TEMPORARY Limited Commissioned Ranger – Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
State of Colorado
Posted: January 12, 2026 (3 days ago)
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State of Colorado
Department of Natural Resources
Location
Colorado, --
Salary
$5,409 - $7,031
per month
Type
Full Time
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This job involves working as a wildlife biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, where you'll study animals and their habitats in northeastern Colorado, make recommendations to protect them, and conduct surveys to guide conservation efforts.
You'll collaborate with partners to minimize threats from development and other activities while ensuring sustainable management of wildlife resources.
It's a great fit for someone passionate about nature, with strong analytical skills and experience in field biology who enjoys working outdoors and with teams.

This position serves within CPW’s NE Terrestrial Section as a wildlife biologist.
This position formulates recommendations and management options for the management of wildlife species and habitats through the collection and analysis of pertinent wildlife data and observations as required by the operational and annual work plans.
This position also exists to design, implement and evaluate wildlife population inventories in the assigned area.
Specific tasks include the development and execution of various operational and implementation plans to manage wildlife populations and conserve/improve habitats on public and private lands.Specific duties include, but are not limited to:
Wildlife Management Recommendations
Formulates and presents wildlife management recommendations to CPW staff and external partners by collecting, compiling, analyzing, and interpreting biological data using a structured system of discussions, meetings and written reports.
Provides support in the form of data, reports, and comments to other CPW employees.
Provides biological expertise through review of internal and external plans, environmental statements and other decision documents.
Recognized as a wildlife expert for the local area, both within and outside CPW.Wildlife and Habitat Inventories
Develop, plan and conduct wildlife and habitat inventories to guide local wildlife and habitat management decisions. Collect and analyze data to compile reports on wildlife abundance, demographics and distribution and/or habitat quantity and quality.
Maintain Wildlife Populations by minimizing or mitigating impacts
Minimizes or mitigates impacts on wildlife and their habitats by providing biological expertise in the review and analysis of environmental statements, natural resource plans, and other decision documents proposed by other state, federal or local agencies, local municipalities, private companies and landowners.
Collaborates with other CPW work units to accomplish agency goals and objectives.Wildlife Management and Habitat Studies
Conducts or participates in wildlife and habitat management studies to gather biological data by planning studies, capturing, marking, monitoring wildlife populations and habitat, analyzing and interpreting results, completing reports, and delivering presentations.
Collaborates with other CPW work units to accomplish agency goals and objectives.Wildlife Habitat Management
Work with CPW Habitat Unit staff, Field Operations staff, and other CPW work units to develop habitat management programs and plans. Work with CPW procurement staff on contracts to implement habitat management plans on State Wildlife Areas, other public lands, and private lands.
Wildlife Population Management
Employs computer-based wildlife population models by interpretation and manipulation of data obtained from wildlife inventories, hunter harvest data, other field observations, and research results.
Develop and Implement Wildlife and Habitat Management Plans
Formulates management plans by compiling data, soliciting public and agency comments, negotiating options, analyzing results and writing final plans. Implements or adapts existing plans or programs to meet wildlife and habitat conservation objectives.
Educate and Inform the Public
Educates and informs the public on all facets of wildlife and habitat management through dissemination of wildlife information to hunters, wildlife constituents, schools, and public media including newspapers and radio/television.
Other duties as assigned.
This role requires conducting surveys that involve transportation in helicopters and fixed-winged aircraft, therefore low sensitivity to motion sickness is mandatory to meet the needs of this role.
The ability for sustained flight time (10 hours with refueling breaks) in helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft on wildlife surveys. These flights are low-level and involve banked turns.
Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application and provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify their application from the current position.
(Please Note: Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with DNR).
Pursuant to the DNR-120 Fleet and Driving Standards Administrative Directive, any worker who will be expected to drive a State-owned vehicle is responsible for maintaining a safe driving record and a valid driver license prior to driving any State-owned vehicle.
To be compliant with the new fleet vehicle policy, Motor Vehicle Records (MVRs) will be pulled for review for workers who: Have an assigned State fleet vehicle
Are required to operate a vehicle as part of the position
Utilize a State fleet vehicle as a pool vehicle
All applications received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed by an HR Specialist against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement.
Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted based on merit and fitness through a comparative analysis process. Part of, or all of, the comparative analysis for this position will be a structured application review by Subject Matter Experts.
Resumes, cover letters and other attachments are not considered as part of initial reviews, therefore, it is important to document in your application your education, experience, minimum qualifications, and preferred qualifications as outlined in the job announcement.
Please thoroughly answer all supplemental questions (if listed) since question responses may be evaluated for content, writing ability, spelling, grammar, and effective communication.
This recruitment may involve additional testing and/or exams to arrive at the top group for interviews.
The State of Colorado strives to create a Colorado for All by building and maintaining workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness.
The State is resolute in non-discriminatory practices in everything we do, including hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.
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