Department of the Interior

Forestry Technician

Missoula, Montana Full time

Forestry Technician

Department: Department of the Interior

Location(s): Missoula, Montana

Salary Range: $36049 - $52426 Per Year

Job Summary: Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our greatest natural resource. We expect to fill few vacancies. Note: These are not fire fighter positions. This is a temporary appointment. Appointment to this position will not convey permanent status and will be for a period not-to-exceed 1039 hours in a service year.

Major Duties:

  • Conducts timber cruises and stand surveys within varying stand conditions to locate and estimate the character and quantity of timber on a given area, according to species type and tree quality.
  • Assist professional foresters in the layout out of timber treatment areas including blazing/posting/painting unit boundaries, identifying special treatment areas, and identifying yarding methods within project units.
  • Measure and identify defects of timber on the ground using maps and follow written cruise plans provided by an advanced cruiser that explains sampling intensity, plot locations, type of cruise and any special instructions.
  • Under supervision of a professional forester, and using pre-established marking guide/rules, Forestry Technicians select and mark trees to be harvested or left uncut.
  • Marks trees using an approved marking guide/rules in areas complicated by variations in type, species composition, defect, site, age, class, etc. Prepares area maps, marks unit boundaries and uses GPS to record boundary locations.
  • Summarizes cruising, marking, and stand exam data and prepares reports and topographic maps indicating quantity of timber, condition of area, difficulties to be encountered, etc.
  • Assist with cone collection, site preparation and planting, performing reforestation stocking surveys, determining the heath of planted trees, pre-commercial thinning.
  • Assist with other timber sale preparation tasks as needed including stream inception surveys, native and non-native botanical surveys, and other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience. GS-04: Six (6) months of general and six (6) months of specialized work experience. Examples of specialized experience may include participating in forestry inventory, timber sales, and trespass, cruising and road layout projects; and marking timber in accordance with simple specifications and marking rules; OR successful completion of 2 years of study above the high school level that included at least 12 semester hours (or 18 quarter hours) in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 3 semester hours in mathematics is creditable; OR a combination of experience and education to meet the total experience. GS-05: One (1) year of specialized work experience equivalent to GS-4 level. Examples of specialized experience may include assisting in inspecting cutover areas on current sales for compliance with terms of timber sales contracts; assisting in investigating suspected timber trespass cases including locating and identifying trespass sites, quantities, etc.; and examining timber stands to determine need for insect and disease control work; OR successful completion a full 4 year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree (a) with major study in forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position, or (b) that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 6 semester hours in mathematics is creditable; OR a combination of experience and education to meet the total experience. 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. You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Physical Demands/Work Environments: Work requires some physical exertion such as bending and walking/hiking in terrain that is rough, rocky, mountainous and densely vegetated that may also be steep, wet and muddy. Required to lift and carry equipment necessary to perform the work of the position, this includes tools, personal protective equipment, food and water for extended periods away from a vehicle. Work while in the office is performed in adequately lighted, ventilated, cooled and heated area. Fieldwork is subject to cuts and bruises, extreme and adverse weather conditions and injuries and discomforts from pests and animals.

How to Apply: THIS IS AN ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS THROUGH USAJOBS. Your application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time by the closing date of the announcement. If you need assistance in applying on-line, please contact the HR Office, Deena Huckabee at dhuckabee@blm.gov or Jacqueline Hodson at jcochrane@blm.gov. If applying on-line poses a hardship for you (i.e., you do not have access to the Internet) you must contact us prior to the closing date of the announcement for an alternative method of applying. PLEASE NOTE: If you have access to a public library, State Job Service Office, etc., you should use these resources to apply online. You must follow the steps described below to complete the application process: YOU MUST HAVE OR CREATE A PROFILE IN USAJOBS. Your profile must contain a current resume for submission. See Required Documents section for what to include in your resume. INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION COULD RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING. The USAJOBS Resume Builder was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is an available tool when you login to your USAJOBS account. Review the Appointment Eligibility Criteria: The eligibility section of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the appointment eligibilities that you selected. You must provide proof of your eligibility to be considered. You must submit a resume and also complete the online application and assessment questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. The eligibility portion of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this announcement. You may choose more than one eligibility. You must provide proof of your eligibility and will only be considered for the questions that you answer "yes". Please note, your eligibility will be based solely on the selections you have indicated in this section. You must provide the supporting documentation to support your claim to be considered. You may choose more than one eligibility in this section. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Application Deadline: 2026-01-02