Natural Areas and Trails Ranger – Fort Collins, CO

Organization: The City of Fort Collins

Job Title: Natural Areas and Trails Ranger

Location: Fort Collins, CO

Hours and Compensation: Full time, Hiring range: $3,471  $4,725/mo, plus excellent benefits.

Position Dates: Start ASAP

Application Deadline: July 20th, 2012

Posted On: July 3rd, 2012

Description

Rangers conduct daily patrols of natural areas and trails to provide visitor safety, assistance and education while protecting natural and cultural resource values.

Responsibilities

1. Performs patrol, municipal code enforcement, visitor education, and resource protection on City Natural Areas and Recreational Trails including:
– Interacting with the public to provide information on recreation, natural history, ecological functions, and stewardship practices.

– Code enforcement (misdemeanors) in natural areas
and on recreational trails, including issuing
warnings or citations to violators.

– Conducting foot and mountain bike patrol on properties to monitor recreation activities and ensure visitor safety and resource protection.

– Recognizing law enforcement issues requiring the assistance of a Police Officer.

– Communicating and coordinating with local law enforcement.

– At the request of local police, assisting with crime investigation involving natural areas or trails.

– Coordinating emergency response including administration of first aid, wildland fire, and search and rescue.

– Testifying in court in support of citations issued.

– Maintaining public contacts records, producing incident and police reports, and other general reports.

– Speaking to various public groups about the ranger program.

– Preparing and providing safety and public contact training to staff, seasonal staff and volunteers.

– Responding to and resolving multi-use conflicts using conflict resolution techniques.

– Performing general maintenance and inspecting properties for unsafe conditions or damage to trails, restrooms or other infrastructure. Corrects or reports maintenance issues to relevant staff.

2. Performs natural resources protection and conservation tasks including:
– Monitoring wildlife activity and ecological changes, and working with staff to adapt site management if necessary.

– Assisting with prescribed burning, participating in wildland fire suppression, and/or supporting other fire management tasks.

– Monitoring site conditions, performing inspections on visitor use, permitted activities, boundary marking, and encroachment violations.

– Directing and overseeing the work of volunteers.

NOTE: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; may ride a bicycle a minimum of 10 to 15 miles per day; may walk at least 5 miles per day (including on natural surface trails of various grades); sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk and hear in normal situations as well as over telephones and police dispatch equipment. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, may frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds, and may regularly carry a full backpack weighing 10-15 pounds.

Qualifications

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
– Strong public relations and communications skills.
– Ability to handle high stress and emergency situations dealing with people and animals.
– General knowledge of applicable City Municipal Code.
– Knowledge of regional, county and state fire, health, safety and animal welfare codes relevant to natural areas and trails.
– Thorough knowledge of natural resource management practices and techniques.
– Ability to use a variety of equipment and power tools; operate a snow plow, etc.
– Thorough knowledge of local ecosystems and related plant and animal communities.
– Ability to learn and operate specialized communication systems (e.g., police dispatch communication systems) and to clearly communicate vital information over such systems.
– Ability to work effectively and comply with Fort Collins law enforcement procedures.
– Ability to use records management and MS Office applications.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources, Recreation, Environmental Management, Biological Sciences or related field from an accredited college or university; plus a minimum of one year related experience and/or training; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:
– Valid driver’s license.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

Ability to read and interpret documents such as laws, regulations, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals, all of which are written in English. Ability to write routine reports, correspondence and citations in English. Ability to clearly articulate explain complicated information effectively to individuals and to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to solve complex problems in dynamic situations where limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. Ability to exercise appropriate discretion in decisions in law enforcement activities and to determine the advisability of calling for back-up from an armed officer.

How to Apply