Forester
Job Location:
Sacramento, CA - USA
Yearly Salary:
Posted:
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
Job Summary
You will serve as a Forester with Bureau of Land Management. Information about Sacramento and the surrounding areas can be found here. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.
This position is open to the public under announcement CBUD-26--FUL-LC. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.
The major duties below are at the full performance level. Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:
- Interpret field examination data and make preliminary treatment recommendations for harvest post-harvest and timber stand improvement projects.
- Provide input into forest development budget plans.
- Design prepare and administer forest development projects including site preparation seedling protection precommercial thinning and ferritization vegetation management and stand conversion.
- Use the latest developments in methods for cruise scale and appraisal techniques; subjects them to evaluation and analysis; and their adoption or rejection.
- Perform on-the-ground technical evaluations of forest and woodland products sale program activities in all assigned districts field offices and/or zones to determine compliance with established policies standards and procedures and program objectives and priorities.
Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
- Males born aftermust be registered for Selective Service.
- Direct Deposit participation required.
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more visit possess and maintain a valid drivers license throughout employment.
- You must pass a physical examination.
- You cannot hold an active real estate license nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.
This probationary or trial period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest meet the organization goals and mission of the agency and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the determining if your employment advances the public interest the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Under applicable law the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies in writing that the individuals employment should continue and that their appointment should be the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 10/19/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300 Subpart F.
For current Federal employees if hours worked per week are not included on your resume you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees your resume must state either full-time (or 40 hours a week) or part-time with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience.
Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position you must meet the following minimum qualifications:
Basic Educational Requirements: In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position you must meet at least one of the following:
A. Degree: 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 - study of the science and art of managing renewable resources to attain desired results. Examples of creditable courses in this area include silviculture forest management operations timber management wildland fire science or fire management utilization of forest resources forest regulation recreational land management watershed management and wildlife or range habitat management.
- Forest Biology - study of the classification distribution characteristics and identification of forest vegetation and the interrelationships of living organisms to the forest environment. Examples of creditable courses in this area include dendrology forest ecology silvics forest genetics wood structure and properties forest soils forest entomology and forest pathology.
- Forest Resource Measurements and Inventory- sampling inventory measurement and analysis techniques as applied to a variety of forest resources. Examples of creditable courses include forest biometrics forest mensuration forest valuation statistical analysis of forest resource data renewable natural resources inventories and analysis and photogrammetry or remote sensing.
You must submit transcripts.
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.
To qualify for this position at the GS-7 grade level:
Experience: To qualify you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:
- Assisted with the development or implementation of forest management plans such as timber sale planning logging system reforestation timber stand improvement or landscape forestry.
- Prepared/Analyzed logging and harvest plans silvicultural treatments or timber sale contracts to ensure compliance.
- Interacted with various groups of people to investigate exchange or report information related to forest programs.
You must include hours worked per week.
OR
Education: Successful completion of at least 1 full year of graduate level education. This education must demonstrate the knowledge skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. You must submit transcripts.
OR
Combination of education and experience as listed above. 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. You must include hours worked per week and transcripts.
OR
Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): Successfully completed a bachelors degree in a directly related field AND meet one of the following: (1) Class Standing: rank in the upper 3rd of the graduating class in the college university or major subdivision based on the completed courses; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (GPA): earn a GPA of (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (B or better) based on 4 years of education or based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum -or- (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (B or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses completed during the final two years. Note: GPA will be rounded to the one decimal place for example 2.95 3.0 2.94 2.9; OR (3) Membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society.
To qualify for this position at the GS-9 grade level:
- Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:
- Prepared and/or implemented timber sale or silvicultural service contracts.
- Executed long range forest management plans such as logging systems road layout harvesting and tree improvement.
- Developed forest management plans such as: forest inventory analysis environmental assessments or forest history reports.
- Prepared data briefings or trainings to explain and exchange forest management information.
OR
- Education: Have 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a masters degree or masters or equivalent graduate degree that included a major field of study or specific course requirements generally as stated in the basic requirements. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. You must include transcripts.
- 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. You must submit transcripts.
This position has a mandatory education requirement. Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. If otherwise eligible and qualified you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a recruitment or relocation incentive. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name school name grades credit hours earned major(s) grade point average or class ranking and date the degree was conferred if applicable. A typed list of courses grades semester/quarter hours GPA etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.
Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated visit: information
Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position existing work at the higher grade level and recommendation by the positions supervisor.
All DOI employees their spouses and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim permit lease small tract entry or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here DOI Ethics Prohibitions U.S. Department of the Interior.
Physical Demands/Work Environment: There is considerable field activity involved in the performance of this work. Field work requires long periods of time walking over steep and rough terrain extremely dense brush logging slash and tree covered terrain often wet or occasionally covered with snow.
The position requires operation of motor vehicles on narrow mountainous roads as necessary to get to and from job locations in the field. Protective gear is necessary for field work.
A considerable amount of time is spent performing field work. The field work is performed outdoors. Exposure to extremes of hot cold rainy or snowy weather is common.
The duties of this position are suitable for situational telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.
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.
Required Experience:
IC
