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Texas Parks and Wildlife Hiring 200 New Employees
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For anybody who has ever dreamed of becoming a park ranger, now is your chance.
Thanks to an infusion of cash from the Texas Legislature, the state Parks and Wildlife Department is hiring about 200 new employees, from custodians to project managers, for the 600,000-acre system.
 It's the first big expansion in years for a department that lately has been more accustomed to laying off employees.
"We're looking for people who are really excited about helping take care of some of the most special places in our state, folks who are interested in a long-term career with Texas state parks," state Parks Director Walt Dabney said this week in a statement.
Dabney said the Parks and Wildlife Department is "looking for a broad spectrum of skills for different kinds of jobs, ranging from people with strong maintenance skills to help repair facilities, folks with the ability to explain and interpret park natural resources and history for visitors, and experienced professionals who can help manage and administer these sites."
Specifically, the department wants custodians, cooks, park superintendents, natural resource specialists, utility plant operators and maintenance technicians. The agency wants new employees in Bastrop, Rockport, Galveston, Port Aransas, La Porte, Austin, Fort Davis, Laredo and parks in many other locations.
Some of the job openings had already been announced, and new ones will open in coming weeks, according to the parks department.
The jobs are posted on the agency's Web site, www.tpwd.state.tx.us. Some of the openings are for new jobs, others are to fill previous vacancies. The agency notes that many of the positions require special skills; others require no previous experience.
A superintendent position at the Franklin Mountains State Park and Wyler Aerial Tramway State Park in El Paso, for example, pays $3,545.26 per month. Butch Farabee, the interim director over the joint operation, said the management position has been open for some time and would have been filled even without the new money from the Legislature.
But he also said rangers are being hired for both parks. Although the job includes a lot of maintenance, it can also be rewarding to work outdoors in the beautiful desert setting, he said.
"You've got the best of both worlds -- you've got the wilderness park, right next to the city of El Paso, as well as the aerial tramway," he said.
In May, the Legislature increased the agency's operating budget from about $50 million over the two-year budget cycle to nearly $157 million.
The budget increase came after media reports showed that the cash-starved agency had survived for years with aging and inoperable equipment, mass layoffs and a long repair backlog.
Park jobs
Several jobs are available at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department within 100 miles of the Metroplex:
Parks peace officer at Ray Roberts Lake State Park at Pilot Point in Denton County. Monthly pay: $2,658.37. Duties include: Conducting patrols, performing enforcement actions in the park and providing public safety coverage as a commissioned park police officer.
Maintenance technician at the state's regional office in Waco. Monthly pay: $3,305.19. Duties include: Skilled construction in carpentry, millwork, electrical, plumbing and welding. Also responsible for directing and training others.
Program supervisor at Fort Richardson State Park in Jacksboro. Monthly pay: $3,665.65. Duties include: Cultural and natural resource stewardship, financial management, budget planning, human resources management, maintenance and repair of facilities, customer service and marketing.
Office clerk at Lake Whitney State Park in Whitney. Hourly pay: $8.49.
Custodian at Bonham State Park in Bonham, in Fannin County northeast of Dallas. Monthly pay: $1,409.
Maintenance assistant at Ray Roberts Lake State Park in Valley View, in Cooke County, north of Denton. Hourly pay: $9.58. Duties include: Custodial work and maintenance to park grounds, vehicles and equipment. Must also operate mowers, trimmers, power tools, tractors, vehicles and other types of equipment.
Park ranger at Purtis Creek State Park in Eustace, southeast of Dallas. Monthly pay: $2,250.08. Duties include: Maintaining park trails, custodial work, collecting revenue, issuing permits and customer service.
Park specialist at Lake Tawakoni State Park in Hunt County, northeast of Dallas. Monthly pay: $2,711.54. Duties include: Assisting visitors, enforcing regulations, protecting park property and patrol duty.
By R.A. DYER
Star-Telegram
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| Comments | |
ByJennifer @
Saturday, September 01, 2007 7:14 PM | |
Thats actually one of the jobs I've always thought about doing, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I really like nature and the outdoors, and I think it would just be inspiring to go to work each day. |
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