Dispersed Recreation Intern
During the 2024 summer season, The Pike National Forest-South Park Ranger District will have several Forest Service Internship opportunities available. The South Park Ranger District includes 540,296 pristine acres ranging in elevations from 7,100 to 14,285 feet.
Most of the district is located in Park County, Colorado with a small portion in Teller County, Colorado. A very active mining industry once thrived in
South Park, and when the rowdy village of Tarryall (or Grab-all as many called it) turned a cold shoulder to newcomers, they moved to the Middle Fork of the South Platte River and the town of Fairplay was born. Today, Fairplay is the main hub of
South Park and draws in visitors from all over the world for hiking, camping, fishing, horseback riding, ATV-ing, and much more.
This particular Internship position will be based in Lake George, CO and will spend about 50% of the summer working on our dispersed recreation crew. The other 50% of the time, the intern will have opportunities to go out with our Wildlife, Recreation, Minerals, Botany/Range and Archaeology departments. Time spent with each will depend on staffing needs, vehicle availability and intern interest. Depending on individual interests, duties vary widely and may include: patrolling the district and talking with visitors to answer questions, gain compliance and fix issues as noticed; conducting fish and wildlife surveys and monitoring; staffing special events such as Burro Days and Railroad Day; trail maintenance and monitoring; working with various NGO’s and non-profits to accomplish varying projects; restoration projects; and assisting with public education on rules and regulations; botanical monitoring; mining claim inspections; archaeological surveys etc.
Applicants need to be currently enrolled in a college or university working towards an undergraduate or graduate degree. Recent graduates are acceptable. Majors can include but are not limited to Environmental Sciences, Parks and Recreation, History, Education, Social Sciences, or Biology. We are looking for outgoing students who enjoy working and communicating with adults and children. We’re looking for individuals who are eager to learn and excited to see how the Forest Service works!
All interns will be going through an orientation to the Forest Service and the South Park Ranger District, as well as First Aid, CPR and duties training. Other trainings (such as OHV training; trailer certification; etc.) may be available depending on start date and interests. On the job training is provided by experienced Forest Service staff members prior to the interns being placed in the field, generally in pairs or teams.
The internship positions in 2024 are expected to run mid-May through mid-August, or mid-June through mid-September (also accepting applications for Fall 2024). Dates are flexible to accommodate school schedules. Interns work a 40 hour workweek which may include weekends. These are volunteer positions that get a daily reimbursement of $25.00 for each day worked.
Housing is available and is shared by other interns and seasonal staff. The housing is furnished with basic necessities. Bed linens, pillows, blankets, and towels will need to be brought with you. Housing is FREE OF CHARGE. All utilities are included. Each housing unit has a full kitchen. Cable Television is also included as well as local telephone usage. Cell Phone service works best with Verizon and AT&T, though other carriers work intermittently in the area.
A driver’s license is required. Daily assignments may include using a government vehicle to drive to various areas within the district. The intern is responsible for travel to and from school/residence and the Forest for the summer season. It is highly recommended, though not required, that the intern has their own vehicle. This is a rural area with lots of opportunities for recreation and exploration within a short drive.
This is a uniformed position and the uniform is provided. As some mornings can be cold and some positions and duties require Forest Service staff to work outdoors, outerwear is also provided. Intern is required to provide sturdy footwear.
For those interested in the Forest Service Internship, please send a resume and two letters of recommendation to the Internship Coordinator, Tammy Porter, by email, mail or through Handshake. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Early applicants will be given first consideration.
tammy.porter@usda.gov
or
Pike National Forest
South Park Ranger District
C/O Tammy Porter
PO Box 219
Fairplay, CO 80440
For more information about the Internship Program, contact Internship Coordinator Tammy Porter at (719) 836-2031, or email: tammy.porter@usda.gov
To learn more about the South Park Ranger District check out the district web page at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/psicc/about-forest/districts/?cid=fsm9_032763
Much of the District also sits within the South Park National Heritage Area:
https://southparkheritage.org/#about-spnha
An internship with the South Park Ranger District will be an unbelievable opportunity for a student to get experience in the fields of Recreation Management, Wildlife Biology, Range Management, Minerals, Archaeology and Public Service in the most visited National Forest in Colorado. It will also be a great chance for a student to travel to a unique and stunning region of the country amongst the Rocky Mountains and Pike National Forest. There are plenty of interesting activities that attract visitors to our area including: relatively easy hikes on 4 “fourteeners” (peaks over 14,000 feet above sea level), mountain biking, fishing, hiking, rock climbing, backpacking, horseback riding, OHV riding, and camping.