***OUTREACH***

Forester (Silviculture) GS-0460-07/09 OZARK-ST FRANCIS NATIONAL FORESTS SYLAMORE-ST FRANCIS RANGER DISTRICTS

The Ozark-St. Francis National Forest is seeking candidates for a GS-0460-07/09 Forester (Silviculture) position on the Sylamore-St Francis Ranger Districts. This position is located on the Sylamore Ranger District with the District Office located in Mountain View, AR, and will also serve the St. Francis Ranger District headquartered in Marianna, AR. The duty station for this position will be Mountain View, AR.

The position will serve as the silviculturist for the Zone, with primary responsibility for development, planning, and application of silvicultural methods and practices. As this position is responsible for silvicultural duties on two Ranger Districts, the incumbent is expected to travel up to 25% of the time.

Duties include: Participating in the preparation of financial and work plans for assigned programs by estimating, combining, and coordinating project plans into an annual unit work plan. Reviewing work accomplishments for assigned areas of responsibility and compiling necessary reports. Conducting examinations of timber compartments and stands on the unit and evaluating the conditions found. This includes updating information in FSVeg and FACTS databases. Making or recommending basic land management decisions based on these evaluations. Makes silviculture prescriptions and action plans for TSI and reforestation work necessary to attain timber management objectives using aerial photographs and on-the-ground observation and measurements. Reviews and recommends plans for the timber harvest program. This includes sale design, layout, and marking in accordance with approved silvicultural prescription and environmental assessment reports. Making plantation and natural regeneration survival examinations to determine that results meet accepted standards. Set up checks and inspections to determine the effectiveness of culture treatments. Makes recommendations to the TMA on techniques, policies, and procedures to increase the effectiveness or improve the quality of treatments. Preparing multiple-use compartment prescriptions and environmental assessment reports based on field examination. As a Contracting Officers Technical Representative (COTR), the incumbent may administer or supervise the administration of timber stand improvement, timber sale preparation, or other District contracts. Participate in timber sale unit layout, and sale administration, to ensure that silvicultural management objectives are maintained.

The Sylamore-St. Francis Ranger Districts operate with a team approach. Although fire line duties are not a requirement of the position, all employees will assist in the fire program to the extent that their physical fitness and training will allow.

Sylamore Ranger District

The Sylamore (SYL-a-more) Ranger District is located in Stone County, in North Central . The District is approximately 133,000 acres in size. The District is bordered on the north and east by the White River, renowned for its trout fishing. On the west side of the District is the , managed by the and the first National River established in the country. South of the District is the town of Mountain View.

The Sylamore takes in rolling hills, bluffs, caves, creeks and river bottoms. The Leatherwood Wilderness and the Lower Buffalo River Wilderness together make up 37,000 acres of trail-less solitude. Blanchard Springs Caverns is one of the premier show caves in the country and is operated by the US Forest Service. The North Sylamore Hiking Trail, the Ozark Highlands Trail, the Syllamo Mountain Bike Trail and the Sylamore Shooting Range are major attractions of the Forest.

The District office is located in Mountain View, AR, a town of about 2,900. Mountain View is located thirty-eight miles west of Batesville and fifty miles south of Mountain Home. Little Rock, the state capitol, is located approximately two hours away - 110 miles due south.

The average winter temperature in Mountain View is about 40 degrees with an average daily minimum of 31 degrees. In the summer the average daily temperature is 80 degrees, with an average daily maximum temperature of 92 degrees. The annual rainfall is about 45 inches. The average annual seasonal snowfall is six inches.

The Community

As its name implies, Mountain View is snuggled into the rolling hills and hollows of the Ozark Mountains. The town is home to two large tourist attractions, namely Blanchard Springs Caverns and the State Park, which is operated by Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. Mountain View hosts two festivals, the Folk Festival in April and the Beanfest and Great Outhouse Race in October. Both festivals attract 60,000 to 80,000 visitors annually. There are many other smaller fests throughout the year. Most all year round visitors come to enjoy or join in with the musicians “pickin’ on the square”. Because of tourism there are many craft shops, 16 eating establishments (including fast food places) and six music shows for the evenings. Most visitor-oriented businesses are busiest from April through October.

Schools: Mountain View has one public school K-12, as well as a community college for continuing education.

Churches: Most major denominations are represented in the area.

Medical Services: Stone County Medical Center is a branch of the White River Medical Center of Batesville. Several doctors, an orthopedic specialist, dentists, chiropractors, and an optometrist all practice here.

Hotels: There are 11 motels and 9 bed-and-breakfasts in Mountain View. There are also more than 10 cabin/guesthouse operations and 6 RV parks.

Housing: Rentals are few and sales of homes range from $50,000 to $100,000 and up.

Newspapers: There are two local weekly papers and the statewide paper, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, is delivered here.

Transportation: There is no public transportation in or out of Mountain View. There is a 3,000 foot airstrip open to the public. Commercial service is available from Little Rock and Memphis.

Other local services: Stone County offers a swimming pool, baseball complex, tennis courts, public library, and a walking path. There are six banks, three grocery stores, two lumber yards, Wal-Mart, several fast food establishments, print shop, drug stores and several fine restaurants.

Suggested web pages; www.fs.fed.us/oonf/ozark/ www.www.yourplaceinthemountains.com.com http://www.ozarkgetaways.com/index.html

St. Francis Ranger District

The St. Francis is unique for many reasons. It is both a national forest and a ranger district. It is the second smallest national forest in the system (23,000 acres) and the only forest providing access to the Mississippi River. Most of the district lies on the southern end of Crowley’s Ridge, an uplifting of very fertile but highly erodible wind- blown soils (loess), which extends north-south across northeastern Arkansas. Although small in size the forest has viable programs in all major resource areas. Another unique aspect of the St. Francis is the creation of the Mississippi River State Park (MRSP) on the forest under a Special Use Permit with Arkansas State Parks. The forest transferred management of one forest campground to the MRSP and will transfer management of the other forest campground in the 2015. The forest manages all other forest resources. The forest is co-located with the MRSP in a shared office and Visitor Center.

The District has a small staff of two permanent full-time employees supervised by a Deputy District Ranger. The Sylamore Ranger District is located 150 miles to the northwest of the St Francis. Historically, the zone concept has worked well in spite of the distance between the two units.

The District Office is located in Marianna, a diverse farm community of about 4100. Marianna is the county seat of Lee County. There is a consolidated public school district with a high school, 3 elementary schools, and a middle school (grades 7-8). There is also a private school (K-12)

There is one private medical practice, a dentist, a Co-op Clinic, and 24-hour ambulance service. Hospitals are located 18 miles south in Helena and 20 miles north in Forrest City. Other services available in the area include: child care, public library, county museum, several grocery and discount stores, gas stations, restaurants, and numerous churches.

For those interested in the services provided by a metropolitan area, Little Rock, the state capital, is 97 miles west and Memphis, Tennessee is 55 miles northeast.

Housing rentals are scarce. Sale price of existing 3-bedroom homes range from a low $24,000 to $100,000.

Suggested web pages; www.fs.fed.us/oonf/ozark www.mariannaarkansas.org www.phillipscountychamber.org

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: Qualifications for this position can be found in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, which is available from any Federal Government Personnel Office or the OPM web site (http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/index.asp).

HOW TO APPLY: The vacancy announcement for this position will be posted on the U.S. Government's official website for employment opportunities, http://www.usajobs.gov, sometime in the near future.

CONTACT INFORMATION: If you are interested in this position, would like to be notified when this position is posted on USA Jobs (www.usajobs.gov), or would like additional information please contact:

Sylamore-St Francis RD’s, Zone TMA Ed Spence at (870) 269-3228 ext. 3235, or [email protected]

Sylamore-St Francis RD’s, SSS Shane Avey at (870) 269-3228 ext. 3239, or [email protected]

Thank you for your interest in this opportunity!

OUTREACH DOCUMENTATION FORM Ozark-St. Francis National Forests Sylamore - St. Francis Ranger Districts

Title of Position: GS-0460-07/09 Forester (Silviculture) Name: ______

Email Address: ______

Phone Number: ______

Current series/grade/title: ______

Brief Summary of Qualifying Experience: ______

______

______

Please email this form to [email protected], mail hard copy to:

Ed Spence, Zone TMA Sylamore-St Francis Ranger Districts 1001 E. Main Street Mountain View, AR 72560

Please respond no later than July 3, 2014