Forester

U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Agriculture

Full-time

Multiple locations

Posted on Nov 10, 2026

Summary

This position is located on a Forest Service unit. The incumbent is responsible for the completion of preparations required prior to offering timber for sale. Positions may be filled at one or more of the duty locations included in this announcement. Final determination of the duty location will be made at the time of the job offer. See the Additional Information section for details about the duties of this position. USDA Employees: Please refer to the Next Steps section.

Major Duties

Evaluates and analyzes the project sale folder information and conducts a preliminary field reconnaissance. Assembles and reviews the timber sales contract package.Determines, plans, and arranges for the resources needed to complete the layout of sales. Identifies and verifies the land status and environmental constraints affecting layout of the proposed project on the ground.Monitors and oversees cruising and marking of timber and prepares general logging plans and verifies logging system settingsUtilizing appropriate document, determines sale boundaries, proper location of logging roads, acceptable marking and cutting methods, stumpage prices, and the requirements for brush disposal, erosion control, and stand improvement.Performs supervisory duties 20% or less of the time.

Education

Please see Qualifications section for Educational Requirements.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment: Must be a U.S. Citizen or 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. 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.gov. The U.S. Government utilizes Trusted Workforce 2.0 to implement Continuous Vetting (CV) as a-whole-of government approach to personnel security. If selected for this position, you will be subject to continuous automated record checks of criminal, financial, and public record databases throughout your period of eligibility or employment, replacing traditional periodic reinvestigations. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may 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. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New Forest Service supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.

Evaluations

Accomplishment Record Review: If you are found minimally qualified, a rating panel will review your resume and Accomplishment Record narratives. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Forest Management Oral Communication Supervision Writing Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. If you wish to include a link for applicants to preview the application questionnaire using the Application Preview data insert, ensure you refer to it as the application questionnaire, rather than the assessment questionnaire, to avoid confusion with the USA Hire Assessment. For example: To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13108425 Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status. You must choose to turn on email notifications in your USAJOBS profile if you want to receive important email notifications that may impact your applicant experience (e.g. If you start an application and do not submit it prior to the closing date, USAJOBS will send an email reminder that the closing date is approaching and your application is in an incomplete status).

How to Apply

Please view Tips for Applicants - a guide to the Forest Service application process. Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Mountain Time Zone, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing. Resumes must not exceed two pages. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this. To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents. Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. Please ensure your resume does not exceed two pages. Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc.

What to Expect Next

Employees of the following USDA agencies who apply for this position, whose current permanent grade is equal to the grade of the advertised position, and whose selection would result in a relocation outside the commuting area of their current duty station may not currently be considered for selection to this position: Agricultural Research Service; Economic Research Service; National Institute of Food and Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service; United States Forest Service; Food and Nutrition Administration; Foreign Agricultural Service; Rural Development and component organizations; the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area, to include the FPAC Business Center, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Risk Management Agency, and Farm Service Agency and Farm Service Agency County employees; Office of the General Counsel; and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. This guidance is in alignment with the court order dated October 13, 2026, in American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, et al. v. United States Department of Agriculture, Case No. 26-cv-09976-VC (N.D. Calif.). Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint, or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to sm.fs.hrm_elr@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages. If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, official transcripts will be required 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. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation. Current Forest Service employees: Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute. Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, 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), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act: Copies of Notification of Personnel Action(s) (SF-50) showing the employee served in eligible appointment(s) for a period(s) of more than 24 mos w/o a break between appointments of two+ years. Include initial hire actions, extensions, conversions and separation Sf-50s for each period. Submit performance rating(s) showing acceptable performance for each period counted towards eligibility signed by supervisor(s). If documentation does not exist for one or more periods, submit a statement from supervisor(s) indicating acceptable performance. Applicants who do not have performance documentation for any period shall provide a reason why the documentation is not available and statement that performance for all periods was at an acceptable level.

Other Information

Locations and Points of Contact: R1| Libby, MT - Brent Hoffman, brent.hoffman@usda.gov R2| Custer, SD - Todd Butler, todd.butler@usda.gov Spearfish, SD - Kenneth Hehr, Kenneth.Hehr@usda.gov Granby, CO - Seth Jennings, seth.jennings@usda.gov R3| Happy Jack, AZ - Shana Fitzpatrick, Shana.fitzpatrick@usda.gov Cloudcroft, NM - Seth Sandin, seth.sandin@usda.gov Espanola, NM - Endasha Houston, Endasha.Houston@usda.gov Coyote, NM - Endasha Houston, Endasha.Houston@usda.gov Fredonia, AZ - Randall Walker, Randall.walker@usda.gov R4| Duchesne, UT - Kristy Groves, Kristy.Groves@usda.gov Vernal, UT - Kristy Groves, Kristy.Groves@usda.gov R5| Prather, CA- Kim Sorinini, kim.sorini@usda.gov R8| Gainesville, GA - Alan Hill, Alan.Hill@usda.gov Hot Springs, AR - Alan Hill, Alan.Hill@usda.gov Meadville, MS- Randall McKey, Randall.McKay@usda.gov Laurel, MS - Chandra Roberts, Chandra.Roberts@usda.gov Edgefield, SC - Roderick Alfred, Roderick.Alfred@usda.gov Jessieville, AR - Michael Welker, Michael.Welker@usda.gov R9| Duluth, MN - Troy Crowe, Troy.Crowe@usda.gov Gladstone, MI - Troy Crowe, Troy.Crowe@usda.gov Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP 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 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. 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 on the OPM Website. 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. This is a non-bargaining unit position. Forest Service daycare facilities may be available. Government housing may be available. We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.