Summary This position is being concurrently announced under Pathways Recent Graduate program as announcement number 24-NPT-SRM-454-57-RG. Current federal employees may apply to both announcements. This position may be filled at the GS-05 or GS-07 grade level with promotion potential to the GS-09. See Position Information section below for additional details on the positions being filled through this announcement. Responsibilities The duties listed are at the highest grade level advertised (GS-07) Assist in rangeland area analysis to determine ecosystem health, diversity, trend, successional stage, site potential, desired plant community grazing capacity of the vegetation. Monitor and evaluate the impact of various rangeland activities on other resource management activities and uses. Participate in and cooperate with research, and State and local game management agencies in range research in demonstration field projects. Recommend stock driveway use routes or methods of moving stock to and from various grazing areas. Make livestock checks or counts to determine that only authorized animals are being grazed on National Forest System lands or other lands under Forest Service control. Recommend grazing strategy, livestock management practices and grazing capacity, for non-Forest lands under Forest Service administration. Coordinate with rangeland users to help solve rangeland problems. Assist in developing unit rangeland area livestock management plans and/or strategies. Plan, establish and complete the unit rangeland vegetation management program progress schedule. Direct unit program for tagging, dye branding or other means of identifying authorized livestock. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications 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 for the Rangeland Management Specialist, 0454 series: Degree: range management; or a related discipline that included at least 42 semester hours in a combination of the plant, animal, and soil sciences, and natural resources management, as follows: Range Management -- At least 18 semester hours of course work in range management, including courses in such areas as basic principles of range management, range plants, range ecology, range inventories and studies, range improvements, and ranch or rangeland planning. Directly Related Plant, Animal, and Soil Sciences -- At least 15 semester hours of directly related courses in the plant, animal, and soil sciences, including at least one course in each of these three scientific areas, i.e., plant, animal, and soil sciences. Courses in such areas as plant taxonomy, plant physiology, plant ecology, animal nutrition, livestock production, and soil morphology or soil classification are acceptable. Related Resource Management Studies -- At least 9 semester hours of course work in related resource management subjects, including courses in such areas as wildlife management, watershed management, natural resource or agricultural economics, forestry, agronomy, forages, and outdoor recreation management. OR Combination of education and experience -- at least 42 semester hours of course work in the combination of plant, animal, and soil sciences and natural resources management shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional education and/or specialized experience are required for the grade(s) specified. In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional education and/or specialized experience are required for the grade(s) specified. Specialized Experience Requirement: For the GS-05: The basic education requirements above are fully qualifying for the GS-5 grade level. For the GS-07: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as the two or more of the following: Collecting basic data from on the-ground observations to determine rangeland activity suitability, ecological heath, ecological status, trend and grazing capacity of the rangeland resource; gathering basic information for rangeland vegetation programs and monitoring strategies and activity permits for compliance and on-the-ground results; and/or assisting with rangeland improvement projects and maintenance. service OR one full year of graduate level education; OR an appropriate combination of graduate level education and specialized experience; OR Superior Academic Achievement (to determine if you are eligible, go to: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp ). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Please note that Superior Academic Achievement can only be applied if you have graduated or completed (or expect to complete within 9 months) all the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. 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. TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT GS-07 ONLY: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Education This position has a positive education requirement, as outlined above under basic qualifications. The term positive education requirement refers to an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) determination that the duties of a scientific, technical, or professional position cannot be performed by an individual that does not have the prescribed minimum education. For additional information on the qualification standards for the 0454 series, visit the OPM Qualifications Standard found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/rangeland-management-series-0454/ POSITION INFORMATION: This announcement is associated with the 2023 Society for Range Management (SRM) recruitment event. The targeted start date for these positions is Summer-Fall 2024.To see where these Forest Service offices are located, click here. Click each region name to see the different locations within the Forest Service. Please click this link to see the Career Map for these positions. To see where these Forest Service offices are located, click here. Click each region name to see the different locations within the Forest Service. If you have questions regarding duty locations in this announcement please email [email protected]. Please include the announcement number and the exact location(s) for which you have questions in your email. The duty locations listed in this announcement include primary and alternate locations for available positions. You must select all duty locations for which you wish to be considered; final duty location for each position will be determined at the time of selection. Selecting the "Location Negotiable after Selection" option in addition to selecting your preferred specific duty locations, implies your willingness to accept positions to alternative duty locations that may or may not have been indicated in this announcement. Selecting this duty location option may increase your chances of receiving an offer. This position may be filled at the GS-05 or GS-07 grade level with promotion potential to the GS-09 .Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE depending upon duty location. Additional Information Salary wage as shown is for Rest of the U.S. For more information, refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Salary, and Wages web page. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary and term employees the opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years and the last temporary or term appointment must have been with the Forest Service. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Part-time and intermittent service will be credited only for time actually worked. Non-pay status such as leave without pay is credited for up to six months in a calendar year; anything beyond six months is not credited. Applicants are responsible for providing sufficient information/documentation to determine if the 24 month criteria is met. Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA). For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as Peace Corps/VISTA, Resource Assistants Program (RAP), Public Lands Corps (PLC), etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website. PROMOTION POTENTIAL: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied or guaranteed. TELEWORK: This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements. RECRUITMENT/RELOCATION INCENTIVES: The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/ GOVERNMENT HOUSING: Government Housing may be available. DAYCARE AVAILABILITY: Forest Service daycare facilities are not available. We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.