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SalaryPOSITION TITLE:Natural Areas Trail Ranger (Full-Time Regular) (Classified)
REQUISITION #: req7540
DEPARTMENT:Natural Areas
LOCATION: NIX SITE OFFICE BLDG
BENEFIT CATEGORY: Classified (Non-CBU)
EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Full-Time Regular
ANNUAL SALARY RANGE: $47,816.00 - 71,724.00 (Salaries are paid biweekly)
SELECTION PROCESS: Application deadline is 3:00 p.m. MT on 4/17/2024.
You will receive an email acknowledgment when you have successfully submitted an application. Your completed application will be forwarded to the hiring manager. You will be notified if you are selected for further testing or interviews. Please keep your contact information up-to-date. The status of your application will be updated in your applicant profile. Background check & motor vehicle report required. Drug test required within four calendar days (96 hours) of offer.
The Community: The City of Fort Collins sits nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains alongside the banks of the Cache La Poudre River. At 5,000 feet in elevation, residents enjoy a moderate, four-season climate, with an average of 300 days of sunshine per year. With 174,800 residents, Fort Collins is Colorado’s fourth-largest city and spans 57 square miles. With the 20 year growth projection, the City of Fort Collins is expected to reach 255,000 residents.
The first people who hunted in this region arrived approximately 11,000 years ago, and Northern Colorado remains an integral part of the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations. European-American trappers and traders arrived by the early 1800s but rarely established permanent settlements. Gold and silver discoveries in the Colorado mountains in the mid-1800s and the prospect of land for farming and ranching attracted people from eastern cities and across the globe to the Colorado Territory, including what would become the town of Fort Collins; an agricultural colony that emerged from its founding days as a military fort. The expansion included the sugar beet industry's growth, which brought new residents whose descendants still live here today, including Mexican-American families from southern Colorado, New Mexico, and northern Mexico, as well as Germans from Russia. Since 1879, Fort Collins has been the home of the state’s land grant institution, Colorado State University, which currently enrolls 34,000 students. Along with the university, the city’s major high-tech and manufacturing companies and breweries attract new residents from all over the country and world. The community’s overall social diversity continues to grow.
There are abundant outdoor recreation opportunities available to the many residents who enjoy healthy lifestyles. The nearby Horsetooth Reservoir is a key attraction, as is the Cache La Poudre-North Park Scenic Byway. The Downtown district provides many venues for live music, shopping, dining, and nightlife within the city. Fort Collins is widely considered the Craft Beer Capital of Colorado. The City has a strong appreciation for arts, culture, and entertainment. Various national organizations and magazines recognize Fort Collins as one of the best places to live in the nation.
The City’s long list of acknowledgements includes:
- No. 2 Best Tasting Drinking Water in North America: American Water Works – June 2021
- No. 5 Best Remote-Ready Cities: Livability.com Jan 2021
- Top 30 Creative Small Cities: CVSuite – May 2020
- No. 18 Safest Cities in America: SafeWise – April 2020
- No. 1 Best Place to Live: Livability.com March 2020
- No. 9 Most Fitness Friendly Places: SmartAsset – Dec 2019
- No. 7 Safest Driving Cities: Allstate – June 2019
- No. 4 Best U.S. Cities to Raise a Family: MarketWatch – April 2019
- No. 9 Best Performing Cities: Milken Institute – Jan 2019
- No. 3 U.S. Cities with Highest Economic Confidence: Yahoo – Nov 2018
- No. 2 Brain Concentration Index: Bloomberg – Nov 2018
- No. 1 City in America for Cycling: PeopleForBikes-May 2018
- Outstanding Achievement in Local Government Innovation Award: Alliance for Innovation-April 2018
- The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award-Nov 2017
- 18th Best City for Career Opportunities: SmartAsset – Sep 2017
- 3rd Best College Town to Live in Forever: College Ranker – July 2017
- 25 Best Towns Ever: Where to Live Now: Outside Magazine – June 2017
- No. 1 Stable and Growing Housing Market: Realtor.com-June 2017
- 11th Happiest City in America: Yahoo! Finance - March 2017
- No. 9 Top 150 Cities for Millennials Report: Millennial Personal Finance - Feb 2017
- No. 2 Best Cities for Small Business Owners: ValuePenguin – Feb 2017
Why Work For the City of Fort Collins?
- Medical, dental, vision (for self, spouse, children) – eligible on the 1st of the month following date of hire
- Paid vacation, paid holidays, and sick
- Retirement + company contributions – after 6 month probation period and immediate vesting
- Flexible spending: Medical expenses FSA, dependent FSA or both
- Employee Assistance Program: counseling, legal, financial assistance
- Life insurance, short-term and long-term disability
- Wellness program, workout facilities
- Employee/family onsite health clinic
- Personal & professional learning opportunities including supervisory and leadership development; plus career mobility Collaborative work environment
Job Summary
The City of Fort Collins is on watch for a full-time Natural Areas Trail Ranger who will patrol and assist visitors in some of our 52 conserved habitats which include prairies, foothills, waterways, and forests. These properties are a treasure to the community. The Natural Areas Trail Ranger provides visitor and staff safety, assistance, and education, as well as enforcement of applicable municipal codes. The Natural Areas Trail Ranger coordinates internally and externally with other Departments and teams to coordinate planning, management policy, maintenance projects, and address possible trail closures. The Natural Areas Trail Ranger patrols in a variety of ways, including on foot, on bicycle, or in a marked patrol vehicle.
This position requires effective communication skills related to conflict resolution and de-escalating situations in a professional manner. Situations can engage a variety of people with diverse backgrounds which might include those with mental health-related concerns and homeless community members. Subsequently, having former law enforcement, ranger, or military experience is beneficial. Three to six months of previous related experience and/or training are required. Upon hiring, the successful candidate must complete the Fort Collins Police Academy by attending classes pertinent to Ranger skills and knowledge, and satisfactorily completing a three-month field training with a Ranger Field Training Officer. In addition, attendance at Ranger Excellence School is expected within an introductory review period.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The following duties and responsibilities are illustrative of the primary functions of this position and are not intended to be all inclusive.
- Patrols Natural Areas and trails to monitor visitor use and ensure natural resource protection.
- Enforces City municipal code and civil citations within Natural Areas, city trails, and other City property. Issues warnings or citations to violators.
- Implements prevention strategies in Natural Areas, trails, and city property.
- Responds to and mitigates multi-use conflicts. Employs uses conflict resolution techniques as needed.
- Coordinates law enforcement activities with other agencies (Larimer County Sheriff, CSU Police) as appropriate.
- Knowledge of ecological ecosystems and human influences.
- Educates visitors on uses, safety, ecological values of Natural Areas, human impact on wildlife and plant life, etc.
- Conducts visitor use surveys, monitors trail conditions and conducts other surveys, etc.
- Monitors Natural Areas for wildlife activity and ecological changes, which may lead to changes in management of sites.
- Maintains records of illegal activities and produces incident reports and other general reports as required
- Is required to testify in court in support of citations issued as necessary.
- May assist in investigation of crimes in Natural Areas and along the trails at the request of local police.
- Has situational recognition of conditions requiring law enforcement issues requiring the assistance of an armed officer.
- May participate in management planning or other departmental projects.
- Ability to participate in prescribed burning and wildfire control as necessary.
- Ability to respond to reports of injured visitors and apply medical assistance as needed.
- May speak to various citizen groups explaining the function of the ranger program and how protection of visitors and natural features are accomplished in Natural Areas.
Management Responsibilities
No
City Competencies
- Demonstrated cultural competence to effectively interact, work, and develop meaningful relationships with people of diverse identities, perspectives, and cultural backgrounds.
- Strong learning orientation. Leverages all resources and is creative in ways of learning for self to continue adapting to changing issues and trends.
- A desire and ability to understand the diverse needs of internal and external customers, and to create experiences and deliver services that exceed their expectations.
- A desire and ability to utilize digital tools for organizational information, individual, and teamwork.
Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities
- Demonstrated commitment to natural area/open space/public lands conservation and management.
- Knowledge and understanding of natural resource management practices and techniques.
- Ability to become knowledgeable of applicable municipal code.
- Skills in public relations and communications.
- Ability to operate specialized communication systems.
- Ability to become knowledgeable and work effectively with Fort Collins and Larimer County law enforcement and emergency services protocols and procedures.
- Prior medical training desirable (CPR, First Aid, First Responder, EMT) desired
- Ability to become certified as a (medical) First Responder or similar certification.
- Knowledge of Search and Rescue Techniques desired.
- Knowledge of visitor impact management assessment tools
- Ability to handle stressful & emergency situations.
- Strong skills with computers, ipads and other technology.
- Knowledge of natural ecosystems and human influences.
- Ability to become knowledgeable of regional, county and state fire, health and safety and animal welfare codes pertinent to Natural Areas and trails.
- Ability to qualify as a wildland firefighter
Required Qualifications
Experience Requirements
- 3-6 months related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform every job description task. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. The City may consider an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and experience to meet minimum qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.
Certifications/Licenses/Specialized Training
- Must have and maintain a valid driver's license. Must have and maintain acceptable background information including criminal conviction history, motor vehicle record, wildlife poaching or other natural resource violation, and credit history. Must successfully pass Fort Collins Police Services Pre-Employment Interview/Truth Verification Testing. Must successfully complete Police Service Officer Skills Academy Certification within 6 months of hire including defensive tactics component. Must successfully complete Ranger Skills Academy within 6 months of hire. Must successfully complete medical first responder training such as Emergency Medical Responder, Wilderness First Responder or similar training with first 12 months after hire.
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Natural Areas Trail Ranger
Notice Regarding Medical and/or Recreational Marijuana Use
Because the possession and use of marijuana, whether for medical use or otherwise, constitutes a federal offense and because the City is a drug free workplace, the City will not accommodate the medical use of marijuana and enforces written policy prohibiting working for the City while marijuana is in the body. The fact that state law recognizes medical marijuana as a prescribed, or otherwise permitted, medication does not alter or otherwise change this policy.
The City of Fort Collins is a bias-conscious employer. We ask that you please avoid the use of photos when submitting a resume and/or an application for employment. The City of Fort Collins is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants are considered for positions for which they have applied without regard to gender (regardless of gender identity or gender expression), race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age 40 years or older, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy or other characteristics protected by law. For the purpose of this City policy “sexual orientation” means a person’s actual or perceived orientation toward heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality.
BACKGROUND CHECK & MOTOR VEHICLE REPORT REQUIRED. DRUG TEST REQUIRED WITHIN FOUR CALENDAR DAYS/96 HOURS OF OFFER.
Note: Some information in your application may be public information under the Colorado Open Records Act.
