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Chapter 2, Section 9:
Parks and Outdoor Recreation

Parks and recreation professionals create and maintain those special outdoor public places where we gather with family and friends to enjoy natural settings. We improve these places with basic conveniences and protect them from commercial development so that they can receive visitors hospitably. Park managers are expected to preserve the beauty and balance in their preserves, yet make them conveniently accessible to all citizens. Parks and recreation is a rapidly growing field that goes far beyond the most visible jobs to embrace dozens of different activities. These fall into five broad categories: administration, explanation and interpretation of natural and cultural sites, natural resource management, research, and operations and maintenance. There are federal, tribal, state, county, city and town park systems all over the country; some are huge, others are not.

Employment Breakdown:
240,000 parks and recreation workers nationwide
Public sector - 80%
Private sector - 15%
Non-profit sector - 5%

Key Job Titles:

Administrator Archaeologist Biologist Botanist Campground Director Concession Manager Ecosystem Restoration Expert Ecotour Guide Environmental Interpreter Ranger

Geologist Historian Landscape Architect Maintenance Manager Museum Director Natural Resource Manager Naturalist Outdoor Recreation Manager Park Planner Wildlife Biologist

Salary:
Base starting salaries for federal rangers vary from $20,000 to $30,000. Experienced individuals draw salaries of $30,000 to $40,000. State and local park salaries start as low as $10,000 annually, but vary widely by locale. The average is around $20,000.

Resource:

• Amazing Web Directory for Parks and Recreation: www.webdirectory.com/parks_and_recreation
  
• American Association for Leisure and Recreation: www.social.com/health/nhic/data/hr1300/hr1393.html
  
• American Recreation Coalition: www.funoutdoors.com/
  
• The Ecotourism Society: www.ecotourism.org
  
• National Parks and Conservation Association: http://www.npca.org/flash.html
  
• National Parks Employment Data: http://gorp.com/gorp/resource/us_national_park/main.htm
  
• Coolworks, Jobs in Great Places: www.coolworks.com/showme/natprk.htm
  
• National Recreation and Park Association: www.nrpa.org
  
• Outdoor Recreation Coalition of America: www.outdoorindustry.org/
  
• Student Conservation Association: www.thesca.org/
  
• U.S. Department of the Interior on the Web: www.doi.gov/
  

• Back to Chapter 2

Last updated: May 27, 2005