If You Want To Apply, Now's The Time

Are you ready to hoist your pack and head for a season in the woods? Well, be advised: So are several thousands of others! The competition for temporary jobs-in both the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service-is very stiff, so apply as early as possible during their respective filing periods. In general, it's best to apply in only one region (in fact, the Forest Service requires that its applicants choose one area to work in) . . . and to request a specific type of job for which you can offer relevant skills and experience.

U.S. FOREST SERVICE

All hiring for volunteer posts in national forests is done strictly on the local level . . . so you should inquire about such positions-in person-at the district ranger's office in the forest where you want to work.

The Forest Service's paid seasonal employees, on the other hand, are chosen on a national basis. To apply, you should first pick up the agency's Form OMB No. 40-83976 ... which is available from your local ranger station, or by writing to the U.S. Forest Service, Dept. TMEN, U.S. Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 2417, Washington, D.C. 20013. This booklet contains an employment application, a map of all national forests and experiment stations, and the address of the Forest Service's headquarters office in each region. Send your completed application (between the filing dates of December 1 and January 15) to one of those offices ... which will forward your credentials-in turn-to each national forest in the area, until all employment quotas are filled. (No Civil Service exam Is required for seasonal applicants.)

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

The Park Service employs volunteers - often on a part-time basis-to assist rangers in such areas as interpretation, living history demonstrations, environmental study, and resource management. You can apply for such work by writing to the superintendent of the NPS area in which you want to serve. (For hiring purposes, the United States is divided into nine regions.) In order to obtain the addresses of those regional offices, and to get further information about the program, write to Public Inquiries, National Park Service, Dept. TMEN, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240 and ask for a copy of the free pamphlet "Volunteers in Parks".