| National Park Service | National Park Service Headquarters, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240 |
| www.nps.gov | (202) 208-6843 Fax: (202) 219-0910 |
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A variety of specialties
While the National Park Service (NPS) may conjure up images of the fictional Jellystone National Park, working for the NPS requires more than dealing with perpetually hungry bears. Besides its extensive staff of park rangers and protection officers, the NPS also employs administrative officials, writers and editors (for NPS publications), scientists, artisans, accountants, and designers for historical preservation and renovation. An estimated 265 million people a year visit the 379 national parks throughout the U.S.
From New York to Yosemite
The NPS was established by Woodrow Wilson in 1916 as a service of the Department of the Interior. More than 80 years later, the NPS continues to adhere to its lofty goals of conserving "the scenery, natural and historic objects, and the wild life" of national park areas. With field offices and parks in 49 U.S. states (everywhere but Delaware), the service's locations range form the natural splendor of Yosemite to New York's Liberty Park, home of the Statue of Liberty.
Safety on the job
Late in 1998, the National Parks Service publicly acknowledged that it has problems with occupational hazards. According to studies, the NPS has the highest rate of work-related illness and injury of all the bureaus of the Department of the Interior. Not surprisingly, one of the most prevalent occupational illnesses reported at NPS is Lyme Disease. Other workplace hazards include avalanches, hypothermia, snakebites, and grizzly bear attacks. According to Richard Powell, who heads the NPS division of risk management, the park service cultivates a "can-do culture that doesn't emphasize doing jobs as safely as possible." A fire set by the NPS in New Mexico raged out of control and destroyed over 200 homes due to improper adherence to procedures, and resulted in a ban on prescribed fires in 2000.
Health and safety training
For this reason, the NPS has asked the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to help it develop a risk management program. The two are now working to increase the safety of 10 parks, including Yosemite National Park in California and Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC. The parks have agreed to comply with OSHA standards and to address unsafe work practices. NPS will also bring in outside consultants to help create safety programs and to train managers in safety and health.
Science and nature merge
The NPS has been accused of neglecting the role science could play regarding natural resources, and is trying to temper that past with a future dedicated to using science to help preserve our parks. The "Natural Resources Challenge: The National Park Service's Action Plan for Preserving Natural Resources" is a plan calling for the utilization of scientific knowledge to improve park management, preserve and restore park resources, and dispense that knowledge for the benefit of society.
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Each of the National Park Service's seven field offices conducts its own hiring separately, and each maintains a job hotline, updated every Thursday. For openings at the National Capital Office, call (202) 619-619-7256; for positions in the Alaska region, call (907) 257-2574; for positions in the Midwest region, call (402) 221-3456; for positions in the Mountain region, call (303) 969-2500; for positions in the Pacific region, call (415) 744-3888; and for positions in the Northeast, call (215) 597-4971. Applicants can also consult the NPS employment Web page, located at www.nps.gov/pub_aff/jobs.html, for an outline of job duties in several of the service's different departments.
NPS also hires seasonal workers for such positions as park ranger, guide, visitor assistant, recreational aide, laborer, biological and forestry technician, and clerical worker. Interested parties should contact regional offices for information.
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Dedication
National Park Service employees are distinguished by their "dedication" and their "family-like devotion" to one another. The people that work there are "exceptional" and of course, "the scenery, setting, and outdoor activities are fantastic." Says one melodramatic contact: "I love the work and I expect to be involved with the NPS until my eyes close for the last time." Historically, "a ranger was the do-all and be-all of the parks." However, insiders report that "over the past few decades, the work has become more specialized." Thus, "a vast majority of Park Service jobs require BA degrees and advanced education."
Uniforms and red tape
Most employees are required to wear uniforms, but say they don't really mind - "it comes with the territory." "The downside [of the job]," admits a contact, "is that you have many people who would be fired in the private industry, but who are kept on because the government never fires anyone." Additionally, she continues, "you have to accept a lot of red tape and bureaucracy which can get to you sometimes."
Paid in sunsets
Many positions - even administrative ones - are in rural locations, but most employees are "seeking the remote wilderness lifestyle." NPS insiders conclude, "the pay is not comparable to what you'd get in the private sector" - and not even as good as in other federal divisions, for that matter. Sources tell us that "entry-level workers make about GS-5, which is low compared to other federal jobs, where "newcomers typically start at GS-7." However, several sources say that the compensation is "improving." In the meantime, "benefits and vacation are unmatched." Morever, successful applicants "have a job for life." And frankly, many insiders don't mind "[being paid] in sunsets."
Improvement needed
Insiders also suggest that the NPS is an "easy way to gain access to more lucrative government positions," since many of these positions require prior experience. Moreover, at the NPS, "as at any other federal government job, women and minorities are welcome and in demand." Sources admit, however, that "on the whole, the NPS has been slow at diversifying its workforce and at training employees to work with the varying population that now visits the National Parks."
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