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Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Forest Service To Add Jobs

By Dan McKay
Journal Staff Writer
       The U.S. Forest Service plans to add about 140 jobs around the first of the year as part of a reorganization that consolidates "high-level administrative functions" throughout the West in Albuquerque, the city announced.
    Mayor Martin Chávez said the jobs are expected to pay $40,000 to $70,000 a year, and local residents will be hired to fill many of the positions.
    The Forest Service is also looking for 100,000 square feet of space to rent, preferably in the Journal Center area. If no suitable space is found, the Forest Service might construct a new building, the mayor said.
    Chávez said Albuquerque was selected a few years ago to serve as a "Washington, D.C." of the West for the Forest Service.
    City Hall, he said, will help the agency find office space and speed the permitting process if needed.
    A job fair for the Forest Service and other agencies is planned from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Manzano Mesa community center at 501 Elizabeth SE.
    Sandra Lopez, a Forest Service public affairs officer for human resources, said the consolidation of jobs in Albuquerque began in 2004. Some of the new jobs will be filled through local hires, others through transfers.
    She said the agency is already hiring human resources specialists, budget analysts, accountants and others.
    Information can be found at www.usajobs.gov or by calling 1-877-372-7248 (press 2 for human resources).