Parks Natural Resources Technician I - Denver Parks and Recreation

About Our Job

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

What We Offer

This is an on-call position, which means it is a part-time, hourly role. This position will work no more than 39 hours per week. New hires are typically brought into the organization between $26.84 and $33.55/hour based on experience and education. This position is eligible to enroll in the City and County of Denver’s 457b retirement plan. This position is not eligible for other additional benefits. On‐call positions may have routine or variable work schedules.

Location & Schedule

In this position you can expect to work on site at Mountain parks Headquarters at 300 Union Avenue, Morrison, CO 80465. The position will be Monday – Friday, 7am - 3:30pm.

Who We Are & What You’ll Do

Our Mountain Parks Natural Resources Technician worker will perform a variety of tasks to support forestry and natural resources operations within Denver’s Mtn Parks system.  This historic system, established in 1912, consists of 22 accessible parks and 24 conservation/wilderness areas totaling over 14,0000 acres and forming one of the most expansive and unique park systems in the country. 

Job Responsibilities:

• Manages mountain parks to protect native forests and species, mitigate noxious weeds, and manage wildlife, which includes conducting site assessments, evaluations, and restoration projects to ensure the ecological sustainability of our parks and natural areas.
• Works with stakeholders both internal and external to the city to preserve our mountain parks, which include working with citizens, volunteers, rangers, Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Department of Agriculture, Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, Colorado State University (Colorado State Forest Service), US Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, US Forest Service, BLM, local fire protection districts, Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control, Jefferson County Open Space, Jefferson County Sherriff’s Office, Clear Creek County, Douglas County, and related non-profit organizations.
• Conducts forest assessments and evaluations to identify and inventory tree and plant species, land terrains, wildlife, grasses, shrubs, etc.; all while determining best methods of potential management to maintain sustainability of the ecosystem
• Manage forest vegetation and fuels, including the removal of weeds, shrubs and trees by means of felling, bucking, swamping, chipping, masticating, burning, etc. Collecting field data and mapping for stand delineation, boundaries and borders.
• Mapping, eradication, and control of noxious weeds in parks to promote healthier ecosystems, which includes assessing area conditions, mapping targeted species populations, determining treatment method of control, evaluating the effectiveness of treatment, and development of a system wide monitoring program.
• Mapping and control of forest insect and disease outbreaks
• Assist with prescribed fire activities
• Conduct public outreach and natural resource/forestry education, which includes educating citizens within the parks, setting up educational boots at community events, formal classroom presentations, responding to 311 calls regarding forestry issues, and assists with training and working with volunteer groups.
• Perform habitat restoration work, which includes planting trees and native plants, reseeding native grasses, collecting native seeds, installing fencing, signs, and building and installing bird boxes.
• Adheres to public and personal safety guidelines and standards, which includes wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), and understanding herbicide instructions and applications.
• Assist with data management to include GPS, GIS, FVS, Survey123, etc. to make recommendations for program and project improvements, which includes logistics planning
•  Prepare reports and maintains a work journal of activities in parks regarding tree data, invasive species mitigation, wildlife population counts, locations of studies and site activities, hours worked, and resources necessary to complete objectives.
• Performs regular maintenance and restoration of parks, which include building and maintaining tails and fences and installing informational signs. 
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

What You’ll Bring

We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You'll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you and Denver to the next level.

We are looking for an experienced and reliable professional that has a passion for and knowledge of forestry and natural resource management.

Our ideal candidate will have strong communication skills and will possess the following:

• Experience with vegetation and wildlife management in both urban and mountain parks
• Current possession of Colorado Department of Agriculture Pesticide Applicator License and Chainsaw Certification
• Proficiency in plant identification
• Experience writing and editing technical reports
• Experience designing and executing forest inventory samples
• National wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) S-130/190 Wildfire training
• NWCG Wildland Fire Chainsaws Training S-212
• Possession of a current Commercial Driver’s License
• Proficiency with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, GIS, GPS, FVS
• Experience with chainsaws, and other related forestry and logging equipment
•  Experience operating a 4-wheel drive vehicle in variable weather and road conditions
• Knowledge of grants programs and experience writing and managing grants

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education requirement: Bachelor’s Degree in Range or Wildlife Management, Forestry, Environmental Science, Biology, Restoration Ecology, Park and Recreation Management, or a related field of study
• Experience Requirement: One (1) year of urban and rural habitat management experience
• Education/Experience Equivalency: A combination of appropriate education and experience may be substituted for the minimum education and experience requirements
• Licensure: Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment

Application Deadline

This position is expected to stay open until October 23rd, 2026. Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than October 23rd, 2026 at 11:59 PM MST

About Everything Else

Job Profile

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

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Agency

Redeployment during Citywide Emergencies

City and County of Denver employees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other city agencies to support core functions of the city during a citywide emergency declared by the Mayor.

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law. 

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