Natural Resource Specialist

Summary

About the Position: Incumbent will serve as a Natural Resources Management Specialist (Park Ranger) as part of a multi-disciplinary team for a Corps Water Resources development project.

Responsibilities

This is a developmental position. The following duties listed are responsibilities at the full performance level. Developmental duties will be similar to the below listed with more supervision/oversight until the full performance level is obtained.

Participate in the development of various planning and operational documents including but not limited to a Project Master Plan, Operational Management Plan, Project Safety Plan, etc.

Develop and implement specific land use plans for a project.

Implement specific land use plans for diverse water resources projects.

Participate in conservation, preservation, restoration and use of project natural and cultural resources.

Enforce Title 36 CFR by educating the visiting public on project purposes, conditions, policies, and regulations.

Patrol project lands and waters to prevent unauthorized use, trespass, and destruction of property and insure compliance with rules and regulations.

Establish and maintain productive working relations with other fish and wildlife specialists in the district and with state and federal wildlife management agencies.

Interact with the general public and special groups.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities. Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473 Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic Requirement for GS-401-05, Natural Resource Specialist A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR B. Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: Minimum Requirements for the GS-401-07, Natural Resource Specialist Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: Assisting in the implementation of programs for natural and cultural resource conservation, such as promoting biodiversity, protecting endangered species, or ensuring wetland protection; Supporting recreation management by developing plans for facility improvements, monitoring park maintenance activities, and administering use fee programs in accordance with regulations; Enforcing regulations such as Title 36 CFR by educating the public, patrolling project lands and waters to ensure compliance, and issuing citations for violations; Providing project information to the public and special groups through various means, including brochures, news releases, and presentations to explain management policies and programs. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05). OR Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on:(1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed 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 in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR (3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achshonor.org/). OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages. Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-05). Minimum Requirements for the GS-401-09, Natural Resource Specialist Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: Developing and implementing specific land use plans for diverse water resource projects, including activities related to shoreline management, forestry, fisheries, and wildlife conservation; Coordinating the short-range planning and execution of project operations in areas like recreation and park administration, contract administration, and environmental compliance; Independently enforcing public safety and resource protection regulations, investigating violations, issuing citations, and coordinating with law enforcement agencies; Conducting public relations services for the general public and special interest groups by developing and presenting interpretive programs, coordinating volunteer programs, and explaining complex management policies; Developing or implementing standard operating procedures for environmental stewardship programs, and making recommendations for changes in facilities and operations. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07). OR Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-07).

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.