NATIONAL PARK SERVICE BENCHMARK POSITION DESCRIPTION - Botanist GS-430-11

Sep 14, 2026

Benchmarked position description for the role of Botanist GS-430-11 within the National Park Service. The incumbent serves as a technical advisor for park botany and vegetation management, developing and implementing resource management plans, action strategies, and protection, mitigation, and restoration projects. Responsibilities cover inventories, long-term monitoring protocols, statistically valid data collection, data quality control, complex data analysis, and preparation of management and scientific reports. Additional duties include GIS-based analysis, environmental assessment support under NEPA, coordination with education programs, field equipment stewardship, herbarium specimen maintenance, and, when needed, contract oversight and limited program management.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Major Duties (80-100%)

Resource planning and action plans

Partnerships, conferences, and regional coordination

Research oversight and contract technical representation

Protocol design, inventories, and long-term monitoring

Protection, mitigation, restoration, and data collection

Reporting, GIS technology, and automated data workflows

Environmental assessments (NEPA)

Education, equipment, herbarium, and records

Program management and representation

Factor 1. Knowledge Required by the Position

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE BENCHMARK POSITION DESCRIPTION Botanist GS-430-11 Introduction The incumbent serves as a technical advisor for one or more parks in botany and vegetation management. The botanist is responsible for the development and implementation of resources programs dealing with the management and protection of flora, plant communities, and landscapes that are pertinent to the parks resources and themes. Major Duties (80-100%) Develops and prepares major sections of the park resources management plan dealing with vegetation management. Prepares specific action plans needed to manage the flora component of natural systems and managed landscapes, and controversial, sensitive, endangered or exotic species. Represents the superintendent when working with others on botanical matters. Develops and maintains liaisons and effective working relations with related groups and individuals, agencies, and the public in order to encourage and facilitate cooperative regional management strategies. Attends management and professional conferences and other events for the purpose of exchanging information, presenting technical and policy information, and advancing advocacy for park stewardship. Coordinates the park's vegetation management strategies and programs with those on adjacent lands for the purposes of achieving broad ecosystem protection strategies and preventing human impacts. Negotiates cooperative and interagency agreements and other cooperative instruments needed to effectively carry out resource stewardship goals. Identifies research needs, prepares requests for proposals or statements of work, and provides oversight for research projects. Serves as Contracting Officer's Technical Representative for projects conducted through contracts, interagency agreements, and cooperative agreements. Evaluates research results for management implications. In cooperation with appropriate staff, researchers, and partners, the botanist designs, develops, tests, and implements protocols to identify, evaluate, and do long-term monitoring of flora. This includes conducting inventories to determine statistically valid plot distributions and design. Writes new monitoring documents that define monitoring techniques and develops methods for future refinements of protocols. Based on results of inventories, in-depth studies, and monitoring, the incumbent develops and conducts scientifically credible protection, mitigation, and restoration projects needed to restore and/or maintain the integrity of critical habitats, native plant communities, managed landscapes, and physical resources and to minimize human activities that impact resources. Develops and carries out statistically valid data collection protocols for the monitoring of plant communities and the results of protection, mitigation, and restoration projects. Performs data collection using advanced technology such as electronic data collectors when appropriate. Performs data entry and carries out quality control checks on data collection and entry performed by others. Conducts analysis of complex data. Determines and documents the significance of findings. Prepares management and scientific reports regarding the results of protection, mitigation, restoration, inventory, monitoring, and research activities. Summarizes new and conventional information for use by scientists, managers, park staff, cooperators, and partners. Incorporates appropriate GIS technology into job to provide comprehensive and scientifically sound answers to inquiries from managers and others. Uses automated methods of data collection, analysis or illustration. Inputs data into digital form and uses computer applications for data analysis, manipulation, and presentation. Prepares environmental assessments (EAs) for projects in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act. Evaluates EAs and environmental impact statements prepared by other federal agencies or groups for impacts o

FAQs

What is the primary purpose of the Botanist GS-430-11 role?

Provide technical advisory support for one or more parks in botany and vegetation management, including development and implementation of programs to manage and protect flora and related habitats.

What major duties occupy most of the position time (80-100%)?

Develop vegetation management plan sections and action plans, coordinate ecosystem protection across adjacent lands, oversee research and monitoring protocols, and conduct or evaluate inventories, data collection, analysis, and reporting.

How does the botanist support compliance and evaluation of environmental impacts?

Prepares environmental assessments for projects in compliance with NEPA, and evaluates EAs and environmental impact statements prepared by other agencies regarding impacts on park resources.

Sep 14, 2026

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