Forestry Technician (Recreation, Timber, Range) Job

Vacancy No. 26-TEMPSRT-NAT-3FS056-4DH Department Forest Service
Salary $17.64 to $17.64 Grade 4 to 4
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 2/20/2026 Close Date 3/3/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Craig, AKThorne Bay, AKFifty-six, ARHot Springs, AR
Jessieville, ARParis, ARAlpine, AZCamp Verde, AZ
Cavecreek, AZDouglas, AZDuncan, AZFlagstaff, AZ
Fredonia, AZGlobe, AZHappy Jack, AZHereford, AZ
Mesa, AZNogales, AZOvergaard, AZPayson, AZ
Prescott, AZSafford, AZSedona, AZSpringerville, AZ
Tonto Basin, AZWilliams, AZAlturas, CABlairsden, CA
Camino, CACamptonville, CAChallenge, CAChester, CA
Dunlap, CAFall River Mills, CAForesthill, CAGeorgetown, CA
Groveland, CAHathaway Pines, CAHayfork, CAKernville, CA
Macdoel, CAMount Shasta, CANevada City, CAOroville, CA
Pinecrest, CAPioneer, CAPollock Pines, CAQuincy, CA
Redding, CASierraville, CASonora, CASusanville, CA
Truckee, CATulelake, CAWeaverville, CAAspen, CO
Bayfield, COCarbondale, COConifer, COCreede, CO
Fairplay, COGunnison, COLeadville, COMeeker, CO
Minturn, COPagosa Springs, COPaonia, CORifle, CO
Rye, COSaguache, COSalida, COSilverthorne, CO
Steamboat Springs, COWalden, COWoodland Park, COYampa, CO
Olustee, FLChatsworth, GAEatonton, GAGainesville, GA
Avery, IDChallis, IDDriggs, IDElk City, ID
Emmett, IDFairfield, IDFeatherville, IDIdaho City, ID
Idaho Falls, IDJerome, IDKamiah, IDKooskia, ID
Lowman, IDMackay, IDMalta, IDMcCall, ID
Mountain Home, IDOrofino, IDPotlatch, IDRiggins, ID
Stanley, IDWilmington, ILBig Creek, KYMorehead, KY
Bentley, LABoyce, LALocation Negotiable After SelectionBaldwin, MI
Kenton, MIOscoda, MIWatersmeet, MIAurora, MN
Blackduck, MNCook, MNDeer River, MNEly, MN
Grand Marais, MNTofte, MNWalker, MNHouston, MO
Potosi, MOLaurel, MSBigfork, MTBozeman, MT
Butte, MTDarby, MTDillon, MTEnnis, MT
Eureka, MTGardiner, MTHelena, MTHungry Horse, MT
Kalispell, MTLibby, MTLincoln, MTLivingston, MT
Missoula, MTPhilipsburg, MTPlains, MTRed Lodge, MT
Seeley Lake, MTStanford, MTSuperior, MTTownsend, MT
Trout Creek, MTTroy, MTWest Yellowstone, MTWhite Sulphur Springs, MT
Wisdom, MTDickinson, NDWatford City, NDCampton, NH
Conway, NHGorham, NHCanjilon, NMCloudcroft, NM
Coyote, NMCuba, NMEl Rito, NMEspanola, NM
Glenwood, NMGrants, NMJemez Springs, NMLas Vegas, NM
Mimbres, NMMountainair, NMPecos, NMQuemado, NM
Questa, NMReserve, NMRuidoso, NMSilver City, NM
Tijeras, NMTres Piedras, NMTruth or Consequences, NMElko, NV
Las Vegas, NVBroken Bow, OKBaker City, ORBend, OR
Bly, ORCascade Locks, ORCorvallis, ORCrescent, OR
Detroit, ORFLORENCE, ORGlide, ORHalfway, OR
Hebo, ORHeppner, ORHood River, ORJohn Day, OR
Joseph, ORKlamath Falls, ORLa Grande, ORLakeview, OR
McKenzie Bridge, ORParkdale, ORPrairie City, ORReedsport, OR
Roseburg, ORSandy, ORSilver Lake, ORSisters, OR
Tiller, ORUkiah, ORWaldport, ORMarienville, PA
Mountain Rest, SCWhitmire, SCCuster, SDHill City, SD
Rapid City, SDSpearfish, SDWall, SDNew Waverly, TX
Ratcliff, TXZavalla, TXBeaver, UTCedar City, UT
Duchesne, UTDutch John, UTEscalante, UTFillmore, UT
Heber City, UTHuntsville, UTKamas, UTLoa, UT
Logan, UTPleasant Grove, UTRichfield, UTSalt Lake City, UT
Spanish Fork, UTVernal, UTBlacksburg, VAAmboy, WA
Chelan, WACle Elum, WAEntiat, WAKettle Falls, WA
Leavenworth, WANaches, WANewport, WARandle, WA
Toutle, WATrout Lake, WAWalla Walla, WAWinthrop, WA
Eagle River, WIFlorence, WIGlidden, WILakewood, WI
Laona, WIMedford, WIPark Falls, WIWashburn, WI
Afton, WYBig Piney, WYBuffalo, WYCody, WY
Douglas, WYEvanston, WYGreybull, WYJackson, WY
Kemmerer, WYLaramie, WYMoran, WYMountain View, WY
Newcastle, WYPinedale, WYSaratoga, WYSheridan, WY
Sundance, WY


Summary

Job Corps graduates are encouraged to apply

This position is located on a Forest Service unit. The purpose of this position is to perform work individually or as a crew member in support of the unit's recreation, timber, and/or range programs.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority under the USDA Demonstration Project will be used to fill this position. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

Duties

  • Contacts recreational visitors to provide factual information and answers questions about recreation opportunities, rules, regulations, and information on resource management practices on the unit.
  • Collects monies from sale of recreation use permits at designated fee sites. Keeps records of sales, safeguards monies, and unused permits.
  • Performs limited law enforcement duties under close supervision of a qualified law enforcement officer.
  • Patrols recreation areas for compliance by day visitors and campers with established rules and regulations posted in the area. Reports apparent violations to supervisor.
  • As a crew member or leader, performs routine recreation and trail maintenance and cleanup work including repairing minor damage of recreation facilities; i.e., tables, toilets, buildings, signs, fire pits, trails, etc.
  • Assists in trail contract inspection.
  • Marks clearly specified softwood and hardwood trees for cutting as sawlogs, pulpwood, posts, poles, etc., according to prescriptions. Measures tree diameters and heights and observes defects under guidance of supervisor.
  • Traverses proposed timber sale units using plans and prescriptions, topographic maps, aerial photos, compass, Global Positioning System devices, etc. Assists in the layout of logging units, temporary roads, locations, etc.
  • As a member of a timber cruising crew, runs compass lines, paces or measures distances, marks and numbers of plots, measures heights and diameters and records data on field data recorders or cards.
  • Assists on range analysis and maintenance and construction of range structural improvements.
  • Contacts range permittees and communicates to them Forest Service range policies and basic requirements of permit.
  • Counts designated permitted livestock to ensure numbers are in compliance with permit, checks range condition including structures, and checks for trespass livestock.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US National.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Direct Deposit Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choosing.
  • Must be 18 years of age.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.

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.

GS-04: Applicants must have six months of general experience (any type of work that demonstrated the ability to perform the work of the position, or experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation) AND six months of specialized experience that is directly related to the work of the position; OR 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 creditable); OR an appropriate combination of experience and education above high school as described above. The education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university and include courses that are related to the occupation of the position.

Examples of general experience include: Performed farm/ranch labor, such as feeding/tending livestock or general maintenance of farm/ranch facilities; Worked in a greenhouse, nursery or landscaping e.g., planting, moving, watering, and tending plants; Worked as an animal caretaker in a laboratory, zoo or pet store; Other work experience, paid or unpaid e.g., volunteer work at a park, youth camp, hospital, community sports league, local fire department, etc.

Examples of specialized experience include: Performing Forestry technician work; or engineering, range, or soil conservation technician work that involved the application of cultural, resource conservation, or land management practices on non-forest or ranch lands when combined with knowledge of forestry operations and equipment. Farming or ranching work that involved application of cultural and soil and water conservation practices, including safety and use of equipment, and that provided a basic understanding of land use. Forest or range fire control, prevention, or suppression work. Techniques and practices relating to natural resources management programs, (i.e., timber and silviculture, recreation and trails, wildlife, fisheries, watershed improvement, range, special uses, and others).

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.

To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Additional information

PLEASE NOTE: This vacancy is being used to fill positions for FY2026 Temporary Employment Hiring season. The expected start date for this position will be between April 19, 2026 to June 14,2026.

By selecting the "Location Negotiable" option during the application process, implies your willingness to be considered for any official duty location listed on this announcement and/or those duty locations not listed for this National announcement. Pay rates vary depending on location. The salary shown is for the Rest of the U.S. See OPM.gov for additional information on pay rates.

If you are selected, you must respond to the requested documentation outlined in your tentative section notice within 72 hours. Failure to respond within 72 hours will result in the cancellation of your selection.

This position is temporary, has a Not-to-Exceed date and will be filled for up to 6 months or as a not to exceed (NTE) 1 year, however an extension of the appointment may be possible without further competition. The appointment may also end early due to lack of work or lack of funds.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other groups within the Nation who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in any of the geographic location(s) listed on the announcement. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

The duty station for this position will be at one of the duty locations listed in this announcement. Salary range as shown is the locality pay Rest of U.S. (RUS). Pay rates vary by location. Please visit the Office of Personnel Management's website for additional information on pay rates.

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligible must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.

If you are retired from the Federal Government and are selected for this vacancy, your retirement annuity may be offset from your pay.

This position is not eligible for telework.

Availability of government housing and federal day care facilities will vary by location.

Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

A Direct-Hire Authority under the USDA Demonstration Project will be used to fill this position. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, including any applicable selective placement factor(s), will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the application documents are reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. A rating will not be used; veteran's preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be referred to the selecting official.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect whether you are considered. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

  • Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.
  • If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
  • Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Please view Tips for Applicants - a guide to the Forest Service application process.

Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Mountain Time Zone, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing. Resumes must not exceed two pages.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.

To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.

Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. Please ensure your resume does not exceed two pages. Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration.

Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc.

Agency contact information

HRM Contact Center
Phone
1-877-372-7248 X2
Email
HRM_Contact_Center@usda.gov
Address
USDA Forest Service HRM Contact Center
DO NOT MAIL IN APPLICATIONS, SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT
Albuquerque, NM 87109
US

Next steps

Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.

You must choose to turn on email notifications in your USAJOBS profile if you want to receive important email notifications that may impact your applicant experience (e.g. If you start an application and do not submit it prior to the closing date, USAJOBS will send an email reminder that the closing date is approaching and your application is in an incomplete status).

Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint, or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to sm.fs.hrm_elr@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.

Additional locations

Jessieville, AR
Paris, AR
Alpine, AZ
Camp Verde, AZ
Cavecreek, AZ
Douglas, AZ
Duncan, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Fredonia, AZ
Globe, AZ
Happy Jack, AZ
Hereford, AZ
Mesa, AZ
Nogales, AZ
Overgaard, AZ
Payson, AZ
Prescott, AZ
Safford, AZ
Sedona, AZ
Springerville, AZ
Tonto Basin, AZ
Williams, AZ
Alturas, CA
Blairsden, CA
Camino, CA
Camptonville, CA
Challenge, CA
Chester, CA
Dunlap, CA
Fall River Mills, CA
Foresthill, CA
Georgetown, CA
Groveland, CA
Hathaway Pines, CA
Hayfork, CA
Kernville, CA
Macdoel, CA
Mount Shasta, CA
Nevada City, CA
Oroville, CA
Pinecrest, CA
Pioneer, CA
Pollock Pines, CA
Quincy, CA
Redding, CA
Sierraville, CA
Sonora, CA
Susanville, CA
Truckee, CA
Tulelake, CA
Weaverville, CA
Aspen, CO
Bayfield, CO
Carbondale, CO
Conifer, CO
Creede, CO
Fairplay, CO
Gunnison, CO
Leadville, CO
Meeker, CO
Minturn, CO
Pagosa Springs, CO
Paonia, CO
Rifle, CO
Rye, CO
Saguache, CO
Salida, CO
Silverthorne, CO
Steamboat Springs, CO
Walden, CO
Woodland Park, CO
Yampa, CO
Olustee, FL
Chatsworth, GA
Eatonton, GA
Gainesville, GA
Avery, ID
Challis, ID
Driggs, ID
Elk City, ID
Emmett, ID
Fairfield, ID
Featherville, ID
Idaho City, ID
Idaho Falls, ID
Jerome, ID
Kamiah, ID
Kooskia, ID
Lowman, ID
Mackay, ID
Malta, ID
McCall, ID
Mountain Home, ID
Orofino, ID
Potlatch, ID
Riggins, ID
Stanley, ID
Wilmington, IL
Big Creek, KY
Morehead, KY
Bentley, LA
Boyce, LA
Location Negotiable After Selection
Baldwin, MI
Kenton, MI
Oscoda, MI
Watersmeet, MI
Aurora, MN
Blackduck, MN
Cook, MN
Deer River, MN
Ely, MN
Grand Marais, MN
Tofte, MN
Walker, MN
Houston, MO
Potosi, MO
Laurel, MS
Bigfork, MT
Bozeman, MT
Butte, MT
Darby, MT
Dillon, MT
Ennis, MT
Eureka, MT
Gardiner, MT
Helena, MT
Hungry Horse, MT
Kalispell, MT
Libby, MT
Lincoln, MT
Livingston, MT
Missoula, MT
Philipsburg, MT
Plains, MT
Red Lodge, MT
Seeley Lake, MT
Stanford, MT
Superior, MT
Townsend, MT
Trout Creek, MT
Troy, MT
West Yellowstone, MT
White Sulphur Springs, MT
Wisdom, MT
Dickinson, ND
Watford City, ND
Campton, NH
Conway, NH
Gorham, NH
Canjilon, NM
Cloudcroft, NM
Coyote, NM
Cuba, NM
El Rito, NM
Espanola, NM
Glenwood, NM
Grants, NM
Jemez Springs, NM
Las Vegas, NM
Mimbres, NM
Mountainair, NM
Pecos, NM
Quemado, NM
Questa, NM
Reserve, NM
Ruidoso, NM
Silver City, NM
Tijeras, NM
Tres Piedras, NM
Truth or Consequences, NM
Elko, NV
Las Vegas, NV
Broken Bow, OK
Baker City, OR
Bend, OR
Bly, OR
Cascade Locks, OR
Corvallis, OR
Crescent, OR
Detroit, OR
Florence, OR
Glide, OR
Halfway, OR
Hebo, OR
Heppner, OR
Hood River, OR
John Day, OR
Joseph, OR
Klamath Falls, OR
La Grande, OR
Lakeview, OR
McKenzie Bridge, OR
Parkdale, OR
Prairie City, OR
Reedsport, OR
Roseburg, OR
Sandy, OR
Silver Lake, OR
Sisters, OR
Tiller, OR
Ukiah, OR
Waldport, OR
Marienville, PA
Mountain Rest, SC
Whitmire, SC
Custer, SD
Hill City, SD
Rapid City, SD
Spearfish, SD
Wall, SD
New Waverly, TX
Ratcliff, TX
Zavalla, TX
Beaver, UT
Cedar City, UT
Duchesne, UT
Dutch John, UT
Escalante, UT
Fillmore, UT
Heber City, UT
Huntsville, UT
Kamas, UT
Loa, UT
Logan, UT
Pleasant Grove, UT
Richfield, UT
Salt Lake City, UT
Spanish Fork, UT
Vernal, UT
Blacksburg, VA
Amboy, WA
Chelan, WA
Cle Elum, WA
Entiat, WA
Kettle Falls, WA
Leavenworth, WA
Naches, WA
Newport, WA
Randle, WA
Toutle, WA
Trout Lake, WA
Walla Walla, WA
Winthrop, WA
Eagle River, WI
Florence, WI
Glidden, WI
Lakewood, WI
Laona, WI
Medford, WI
Park Falls, WI
Washburn, WI
Afton, WY
Big Piney, WY
Buffalo, WY
Cody, WY
Douglas, WY
Evanston, WY
Greybull, WY
Jackson, WY
Kemmerer, WY
Laramie, WY
Moran, WY
Mountain View, WY
Newcastle, WY
Pinedale, WY
Saratoga, WY
Sheridan, WY
Sundance, WY