mrchad9 wrote:They are the spawn of an organization that thinks the mountains need to be "maintained".

Ha!
You know that the "mountains" are in trouble when the National Park Service redacts Freedom of Information Act requests presumably in the name of national security..

National Park Service Stonewalls FOIA Request on Mount Vernon Barricades, Cites Potential ‘Chilling Effect on the Agency’s Deliberative Process’
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/36 ... -potential

"it would expose the agency’s decision-making processes in such a way as to discourage candid discussion within the agency and thereby undermine its ability to perform its mandated functions."

Fred Spicker wrote:Learned while working for the NPS -

There are two uniformed groups - Rangers and Naturalists

Rangers are cops - they are trained and armed law enforcement officers - no requirement for a degree in biology - they are there to enforce the law.

Naturalists are there for information, guiding walks, etc.

The public generally calls all uniformed NPS personnel "Rangers" not knowing the difference.

So what do the Rangers actually do other than intimidate people wanting to enjoy the outdoors?

All the same types of crimes that occur outside National Parks also occur within National Parks - everything from murder and rape to car prowling and other "lesser" crimes. The perpetrators frequently flee to the "backcountry".

https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2 ... parks23464

Here is a NPS unit that I didn’t know existed – crime stats are available by Field Office in this report:

https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1563/upload/Hi ... om-ISB.pdf

BTW - I did not work as either a Ranger or Naturalist - I was a mineral examiner with the job of determining the validity of mining claims existing in National Parks (up until 1976 you could still file mining claims in National Parks).

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/energymine ... claims.htm

All this is not a very good look while trying to promote the great outdoors in North America.

Let's not take the kids out hiking, because the bad men hide in the bushes.