Long gone are the days when park rangers focused primarily on interpretting their parks and all within them to visitors. These days a disappointing number of rangers are busy with law-enforcement duties. And those duties come with a fair share of hazards. According to the National Park Service and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Yellowstone National Park's rangers led the park system last year in the number of threats and attacks launched against them.
Part of the problem, according to the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, is that Yellowstone is vastly understaffed, particularly in comparison to the rise in visitation over the past 25 years.
While U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., told the Wyoming Casper-Star Tribune that Congress is spending more on the parks, with an eye toward more rangers and visitor safely, it obviously isn't enough.
See: Threats to Park Rangers
See: Park Rangers Face Dangers
Yellowstone Rangers Lead Park System in Threats, Attacks
Published Date
August 7, 2005
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