PDF versionJob Summary
The incumbent serves in a key fire management position in a field fire management organization as a Fire Management Specialist (Fuels Planner). For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact: Cory R Henry at 906-474-6442 ext 1014 email cory.r.henry@usda.gov for the Hiawatha National Forest Rapid River Manistique Ranger District or Munising Ranger District and Brenda L Dale at 906-643-7900 ext 127 for the Hiawatha National Forest St. Ignace Ranger District.
Major Duties
- Serves as a member of an interdisciplinary team planning, developing, and implementing land management plans, compliance documents, and agreements. Provides input and recommends strategies for fuels and fire management.
- Provides assistance to other resource program managers in the design of fuels management prescriptions and implementation plans. Provides information on fuels management methods to enhance, restore and protect ecosystems.
- If qualified to do so, may prepare or review implementation plans such as prescribed fire plans or silvicultural prescriptions. Participates in the development, review, and modification of the fire management plan.
- Develops, reviews and monitors fuels management plans. Works closely with other resource specialist to integrate vegetation management project designs in fuels program direction.
- Reviews environmental documents, and fire management plans of other agencies and stakeholders which will affect the unit. Participates in the development of cooperative agreements to facilitate multi-agency projects.
- Prepares wildland fire risk assessments incorporating wildland/urban interface considerations into all agreements, operating plans, and land and fire management plans.
- Provides expertise in the development of resource objectives and guidance for implementation of projects and programs. Participates in the development of cooperative agreements to facilitate multi-agency projects.
- Develops fuels treatment alternatives to support management decisions while adhering to applicable laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines.
- Evaluates individual fuels treatments as well as the effectiveness of the assigned program and makes recommendations for improvement. Maintains awareness of technological developments in wildland fire science and related disciplines.
- Coordinates with the next higher organizational level, other agencies, cooperators, and stakeholders to develop interagency fuels strategies. Represents the organization in multi-agency fuels management activities.
- Coordinates multi-disciplinary field studies related to fuels management program issues to determine effectiveness of treatments. Coordinates and provides transfer of findings to the appropriate personnel.
- Coordinates with federal, state, and local government air quality officials in their development of operational procedures and reporting requirements.
- Designs and implements fuels management surveys to document presence, amount, and types of hazardous fuels. Utilizes the results of the surveys to prioritize prescribed fire and fuels management projects.
- As qualified, supports prescribed fire activities, wildfire, and fuels management activities to ensure targets are achieved, management objectives are met and mitigation measures are adequate.
- Ensures own and other's welfare and safety in all aspects of project implementation. Participates in safety sessions and after action reviews.
- Assists with fiscal analysis, assists in formulating the annual fuels management budget, and maintains a system of accounts to track program expenditures.
- Provides input for developing monitoring plans and assists with the monitoring needed for project planning and implementation. Manages long term trend monitoring as needed to document project effectiveness.
- May be responsible for the smoke management program to ensure compliance with state air quality standards. . Evaluates post burn fire effects, identifies potential problems and makes appropriate recommendations.
- Identifies training needs and participates in prescribed fire and fuels management, and wildland fire and safety training in the techniques, practices, and methods of fire suppression.
- Duties listed are at the full performance level.
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. Basic Requirement:
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement (or date of referral if an Open Continuous announcement) as defined below. For more information on the qualifications for this position, go to: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/IORs/gs0400/0401.htmDegree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major field of study that included 24 semester hours in course work in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. Related course work generally refers to courses that may be accepted as part of the program major.
OR
Combination of education and experience that included 24 semester hours in course work in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position, AND experience sufficient to demonstrate that I possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation that is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field needed to perform the work of the occupation. In addition to the above basic requirement applicants must also meet: Specialized Experience Requirement: For the GS-07: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 in the Federal service. Specialized experience that demonstrates an understanding of fire behavior relative to fuels, weather, and topography and how fire affects natural and cultural resources. Typical assignments include: Participating in implementing prescribed fire or fire use plans to ensure resource objectives can be met from a fire management standpoint; developing initial attack incident management strategies and tactics to meet the stated resource objectives. For the GS-09: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 in the Federal service. Must include experience in at least two of the following three categories: 1. Experience that demonstrated understanding of fire effects on cultural and natural resources. The assignments must have shown participation in activities such as:
- Developing fire management plans to ensure resource objectives can be met from a fire management standpoint; or
- Conducting field inspections before and/or after prescribed fires or wildland fires to determine if defined resource objectives have been met. 2. Prescribed fire/fuels management - experience in activities such as: - Professional forest or range inventory methods and procedures (e.g., Brown's planar intercept for dead and down fuels; live fuel loading assessments), or
- Analysis of fuel loadings and determination of appropriate fuel treatment methods and programming, or
- Evaluating prescribed fire plans or fire management plans to ensure fire containment is possible and identify appropriate suppression contingencies if containment is not obtained. 3. Fire management operations - analyzing and applying fire management strategies, plus experience in at least four of the following activities:
- Mobilization and dispatch coordination
- Fire prevention
- Training
- Logistics
- Equipment development and deployment
- Fire communications systems Selective Placement Factors: A minimum 90 days experience performing on-the-line (Primary/Rigorous) wildland fire suppression duties as a member of an organized fire suppression crew or comparable unit that utilized knowledge of wildland fire suppression, containment or control techniques and practices under various conditions. This experience must be documented with specific dates in the online application or resume. 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. Positions may be filled as career ladders or could be filled at the full performance level dependent upon the individual units needs. If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is not guaranteed. FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a covered secondary firefighter retirement coverage position under the provisions of 5 USC 8336(C) and 8412(D).
Pay Range
$42,053.00 - $66,868.00