Forestry Technician (Recreation).

USDA Forest Service; Durban; On-site; USD 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading government agency seeks a dedicated individual for a specialized role focusing on wilderness management and recreation oversight. The incumbent will ensure compliance with regulations while conducting regular site inspections and maintaining visitor safety. This challenging position requires strong physical fitness and effective communication skills, positioning the candidate for meaningful interaction with diverse community groups.

Benefits

Comprehensive federal employee benefits

Qualifications

• Experience with incident reports and violation notices.
• Experience in winter patrols and ensuring compliance with regulations.
• Ability to communicate effectively with the public and community organizations.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily operations at recreation sites and ensure compliance with regulations.
• Conduct climbing patrols and safety checks for avalanche hazards.
• Liaise with community organizations to promote recreation facilities.

Skills

Communication

Teamwork

Problem Solving

Education

Certification as Wilderness First Responder or Emergency Medical Technician

Job description

Duties

• Accomplishes day-to-day operation plans, improvements, and maintenance tasks associated with forest recreation sites used for various recreational activities. Inspects assigned areas to determine compliance with wilderness regulations/specifications.
• Explains or enforces use regulations according to local, state, or federal policies and laws. Contributes information or provides assistance to operation and work plans for recreation sites and the avalanche center program.
• Performs or oversees regular maintenance at trailheads and dispersed wilderness/recreation sites, including site cleanup and naturalizing.
• Acts as liaison with community organizations and interest groups to stimulate interest and use of recreation facilities. Coordinates outfitter use and prepares reports on conditions of outfitter activities and equipment.
• Maintains visitor use records and prepares visitor use information for data processing.
• Resolves a full range of irregular or problem situations encountered when performing assignments pertaining to forest wilderness programs, such as non-compliance of permits, avalanche control support and monitoring assistance.
• Participates as a team member or solo on climb patrols on the unit that includes mountaineering routes of technical terrain where ability to travel on snow, glaciers, steep rock, and mountainous terrain is a frequent activity.
• The incumbent is responsible for using roped-travel techniques and safely conducting mountain travel with teammates or solo using protective equipment.
• Climbing patrols are conducted for the purpose of mountain familiarization, contacting independent and guided climbers, monitoring and evaluating outfitter guide performance and compliance with Special Use Permit.
• Climbing patrols are conducted for the purpose of route information to be published and communicated to the public, and to monitor public use of climbing routes/cross-country areas for the purpose of resource protection/wilderness management.
• A high level of physical fitness is required to perform these duties.
• Serves as a Snow Ranger for an Avalanche Center, with remote patrol duties. Checks for conditions hazardous to the public from avalanche, ice falls, crevasses, and undermined snow.
• Determines present avalanche hazards and forecasts future hazards based on snow pit tests, field observations, and snow stability.
• Issues avalanche hazard advisories using field data, as well as mountain weather resources, such as weather maps, satellite imagery, and real time weather data.
• Uses judgment to produce public avalanche and safety advisories and disseminates this information via website, telephone, physical postings, or other social media.
• Communicates daily with local Forest Service Avalanche Center personnel to appraise weather conditions based on judgment and evaluation of relevant factors. Serves as a Forest Protection Officer (FPO).
• Issues notices of field violations when violations of regulations are encountered. Conducts investigations, collects evidence and prepares case reports on violations and misuse. Assists agency law enforcement personnel with violation information.
• Documents destruction to or impacts on recreation sites. Analyzes ways to educate users. Assists in rescues and performs rope rescues on steep snow and ice terrain often under adverse weather conditions.
• Responsible for technical rescue equipment maintenance, selection, and replacement.
• This equipment includes mountain axes, ice tools, ice screws, rock nuts, and rock pitons, helmets, slings and cords, ascenders, pulleys, harnesses, snow pickets and flukes, and numerous dynamic and static ropes.
  
  

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• 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.
• Incumbent must be able to get certified as a Wilderness First Responder or Emergency Medical Technician and maintain the certification.
  
  

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the

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-06: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-05 grade level.

GS-06: There is no substitution of education for this position.

Examples of specialized experience include: Working as a Forest Protection Officer (FPO) or similar position writing incident reports or violation notices as needed; providing technical support to the recreation program on the unit performing winter patrols of wilderness boundaries to assure compliance with winter recreation regulations and winter travel plans; providing information on resource management practices and recreation regulations, opportunities, and restrictions; ensuring recreation areas and trails were maintained in accordance with standards; and performing crew-based forestry related support work, such as for recreation or trail maintenance projects.

Selective Placement Factors

• Incumbent must be able to get certified as a Wilderness First Responder or Emergency Medical Technician and maintain the certification.
  
  

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 October 19, 2025 to December 28, 2025.

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 Regional announcement. Pay rates vary depending on location. The salary shown is for the Rest of the U.S. See

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 Region 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

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.

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.

• 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.
  
  

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.