Santa Fe National Forest, R3
Supervisor’s Office - Santa Fe, NM
Public Affairs Specialist, Recent Graduate GS-1035-7
Job Announcement 17-NCH-FS2553-09-RGA
Closes Friday, Nov. 4, 2016
ABOUT THE POSITION:
This position is open to Recent Graduates from qualifying institutions who have completed an
academic program within the preceding two years. Preference-eligible veterans who were precluded
by their military service obligation from meeting this requirement will have up to six years to apply.
The duty station is in Santa Fe and may require some overnight travel.
The Public Affairs Specialist assists the Public Affairs Officer with internal and external contacts.
This position communicates with employees, the general public, media representatives, elected
officials, agency counterparts, and a variety of partner organizations. This position creates, modifies,
and disseminates information on a variety of issues, participates in conservation education and
community relations programs, and may serve as agency spokesperson. This position serves as
webmaster for the forest and coordinates Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests on behalf of the
forest.
Skills needed:
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Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
Ability to interact professionally with internal and external audiences
Writing and editing skills
Willingness to learn Public Information Officer skills in fire management
Web management expertise
Outreach Response:
Interested applicants should complete the attached Outreach Form and
return it to Julie Anne Overton, Acting Public Affairs Officer, at [email protected] by
November 15. We expect to fill this position shortly thereafter. For additional information, please
contact Julie Anne at 505-438-5320.
The Forest:
Santa Fe National Forest
(1.6 million acres) is in the Southwestern
Region (R3). It is comprised of mountains,
valleys, and mesas ranging from 5,000 to
13,000’ in elevation. District offices are
located in Cuba, Coyote, Jemez Springs,
Pecos, Las Vegas, and Española. The
Supervisor's office is in Santa Fe.
New Mexico is rich with cultural history and
recreational opportunities. One does not have
to travel far to find ruins or petroglyphs from
ancient civilizations, colorful volcanic
formations, deep river gorges, or forests.
The Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ)
Mountains, located east of the Rio Grande, are crowned by the Pecos Wilderness. Nearby are the
Santa Fe Ski Basin, Glorieta Pass, and the old Santa Fe Trail.
The Jemez Mountains, located west of the Rio Grande, rise to nearly 12,000’ at the summit of
Chicoma Peak. Los Alamos National Laboratories, Bandelier National Monument, and the Valles
Caldera National Preserve are all nearby.
Residents from Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and local communities enjoy a vast selection of activities that
include skiing and snowboarding, river rafting and boating, hiking, mountain biking, camping, fishing,
hunting, cattle ranching, firewood cutting, and piñon nut and wild herb gathering. Tourism, farming,
and ranching are the mainstays of the north central New Mexico economy.
More information can be found at http://www.fs.usda.gov/santafe/.
Santa Fe: Santa Fe, the state capital, is located in the Rio Grande valley between the Jemez and
Sangre de Cristo Mountains; the population is about 60,000. Albuquerque, approximately 60 miles to
the southwest, is a metropolitan area with a population of 600,000. Santa Fe averages 300 days of
sunshine each year with mild summer days and cool nights. Winters are relatively short, with snow
accumulations primarily in the surrounding mountains. The average annual rainfall is 14 inches, and
the average annual snowfall is 34 inches.
The cultural influence, art, and architecture from the Native American pueblos and Spanish American
villages of northern New Mexico are unique to this part of the nation. Santa Fe is a rich art community
with over 150 galleries, music, dance, and theater venues. Health care is available from a variety of
doctors, specialists, and alternative health care practitioners. The city has more than 200 restaurants,
70 churches, 45 parks, 27 tennis courts, 16 movie theaters, 10 health clubs, 8 museums, 5 libraries, 4
swimming pools, 2 golf courses, a racetrack, and the Santa Fe Opera, Symphony, and Chamber
Orchestra. The public school system includes one community college, three high schools, three junior
high schools, and eighteen elementary schools. Private schools include four colleges, four
junior/senior high schools, nine elementary schools, and 25 child care centers.
The cost of living in Santa Fe is about 18% higher than the national average. The average home price
is $350,000 and the average 2-bedroom apartment rental is $800 per month. More affordable housing
is located in the outlying areas of Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, where the average home price is
$234,000. Commuters may qualify for a transit subsidy through the Public Transportation Benefit
Program if an approved form of mass transit is used. Vanpools and the NM Rail Runner Express Train
provide service from Albuquerque to Santa Fe.
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Santa Fe community information can be accessed at http://www.santafenm.gov/,
http://www.santafechamber.com/, and
http://www.sfps.k12.nm.us/education/district/district.php?sectionid=1.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race,
color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion,
sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is
derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities
who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should
contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202)720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to
USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 7953272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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OUTREACH NOTICE FORM
Santa Fe National Forest, R3
Supervisor’s Office - Santa Fe, NM
Public Affairs Specialist, Recent Graduate GS-1035-7
NAME: ___________________________________________________________________
E-MAIL ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________________________
MAILING ADDRESS: ______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
TELEPHONE NUMBER: ____________________________________________________________
CURRENT REGION/FOREST/DISTRICT: _____________________________________________
CURRENT SERIES AND GRADE: ____________________________________________________
CURRENT POSITION TITLE: ________________________________________________________
Please describe your work experience and tell us why you would be a good candidate for this
position: ____________________________________________________________________
Thank you for your interest in this opportunity!
Please return this form to Julie Anne Overton at [email protected]
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