[pct-l] Rangers

[Paul Magnanti]

Just a theory....

But the budgets have been slashed for all aspects of outdoors. Including staff.

So, most of the now-decreased rangers are front country rangers. Backcountry rangers
who patrol are limited in numbers.  The front country rangers typically
have more of a police mentality due to the fact they are patrolling roads, popular areas and
other things that make them have more of a law enforcement focus than a  backcountry focus.
And, lets be honest, the average user of national parks is more likely to focus on front country
activities. If the staff budget is limited, why pay for backcountry rangers that most people will
not see? 

(One ranger in Rocky Mtn NP drove up quite fast, questioned why I was here at night (parking a car for a one way hike that started in USFS land), told me it was illegal to park at a particular spot. BUT, it was legal to park literally twenty feet away in a spot that looked identical. Still trying to figure it out...
He also carried a gun, was concerned more with if my young-looking friend was of age (he was) to drink a beer and knew NOTHING about the  backcountry conditions we were going to hike through).

 In fact, I understand you get points for being a military veteran and often need to know how to use firearms to be
a ranger. So, limited budget to hire more staff, limited slots for backcountry positions,
more points for testing for those who may have more of a police mentality, etc.

I am not saying if this is good or bad..but the focus *is* different from the recent past. Law enforcement
vs. outdoor knowledge and recreation.  I will say the few backcountry rangers I've seen (or have been staffing
backcountry offices) have been easy to work with and chill.


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