• Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • CCPA
  • Medical Disclaimer
Friday, February 3, 2023
Salt Lake City News Now
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Technology
    • Crytpocurrency
    • Gaming
    • Gadgets
  • Sports
  • Health
  • General
    • Business Services
  • Travel
  • Press Releases
  • Popular
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Technology
    • Crytpocurrency
    • Gaming
    • Gadgets
  • Sports
  • Health
  • General
    • Business Services
  • Travel
  • Press Releases
  • Popular
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home News Local News

Salt Lake City Begins Hiring For New Ranger Program. What Will It Look Like? – KSL.com

salt-lake-city-begins-hiring-for-new-ranger-program-what-will-it-look-like?-–-ksl.com
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Stephanie Christensen talks with friend Katie Hyatt and her son, David Hyatt, as they enjoy the warm weather while taking a walk in Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on April 30, 2021. Liberty Park will serve as one of four bases for a new city park ranger program launching later this year. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

SALT LAKE CITY — A “friendly” face with the knowledge of natural lands and city rules is coming to a Salt Lake City park near you.

City officials announced Wednesday that hiring is now underway for its new park ranger program. Sixteen rangers will make up the team overseen by a pair of leaders set to begin work next month. Per the job listing, opening salaries range from $19.72 to $25.95 per hour, depending on qualifications.

“We’re looking for outgoing people, outdoorsy people — people that like to spend their days outside,” said Carmen Bailey, the deputy director for Salt Lake City’s Public Lands Department. “We’re looking for people that like to talk and engage with other people. We’re hoping that our rangers are going to be friendly, engaging and approachable.”

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall first announced the program in October, when she revealed how she wants money from the American Rescue Plan to be spent. She explained that other cities in the country have similar programs that help welcome residents to parks and watch over open spaces, of which Salt Lake City has plenty.

The $3.9-million plan was later approved by the Salt Lake City Council before the city’s public lands division began hiring for the first two positions of the new team, a manager and supervisor, in January.

The city hired Janessa Edwards and Suzy Lee for the top two positions. Edwards was previously the education and outreach director for FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake, before leaving to be the program manager for the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police, according to her LinkedIn profile; Lee was promoted from within the city’s parks department.


We’re looking for outgoing people, outdoorsy people — people that like to spend their days outside.

–Carmen Bailey, SLC Public Lands


The team of rangers will be found at every one of the city’s dozens of parks and open spaces but have primary bases at Fairmont (Sugar House), Liberty (Liberty Wells) and Pioneer (downtown) parks. The Fisher Mansion and Carriage House (Poplar Grove), which is being renovated to be a museum and recreation hub, will also serve as a home station for people traveling along the Jordan River Parkway trail.

Rangers will be seen hiking, biking and walking to neighboring parks near these home bases, offering information about the various parks. Bailey said that the city has purchased bikes for the team and is working to design recognizable uniforms for when they are around all the various parks in the city.

The plan is to have them offer assistance by answering questions about where bathrooms can be found, park rules, explaining the history of the park, or providing details about nature found inside the park. Rangers won’t enforce any city laws, but “promote voluntary compliance” to laws and alert police to any issues, according to the city.

Possible designs for the Salt Lake City Public Lands Park Ranger program unveiled in October when Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall proposed using $3.9 million in federal funds to get the program started to addressing visitation at city parks.
Possible designs for the Salt Lake City Public Lands Park Ranger program unveiled in October when Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall proposed using $3.9 million in federal funds to get the program started to addressing visitation at city parks. (Photo: Carter Williams, KSL.com)

So when will residents start to see these rangers? Ideally, tomorrow, Bailey joked; however, she estimates that it won’t be until June, at the earliest. That’s because it takes time to find employees, especially when unemployment rates are so low. It will also take time to train people for the job.

“It’s hard to get a program like this going, so that’s why we wanted to start with the manager and the supervisor but we are, probably in a couple of weeks, going to take a look at our applicants and start interviewing,” she said. “It will be open until filled.”

Once the team is assembled and trained with all the new equipment, residents will start to see rangers at the various parks. It’s something that Mendenhall is looking forward to.

“As our capital city experiences all the changes that naturally come with a fast-growing city, now is the time for us to create a better level of parks stewardship to ensure they are welcoming, safe and positive places for all to enjoy,” she said in a statement Wednesday. “We are eager for this work to begin this summer right here in Salt Lake City.”

×

Related Stories

Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter who covers general news, outdoors, history and sports for KSL.com. He previously worked for the Deseret News. He is a Utah transplant by the way of Rochester, New York.

More stories you may be interested in

Salt Lake City News Now

© 2021 Salt Lake City News Now

Navigate Site

  • Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • CCPA
  • Medical Disclaimer

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • DMCA Policy
  • Medical Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • CCPA
  • Terms of Use

© 2021 Salt Lake City News Now

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT