To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Gini Pingenot, Director, Open Spaces
Prepared By:
prepared
Gini Pingenot, Director, Open Spaces; Glen Poole, Operations Manager, Open Spaces
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presenter
Presenter: Gini Pingenot, Director, Open Spaces; Glen Poole, Operations Manager, Open Spaces
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Subject:
title
1:30 PM *Ranger Program: Enhancing Stewardship and Public Safety on Open Space Properties
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
Arapahoe County’s 2021 Open Space Master Plan challenged the county to “explore building a park ranger partnership program with other agencies to enhance stewardship efforts, education and promote safety.” (p. 131) Staff will share information gleaned through interviews with neighboring jurisdictions about their Ranger Programs and present a proposal for a new Arapahoe County Ranger Program to begin in 2025.
The proposal involves:
a) Creating a ranger program focused on natural resource protection and public safety pursuant to Open Space’s Rules and Regulations and, if time permits, providing formal educational opportunities.
b) Employing 2-3 non-POST certified rangers in the program’s inaugural year.
c) Granting rangers the authority to issue civil infractions for non-compliance with Open Space’s Rules and Regulations. This would be a ‘last resort’ and would follow multiple acts of diplomacy aimed at re-directing behaviors/actions that are harmful to the environment, public safety and protection of cultural amenities.
d) Patrolling Open Space properties with a focus on urban parks, trails and trailheads.
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Background and Discussion: Arapahoe County serves as the steward of roughly 5,500 acres of parks and natural spaces. This includes the county’s 14 open spaces, 10 parks, 4 trailheads and many miles of trails. Protecting and maintaining wildlife habitat, water quality and the county’s rural heritage while providing recreational opportunities that safeguard the public, natural and cultural resources of Arapahoe County is the mission of the Open Space Department.
Staff held informational interviews with Adams, Boulder, Jefferson and Larimer Counties as well as with the City and County of Denver, City of Aurora, South Suburban Parks and Recreation District and Highlands Ranch Metro District. Each local government has a ranger program. These programs vary based on the number of rangers, types of natural resources within their stewardship portfolio, their focus and program maturity.
Most ranger programs that staff researched had a primary focus on natural resource protection. The exceptions were the City and County of Denver and Larimer County. In the case of Denver’s program, rangers patrolling urban areas focus on interactions with unhoused individuals, park rule enforcement and then, when time permits, natural resource protection and ambassador services. In the case of Larimer County, their publicly accessible reservoirs (Horsetooth, Pinewood, Crater Lake) result in ‘shenanigans’ that often require a response that feels more like rule/law enforcement. Having said this, Larimer County reports that most contacts with the public are still educational and informational in nature.
Staff could not find an example of a ranger program residing within the Sheriff’s Department/ Police Department. Instead, all contacted local governments and the Rocky Mountain Rangers Association shared that ranger programs reside within Open Space/ Recreation/Park Departments. Maintaining a strong working relationship with the local Sheriff’s Office or Municipal Police, however, was a reoccurring theme. This relationship looks different among the local governments who were contacted but frequently included: joint training on self-defense tactics, de-escalation skills, mental health first aid, radio usage and dispatching codes/etiquette, regular check-ins, etc.
Fiscal Impact: The Open Space Department will incur new costs to begin and maintain a new Ranger Program. These costs include salary and benefits for new rangers, equipment and training expenses.
Alternatives: The county could choose to not create and fund a ranger program. Staff could explore contracting with partners for patrol coverage, but this would likely be a piece-meal solution causing some properties to receive zero monitoring.
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☐Be fiscally sustainable
☒Provide essential and mandated service
☒Be community focused
Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends appropriating Open Space Department funds for a new Ranger Program via the 2025 budget process.
Concurrence: N/A