ALASKA – Human Resources Management is partnering with the Alaska Region to continue recruiting efforts to hire employees from local communities using the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act hiring authority. This allows the Forest Service to recruit and hire qualified Alaskan residents who have lived or worked in or near the locality of the job posting long enough to have acquired local expertise and have special natural or cultural resources knowledge of the area. Residents must be a U.S. citizen at the time of the appointment, meet Selective Service System requirements and be 18 years of age or older.

Using the conservation act hiring authority, the Alaska Region was able to hire Sabrina O’Neal. O’Neal is an administrative support assistant who works in the Chugach National Forest’s Glacier Ranger District in Girdwood, Alaska. As a child, O’Neal dreamed of working for the Forest Service when she grew up. She graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, earning a bachelor’s in Forestry with a concentration on forest wildlife.

O’Neal was hired as a temporary employee, but then her dream came true in 2021 when she was hired full-time using the conservation act hiring authority. Her extensive knowledge and expertise concerning natural and cultural resources are what earned O’Neal a full-time position with the Forest Service.

O’Neal’s administrative duties are comprised of a variety of tasks for the ranger district office. “I work closely with professional, technical and administrative staff, and I provide support in areas such as procurement, Human Resources, travel, resource support services, clerical services and other miscellaneous office needs,” she said. “When needed, I also provide support for the front desk staff by providing information and answering any inquiries made by the public.”  

But O’Neal’s forestry skills are not limited to the office. “Commonly, I use my local knowledge during my interactions with the public.” She explained, “having residential knowledge of the forest’s cultural and natural resources helps me provide a more personalized experience to the visitor. I share special details regarding the surrounding forest which cannot be found in a brochure. I believe this helps to enhance a visitor’s experience, nurtures their prospect of adventure and paves the way to people’s continued future use of the forest.”

O’Neal’s interaction with the public is truly beneficial: “My time within the community helps to support those foundational contacts and connections which the Forest Service fosters within the surrounding area.”

O’Neal is the first of many hires the agency hopes to make using the conservation authority. The Forest Service will continue to leverage various hiring authorities to build our future workforce to conserve our natural resources for future generations.