Outreach or Pre-Vacancy Announcement Information
National Environmental Policy Act Planner Position GS-0401-11
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
Wilmington, Illinois
Outreach has been extended to Friday June 29, 2012
Does the challenge of working on a unique Forest
Service unit, a former Army ammunition plant, to restore one of the rarest
ecosystems in the country appeal to you?
If so, you may be the right person to join a dedicated team working to heal
the prairie at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.
The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is
outreaching for individuals interested in becoming a National
Environmental Policy Act Planner. The
National Environmental Policy Act Planner position on Midewin is a GS-0401-11
with a starting annual salary of $62,909.
This is not a virtual position and the duty station
will be in Wilmington, Illinois. Government housing is not available.
If you are interested in this challenging opportunity,
please send your updated resumé to rthakali@fs.fed.us
by close of business on June 29, 2012.
For
more information about the position:
Contact Person: Renée Thakali
Phone Number: (815) 423-2114
Email address: rthakali@fs.fed.us
Outreached positions can be filled immediately
without advertisement, if an employee responds who qualifies for placement
without competition. Your interest could identify the area of consideration and
whether a vacancy announcement may be announced as a career ladder with
multi-grades. Based on the outreach
response the official vacancy announcement for this position may be posted on
the U.S. Government’s official website for employment, www.usajobs.gov. At that time you will have to apply online to
the posted vacancy announcement.
Major Duties
The NEPA/Planner at Midewin provides support to
accomplish the purposes of the establishing legislation and the Prairie Land
and Resource Management Plan including the removal of army infrastructure,
restoration of native habitats and the development of new recreation
infrastructure. The incumbent leads and
coordinates land and resource management planning and environmental analyses
for projects and activities at Midewin and provides expertise in the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
The NEPA Planner position at Midewin National
Tallgrass Prairie is responsible for coordinating NEPA project work with other
resource specialists and participating or leading interdisciplinary teams to
prepare comprehensive environmental studies and analyses.
The
NEPA Planner is responsible for the following major duties:
1)
Provide expertise to Midewin staff on NEPA and land
management planning under current laws, regulation, and policy;
2)
Serve on interdisciplinary (ID) teams to plan,
implement, and monitor projects in accordance with the Prairie Plan,
3)
Lead preparation of environmental analyses and
documentation;
4)
Coordinate and prepare the annual Plan monitoring
and evaluation report and Plan amendment documents;
5)
Participate as a member for the Midewin
Environmental Management System (EMS) team;
6)
Manage various natural resource data bases both
spatial GIS and tabular; and
7) Serve
as the primary contact for NEPA, appeals, and litigation.
This
position is located at the Supervisor’s Office, Midewin National Tallgrass
Prairie and is supervised by the Ecosystem Restoration Team Leader/Staff
Officer.
A
valid State Driver's License is required for this position.
Employment Conditions: The work requires no
special physical demands. It may involve some walking, standing, bending, or
carrying of light items.
Work Environment:
The work is performed in an office or similar
setting involving everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety
precautions.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: Those who are interested in this opportunity
must meet the qualification requirements for the GS-0401-11. Qualifications are covered in the OPM Qualification
Standards Handbook. These standards are available on the Internet at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp
About the Midewin
National Tallgrass Prairie
The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie was
established in 1996 and is administered by the Forest Service working to
fulfill the Potawatomi name of its stewardship mission to “heal” the
prairie. As part of the peacetime
conversion of the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, Midewin is the newest
unit of the National Forest System and the first national tallgrass prairie in
the U.S. The first Land and Resource
Management Plan for Midewin is being implemented to accomplish the four
purposes outlined in its establishing legislation:
1)
To manage the land and water resources to
conserve and enhance native populations and habitats of fish, wildlife, and
plants;
2)
To provide opportunities for scientific,
environmental, and land use education and research;
3)
To allow continued agricultural use under certain
conditions; and
4)
To provide a variety of recreation opportunities.
Midewin operates in a fully integrated manner
with a diverse group of partners. It is
the largest open space, currently 19,000 acres, in northeastern Illinois. Check out our website at www.fs.fed.us/mntp/ to gain an overview of current and planned projects
at Midewin.
The
Midewin Area
Midewin is located only 45 miles southwest of
Chicago, the third largest metropolitan area in the country. Yet a rural
atmosphere predominates throughout the small to mid-sized farming communities
that surround Midewin. There are
numerous schools, hospitals, doctors, churches, and communities to choose from
and cultural opportunities are nearly limitless. Wilmington, Illinois is a full service
community with a population of 5,000 and is located adjacent to the Kankakee
River. Fishing is quite popular along
the Kankakee and throughout various other rivers and small lakes that surround
the area. The climate in this area is
defined by four distinct seasons. Summer
temperatures can reach into the 90’s, accompanied with occasional, high
humidity. Spring and fall tend to be
quite pleasant with average temperatures in the 60’s & 70’s. Winter temperatures frequently dip well below
freezing and it is not unusual to see several inches of snow covering the
ground December through early February.
The Midewin headquarters is located along State
Highway 53 two miles north of the town of Wilmington, Illinois. Midewin team members live in many surrounding
communities, ranging from the more urban Joliet, population 83,000, to smaller
communities tucked around the area farm fields, like Essex, 500, or nearby
Elwood, 1,000. For more information on
Wilmington, see http://www.wilmington-il.com/ Many
options for residing in larger communities are available within an half hour
commute. No public transit is currently
available to the Midewin headquarters office.
The closest Metra train station providing access to Chicago is in Joliet,
20 miles to the north.
Medical facilities are plentiful, including easy
access to nationally-recognized hospitals in Chicago. Cultural events range from performances at
the historic Rialto Square Theater in Joliet, fine playhouses at local
universities, a variety of weekend festivals celebrating local heritage in
nearby small towns, to the greater theater, restaurant, and museum options in
Chicago.