New job Range Technician in New Mexico | 2021
Range Technician
Company : US Department of Agriculture
Salary : $16.90 an hour
Location : New Mexico
Full Description
Duties
Summary
This position is located within a National Forest. The primary purpose of this position is to perform technical work in support of the range function.
Responsibilities
- Assists specialists in planning rangeland management support projects that are without clear precedents or guides.
- Checks range allotments to assess appropriate time to graze, compliance with management plans and operating instructions, number of livestock, herding procedures, salting, range improvement, maintenance,
- and the need for additional range improvements such as fences or water development.
- Inspects allotments before and after grazing for trespass stock and if found, gathers necessary brands, numbers, dates, and locations. Contacts range users to explain needed maintenance work and reports noncompliance to supervisor.
- Inspects structural range improvements and notifies supervisor of needed maintenance. Recommends the construction or abandonment of range improvements such as fences, water developments, etc.
- May lead small crews in construction and/or maintenance of range improvements.
- Participates in plant control or type conversion by flagging boundaries, operating equipment, carrying out kill studies, or reseeding. Using accepted indicator plants, determines range readiness dates and advises supervisor.
- Checks allotments before and after grazing season for trespass stock. If trespass stock is found, gathers necessary brands, numbers, dates, locations, etc., and may supervise a crew of riders in gathering and corralling such stock.
- Performs a variety of computations and assessment of standard rangeland management data to prepare the data for interpretative use of inclusion in reports. Prepares charts, graphs, and/or reports using well-established specified procedures.
- Notes and reports on conditions such as range utilization, grazing impact, soil erosion, violations, or needed maintenance.
- Makes a number of measurements using a variety of instruments. Performs computations that require judgment and knowledge of the nature of the sources and use of the data.
- Estimates production and potential production of a site based on various sampling techniques. Estimates the utilization of available forage by all grazing animals and determines as closely as possible the percent of use by each class of animal.
- Using accepted indicator plants determines range readiness and advises supervisor.
- Participates in noxious plant control, seeding, or similar projects by flagging boundaries, operating equipment, and carrying out kill studies. Identifies plant specimens in the field and collects and prepares specimens.
- Identifies plants and noxious weeds and determines how they grow. Applies the proper chemicals to control noxious weeds.
Travel Required
Not required
Supervisory status
No
Promotion Potential
None
Job family (Series)
0455 Range Technician
Requirements
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a US Citizen or US National.
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
- Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check
- Direct Deposit Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choosing.
- Must be 18 years of age
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-Verify
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.
GS-05: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-4); OR successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (a) with major study in forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position, or (b) that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science (no more than 6 semester hours in mathematics is creditable); OR combinations of successfully completed post-high school education (in excess of the first 60 semester/90 quarter hours) and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.
Examples of specialized experience includes: Conducted routine tests and inspections using work methods and techniques that were well-established and common to rangeland management functions. Performed crew-based rangeland management support work such as the installation of boundary and drift fences, water developments, implementation of re-vegetation projects, or the treatment of noxious weeds. Performed procedural assignments in support of rangeland management programs or projects where methods and techniques were well-established.
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.
To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.Education
Additional information
PLEASE NOTE: This vacancy is being used to fill positions for FY2021 Temporary Employment Hiring season.
This position is temporary, has a Not-to-Exceed date and will be filled for up to 6 months or as a not to exceed (NTE) 1 year, however an extension of the appointment may be possible without further competition. The appointment may also end early due to lack of work or lack of funds.
The duty station for this position will be at one of the duty locations listed in this announcement. Salary range as shown is the locality pay Rest of U.S. (RUS). Pay rates vary by location. Please visit the Office of Personnel Management's website for additional information on pay rates.
The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligible must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.
If you are retired from the Federal Government and are selected for this vacancy, your retirement annuity may be offset from your pay.
This position is not eligible for telework.Bargaining Unit Status: Eligible - Coverage is dependent upon unit location.Availability of government housing and federal day care facilities will vary by location.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. Eligible applicants will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. Applicants with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.
Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.
Background checks and security clearance
Security clearance
Other
Drug test required
No
Required Documents
Required Documents
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the responsibilities section including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) supervisor's phone number and whether or not the supervisor may be contacted for a reference check; 5) other qualifications.
If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Benefits
Benefits
A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
This job is open to
The public
U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
