The USDA Forest Service Sierra Cascade Province, comprised of the Modoc, Lassen, and Plumas National Forests in northeastern California, is currently advertising a one-year detail position for a GS-11 Associate Ecologist ($57,408.00 - $74,628.00 per year). This position is a temporary promotion/detail for one year, which may be extended for up to five years and/or be made permanent without further competition. This position is open to current Career and Career-Conditional status Forest Service employees.
This vacancy will be open for 10 days, beginning on 8/16/2011 and closing on 8/26/2011. More information about the position and how to apply is posted on www.usajobs.gov. Find the announcement by searching for Ecologist in Quincy, CA and by checking “all jobs, public and status” on the right of the results screen. DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES The Associate Ecologist works with the Province Ecologist to address a wide range of ecological issues across the Modoc, Lassen and Plumas National Forests. The Sierra Cascade Province straddles the northern Sierra and southern Cascade mountain ranges which support a wide range of ecosystems including great basin, sagebrush steppe, eastside pine, mixed conifer, and foothill vegetation types. Major duties will include: • Provides ecological expertise and technical assistance for Forest Service projects and planning efforts. Incorporates ecological principles into decision making. • Develops ecological monitoring programs to collect, analyze, and interpret data to help guide Forest Service activities through an adaptive management framework. • Evaluates the effect of forest management practices including grazing, prescribed burning, and silvicultural treatments on a diverse range of ecosystems. • Uses statistically sound sampling and analytical methods, including multivariate techniques and modeling approaches, to evaluate complex environmental and biological patterns across large landscapes. • Integrates information from separate disciplines such as botany, hydrology, soils, and wildlife, including historic and legacy data, for use in assessing current conditions, detecting trends, developing historic reference conditions, and developing desired future conditions for use in planning and implementing forest projects. • Conducts fire monitoring and modeling, including evaluations of fire behavior, fuel loading, fire effects, and patterns of fire severity. • Coordinates with district, forest, and regional staff to conduct integrated ecological monitoring and reporting programs. Develops field guides, brochures, GIS products, presentations, workshops, and other materials to facilitate the transfer of ecological knowledge. • Provides technical assistance with NEPA planning and implementation. KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION • An ability to conduct practical applied research of direct relevance to Forest Service managers, and to communicate findings in simple, straight forward terms to a wide variety of audiences. • Broad knowledge of ecology and its application to management, including silviculture, range management, fuels and fire management, wildlife management and soils management. Must be able to apply the latest developments in ecology to solutions of a novel or controversial nature for which accepted or proven methods are not available. • Must be experienced with multivariate statistics, ecological modeling, database design and management and GIS. • Excellent oral and written communication skills, including demonstrated success at grant writing. • Wildland firefighting experience beneficial. WORKING CONDITIONS: Field and office work are about equally divided in a year; May-October is normally spent mostly in the field. During this period the incumbent is often away from the duty station for extended periods. Working conditions may sometimes be difficult, including hiking over rough terrain in steep, rugged areas with exposure to heat, poison oak, poisonous snakes and insects. QUESTIONS: If you have any questions about the position or the application process, please contact: Kyle Merriam, Province Ecologist (530) 283-7777; email [email protected].
