Biologist (Land Management) - Bureau of Reclamation

Summary Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Biologist (Land Management). Make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment. Duty Location: Yakima, Washington Responsibilities As a Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project (YRBWEP) Ecosystem Restoration Team member, this position is responsible for managing YRBWEP-acquired lands, including habitat restoration and maintenance, and for coordinating with adjacent landowners (e.g. Federal, State and local property managers and private landowners) on land management issues such as public access, public health and safety issues, and larger effort habitat restoration and maintenance efforts. This position will also coordinate and manage future land acquisitions to protect and restore fish and wildlife habitat and obtain associated water rights for instream flow benefits. Manage approximately 2,000 acres of property for habitat benefits. Coordinate and manage restoration planning, development, and project implementation (e.g. floodplain and riparian restoration). Manage weed control and other land maintenance requirements. Manage land access and trespass issues. Monitor restoration actions, permit compliance and land management actions. Manage/develop restoration, maintenance, and monitoring contracts. Write land/project fact sheets and reports. Write land management plans specific for each property and an overall YRBWEP properties management plan. Evaluate and implement desirable land acquisition opportunities. Participate in Yakima Basin Integrated Plan (YBIP) committees (e.g. Watershed Lands Subcommittee) and community special action committees. Assist management with program budget and schedules. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. You must be suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation. You must submit a resume and supporting documentation (see Required Documents). You must meet any minimum education and/or experience requirements (see Qualifications). You must submit transcript(s) to verify education requirements (see Qualifications/Education). Qualifications To be eligible for consideration, you must first meet the Basic Education Requirement for this position, having (a) a bachelor's degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or a related discipline appropriate to the position, OR (b) college courses equivalent to a major, as shown in (a) above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. You must submit transcript(s) to support claimed education. In order to be rated as qualified for this position, the HR Office must be able to determine that you meet the education and specialized experience requirement - this information must be clearly supported in your resume. To qualify at the GS-12, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-11 level in federal service, having experience in at least THREE of the following: (1) collecting habitat field data (floodplain, riparian and upland habitats) and evaluating site conditions; (2) monitoring contracts involving habitat restoration and/or land management work; (3) collaborating with stakeholders (e.g., non-governmental entities, industry and private sector interests, academia, other federal agencies, state/local/tribal officials) to identify land management or environmental restoration needs; (4) drafting environmental compliance documents such as environmental assessments, environmental impact statements, biological assessments, related to land management and/or restoration actions, or serving on interdisciplinary teams preparing such documents; (5) collecting, analyzing, and documenting habitat and environmental data and information to evaluate and/or demonstrate compliance with federal and/or state legal and regulatory requirements. 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 Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors if applicable, by 10/25/2024. Education This position does not allow substituting education for experience. This position has a mandatory education requirement. You must submit a copy of college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include the name of the college or university and date the degree was conferred. Non-submission will result in being rated not-qualified for the position. You will be required to provide official college transcripts to verify educational qualifications, if selected. An official transcript must be sent directly from the University's Registrar's office and must be provided from the institution awarding the degree. Academic transcripts certified by notary publics are NOT official. Official transcripts must be submitted prior to reporting to work as a condition of employment. Failure to submit official transcripts may be grounds for dismissal or rescission of the job offer. Accreditation: Only education from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education is acceptable to meet education requirements or to substitute for experience, if applicable. For additional info, refer to the Office of Personnel Management and U.S. Department of Education. Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For additional info, refer to the U.S. Network for Education Information. Additional Information You may be required to serve an initial probationary period. Current, permanent Federal employees who are selected from this announcement may be required to serve a probationary period. Reclamation has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and you may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval. ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL/REMOTE POSITION.*** If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information, visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. Current agency employees may be eligible to receive a referral bonus for recruitment of this position. For information visit: Referral Bonus Awards. Permanent Change of Station (PCS) expenses or first-post-of-duty relocation expenses are authorized, as applicable, with the exception of the Guaranteed Home Sale Provision. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), signed into law December 2017, suspends the moving expense deduction and the exclusion from income of qualified employer reimbursements of moving expenses that was allowed under previous tax laws. Employer reimbursements for moving costs are now generally taxed at the same rate as ordinary income. If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may request consideration for a Superior Qualifications Appointment. For information, visit: OPM Fact Sheet. Related non-Federal experience or related experience as retired members of the uniformed services may be credited towards computing entitlement to leave accrual, at managerial discretion, providing that experience meets certain criteria. This provision allows new employees to earn annual leave at a higher rate than would otherwise be allowed. (5 Code of Federal Regulations, 630). For information, visit: Creditable Service for Annual Leave DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including applicant rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/. This position is designated as a MODERATE RISK Public Trust position. It requires a fully completed and favorably adjudicated Public Trust Suitability Background Investigation (T2S or T2RS or equivalent) that is current (within the last 5 years). This is a condition of employment. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must certify registration with the Selective Service System or that the applicant is exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Go to: https://www.sss.gov. This is a non-bargaining unit position. Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.