out
prescribed burns and wildfire control activities in accordance with
approved plans; marks and tallies timber in preparation for timber sales
and regularly monitors sales for permit compliance; conducts forest surveys
for detection of disease and insect infestation and applies treatments as
directed.
KNOWLEDGES, ABILITIES, SKILLS AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS (KASOCS):
1. Knowledge of professional forestry theories, principles, concepts, and
methods sufficient to perform advanced-trainee duties.
2. Ability to communicate in writing.
3. Ability to communicate orally.
4. Ability to work effectively with others.
All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to
submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
** DISPLACED EMPLOYEES REQUESTING SPECIAL CONSIDERATION UNDER THE ICTAP **
If you are a displaced Federal employee you may be entitled to receive
special selection priority under the ICTAP. To receive this priority con-
sideration you must:
1. Be a displaced Federal employee. You MUST submit a copy of the appro-
priate documentation showing your priority consideration status with your
application package. The following categories of candidates are con-
sidered displaced employees:
A. Current or former career or career-conditional (tenure group I or II)
competitive service employees who: (1) received a specific RIF separation
notice or notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment
or transfer of function outside of the local commuting area (you must
provide appropriate supporting documentation); (2) were separated because
of a compensable injury, whose compensation has been terminated, and whose
former agency certifies that it is unable to place you; (3) retired with a
disability and whose disability annuity has been or is being terminated; or
(4) upon receipt of a RIF separation notice retired on the effective date
of the RIF; or (5) retired under the discontinued service option; or (6)
were separated because you declined a transfer of function or directed
reassignment to another commuting area OR
B. A former Military Reserve or National Guard Technician who is receiving
a special Office of Personnel Management (OPM) disability retirement
annuity under section 8337(h) or 8456 of title 5 United States Code.
Include a copy of your eligibility letter from the National Guard or
Military Reserve. OR
C. A current Executive Branch employee in the excepted service, on a non-
temporary appointment, who has been given noncompetitive appointment eli-
gibility and selection priority by statute for positions in the competitive
service, and who has received a separation notice or notice of proposed
removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment out-
side the local commuting area; OR
D. A former Executive Branch agency employee in the excepted service, who
has been given noncompetitive appointment eligibility and selection
priority by statute for positions in the competitive service, and who has
been separated through RIF or removed for declining a transfer of function
or directed reassignment outside the local commuting area.
2. Be applying for a position at or below the grade level of the position
from which you have been separated. The position must not have greater
promotion potential than the position from which you were separated.
3. Have a current (or last) performance rating of record of at least
fully successful, results achieved, or equivalent. A copy of this
performance rating MUST be submitted with your application package (this
requirement does not apply to candidates who are eligible due to compen-
sable injury or disability retirement).
4. Occupy or be displaced from a position in the same local commuting area
as the position for which you are requested priority consideration.
5. File your application by the vacancy announcement closing date and meet
all the application criteria (eg., submit all required documentation, etc.)
6. Be rated well-qualified for the position. An eligible ICTAP applicant
is determined to be well-qualified if he/she meets the following: OPM
qualification standards for the position; is phyically qualified with
reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the
duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at at
least the middle level of a 3-level rating system on all quality ranking
factors. In addition to the above, well-qualified also generally means
those applicants whose knowledge, skills and abilities clearly exceed the
the minimum qualification requirements as identified in this vacancy
announcement, but who would not necessarily meet the definition of highly
or best qualified.