Summary This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Superintendent, Blackfeet Agency in Browning, Montana. This position is to perform technical rangeland management work in support of natural resource management programs. This is a Bargaining Unit position, for more information see What are bargaining units? NOTE: TRAVEL AND RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL NOT BE AUTHORIZED. ANY RELOCATION EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH REPORTING FOR DUTY WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SELECTED EMPLOYEE. Responsibilities This is a Permanent/Full-Time/Seasonal position. Schedule field investigations to ensure compliance and accordance with 25 CFR 162, 25 CFR 166, Grazing Permit Stipulations and the Tribal Grazing Resolution regulations. Provide reports including information about livestock identification by legal description involving trespass cases, field inspections, identification of livestock and amount of trespass. Perform all tasks associated with range unit trespass and compliance inspections in accordance with Federal and Tribal regulations. Utilize and interpret aerial photographs, topographic maps, remote sensing data, computer driven linear measuring system, GPS, GIS and personal knowledge of the reservation. Monitor progress of range improvement construction and revegetation projects. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications This position is OPEN UNTIL FILLED and may be extended or closed prior to the current closing date. Applications will be reviewed every two weeks; the first cut-off date for applications is 10 business days from the opening date and every two weeks thereafter. Applicants with 10-point Veterans' Preference who submit a complete application after each two week cut-off date, but before the List of Eligibles is issued, will be considered and referred on the List, if qualified. Range Technician Series, 0455 Individual Occupational Requirements: Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): In addition to the experience requirements described in the group coverage standard, seasonal experience may also be creditable. A season of experience is considered to be a period of no less than 3 months of continuous employment on a seasonal basis. Shorter periods may be combined to make a season, provided a total of at least 3 months' experience is shown. For any period where the work exceeded 3 months, the excess work is credited towards an additional season of experience. One season of experience is qualifying for GS-2; 2 seasons of experience qualify for GS-3; and 4 seasons of experience qualify for GS-4. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Work in the conservation, regulation, and use of public or Federally controlled lands for grazing. Range research activities. Work in the operation of a livestock ranch or in assisting in the management or preservation of lands comparable to the public range. Range or forest fire control, prevention, or suppression work. OR- Education and Training: For GS-4: Successful completion of 2 years of study that included at least 12 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 3 semester hours in mathematics is credit-able. GS 4: 6 Months General Experience and 6 months Specialized Experience. General Experience: (l) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Specialized experience include: Work in the conservation, regulation and use of public or Federally controlled lands for grazing; Range research activities; Work in the operation of a livestock ranch or in assisting in the management of preservation of lands comparable to the public range; and Range or forest fire control, prevention or suppression work. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Merit Promotion candidates must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date. Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472). Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur in the same location within 90 days from the closing date. Education If you are qualifying based on your education, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society. One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education which shows 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: FOREIGN EDUCATION Additional Information All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1). See 2024 Salary Tables and select the pay chart for Browning, Montana. If no specific chart is listed for this geographic location, see the "rest of U.S." chart. The full performance level of this position is GS-04. TELEWORK: Indian Affairs has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster. Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp . LAND MANAGEMENT WORKFORCE FLEXIBILITY ACT: If applying under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, you must provide documentation to support your eligibility (SF-50) and performance (references and/or performance appraisal). Under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) two groups of individuals are eligible to apply under this announcement: current and/or former employees serving or who have served under time-limited competitive appointments at land management agencies. Land Management Agencies include: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service. Current appointees: 1) must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency; 2) must have served under one or more time limited appointment(s) by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; AND 3) must have performed at an acceptable level during each period of service. Former appointees: 1) must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency; 2) must have served under one or more time limited appointment(s) by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; 3) must have separated for reasons other than misconduct or performance; AND 4) must have performed at an acceptable level through the service period. Former Federal Employees are required to indicate whether they received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) buyout in their previous employment with the Federal government, and are required to submit a copy of the applicable Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) regarding the VSIP. Most individuals who accept reemployment with the Federal government within 5 years of receiving the VSIP amount, must repay the gross amount of the separation pay prior to reemployment.