Where I work we cycle through 10-15 students or recent graduates a year as seasonal employees. The attrition rate is very high and usually only 1 or 2 can actually last the field season. In private-sector forestry I'm having to compete with all the agencies who offer comparable wages and socialized benefits while also having virtually no metrics or accountability for production or quality of work. It sucks.
The USFS isn't any competition. They basically pay minimum wage, only have 1039 positions available, and their benefits suck ass.
For seasonals, sure, unless they're hoping for a big fire season with triple super secret OT and H pay for lurking at DP12. But thanks to the universities, higher GS jobs are perceived as highly desirable by recent grads.
Around here they don't have any budget for any positions other than 1039s. The entire forest is staffed by only 3 full-time field people. Anything else is limited to 1039 hires. It's due to how the USFS budget works, which is sucked up by fire every year, leaving almost nothing for the rest.
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