Environmental Protection Specialist (Nepa Specialist)

Environmental Protection Specialist (Nepa Specialist) Summary You will serve as a Environmental Protection Specialist (Nepa Specialist) with National Park Service. This position is in the Partnerships and Civic Engagement Directorate (PCE), Land and Water Conservation Fund Division (LWCF), and serves as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Specialist. The incumbent ensures the LWCF program is in compliance with NEPA through ensuring all funded projects adhere to applicable federal environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Duties As an Environmental Protection Specialist within the National Park Service (NPS), Washington Area Support Office (WASO), Partnerships and Civic Engagement Directorate (PCE), Land and Water Conservation Fund Division (LWCF). Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: - Leading NEPA compliance review for LWCF and ORLP outdoor recreation grant projects, ensuring alignment with federal environmental laws. - Developing NEPA training materials and guidance for state administrators and NPS staff. - Evaluating Environmental Assessments, contractor-generated biological reports, and environmental screening tools and facilitate approval of NEPA decision documents. - Conducting government-to-government consultation with federally recognized tribal nations on behalf of the NPS LWCF Program and facilitate consultation for complex or controversial projects. - Preparing Decision documents for NEPA and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and facilitate approval by appropriate official such as Determination of Effect letters and Findings of No Significant Action (FONSI) documents. - Coordinating with stakeholders, including SHPO, THPO, City, State and federal representatives as necessary to resolve complex issues and address potential adverse effects. - Reviewing applications for federal financial assistance for compliance with NEPA, and NHPA and other federal regulations. Requirements Conditions of employment - Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. - Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. - Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. - Direct Deposit participation required. - You may be required to travel occasional from home up to 2 nights per month. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest. This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 11/03/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. The position may be filled as a temporary promotion or a detail based on the qualifications and current grade of the selected candidate. - There are no qualification requirements for a detail assignment however, employees must meet any positive education/licensure requirements and have experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the major duties of the position. Detail assignments do not include additional or reduced compensation, including locality pay, but benefit from the experience gained, and the opportunity to broaden their knowledge and skills. Time spent on a detail is not creditable for time-in-grade purposes. Experience: To qualify for this position at the GS-13 grade level: You must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This entails (1) an understanding of the philosophy underlying environmental regulation; (2) knowledge of environmental laws and regulations; (3) knowledge of the planning, funding, organization, administration, and evaluation of environmental programs; (4) practical knowledge of environmental sciences and related disciplines, the effects of actions and technology on the environment, the means of preventing or reducing pollution, and the relationship between environmental factors and human health and well-being; and (5) practical knowledge of important historic, cultural, and natural resources (including land, vegetation, fish, wildlife, endangered species, forests) and the relationship between the preservation and management of these resources and environmental protection. You must include hours worked. Volunteer Experience: 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. Education This position does not allow substituting education for experience. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience aloneno substitution of education for experience is permitted. Additional information Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. 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. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive. All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior. Application Limit - This vacancy is limited to the first 50 applications received and will close at midnight Eastern Time on the day this application limit is reached regardless of the closing date specified in this vacancy announcement. Any application received prior to midnight Eastern Time of the day the application limit is reached will be accepted and considered. You are strongly encouraged to submit all required supporting documents at the time of application should the vacancy close earlier than stated in this announcement due to the applicant limit being reached. Supporting documents will not be accepted once the vacancy announcement closes. Physical Demands Most of the work will require no unusual physical activity. Normal activities include sitting, standing, working in an office or meeting environment, or travel by motor vehicle or commercial aircraft. Work Environment Most work is performed in an office or meeting setting. Travel via motor vehicle or commercial aircraft will be required. Telework The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits 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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits 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.