Park Rangers Are People Too
Mary is recovering from elective back surgery
Smith knew that and felt I might need
A Guest Author as he has done before
He emailed a story adding to Park Ranger lore
Park Rangers know their parks and help visitors find their way
They protect and promote landscape and cultural differentiation
Protecting the landscape such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Alaska--gems of this nation.
And culture such as the Appomattox Court House in Virginia and
Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in Arkansas.
Regarding the beginning of the National Park Service in Alaska
We’re reminded NPS Park Rangers are people too
Their challenges are not few
Honoring their perspective: we need to do.
© Forrest W. Heaton December 2024
Who or what is a Guest Author? In my terminology a Guest Author is a friend I have asked to fill in for me, to write a story when I am otherwise engaged.
Who is Rick Smith? If you are a regular reader of this blog you probably recognize the name as he is a frequent commentor on the posts. In addition to being my undergraduate college roommate (Albion 1956-1960), Rick is a retired National Park Ranger who I previously (about a year ago) asked if he might be a Guest Author when I was ill. We have stayed close since our college days and he said yes.” (This time, Rick knew of my wife, Mary’s, surgery and emailed the below story to me without my requesting assistance.)
Here is Smith’s Guest Author story.
“And there I was in DC in 1979 in the Office of Legislation, a job in which I probably learned more about the NPS than in any other assignment. I was looking at another hot summer in DC when a series of events occurred which are still somewhat unbelievable. I.) Using the authorities granted to the President in the Antiquities Act, President Carter declared some 50 million acres of Alaska as National Monuments. 2.) Secretary Cecil Andrus and NPS Director, Bill Whalen, decided that a small contingent of rangers would be assigned there during the hunting season to establish an NPS presence in the new areas and to do what they could to control hunting in the Monuments which would be illegal. 3.) Bill Tanner, already in Alaska, and I were selected to be co-directors of what became known as The First Alaskan Task Force.
We were told that we could select any ranger who then would be detailed to Alaska for the summer, no questions asked. We were told we could select 20, which seemed a pitifully small number of people to cover the vast acreages involved. Bill and I met in DC and personnel gave us the names of all the law enforcement rangers then in the Service. After two days and some good-natured disputes, we had our twenty and took them first to Deputy Director, Ira Hutchison, for his sign-off. After studying the list for what seemed to me to be a long time, he handed the list back to us and said, ‘I don’t want the whole damned Yosemite Mafia up there.’
Going back to the lists, we made a few changes and then received the approval of Ira and Director Whalen. The list included an interpreter and a park policeman. We then had to call the Superintendents of those selected to tell them that they would be missing a person from their staff during the busiest part of the summer. I was pleased that the Superintendents I talked to understood the importance of the new Alaskan areas to the NPS and didn’t put up much of a squabble.
We then called the selectees and told them what was up. All, of course, were excited and eager to participate. We told them that they should be ready to travel to Alaska a few days before hunting season opened.
I went up to Alaska somewhat earlier to coordinate with Tanner about logistical details, housing needs, and to get to know the people in the Anchorage office. Alaska was not yet a region and John Cook was the State Director. In our first conversation, John told me that he while he would support us, he did not expect to be actively involved in the Task Force’s business. This was a great decision. It separated the State Office from all the negative publicity surrounding the new national monuments. Already the opponents of the monuments had adopted a logo: a husky taking a leak on a sign that said ‘national monument’. When I had my first meeting with the Alaska State Troopers, I said that I hoped we could count on them for back-up if something serious happened. Their reply? ‘Quite frankly Ranger Smith, we don’t want you up here.’ Looked like it was going to be a long summer.
A few days before hunting season began, task force members began to trickle in. The next several days were filled with briefings on the areas in which we would be working. Some people would be assigned to locations in or near the monuments while others would remain in Anchorage so that they could be deployed to trouble spots. We all had to requalify with the weapons we would be carrying.
Meanwhile, the opponents of the monuments were busy. Two of the better organized were “Fight Back Alaska” and ‘The Great Monumental Trespass’. The state’s newspapers were almost universally opposed to our presence in Alaska, particularly the Alaska Times and the Fairbanks Daily Miner. Their opposition generated hostility among those who had traditionally hunted in the monuments, now closed to hunting due to President Carter’s monument declarations.
While Tanner kept busy with logistical details, I assumed the role of spokesperson for the Task Force. I answered almost daily calls from the Alaska delegation, accusing us of some gross mistreatment of Alaskan citizens. All these claims were bogus as were the newspaper stories. Task Force members participated in numerous public meetings, explaining the role of the NPS and encouraging those in attendance to advocate for a compromise solution to conserve the stunning resources of the state. Some of these public meetings were memorable such as the one at Duffy’s Tavern. We were met at the door and told that we had to check our weapons. I glanced at the crowd and thought to myself, ‘I hope they had to check their weapons also.’
During the hunting season, we made two arrests. While that doesn’t sound like much, remember our goal was to establish an NPS presence in the monuments. We certainly did not have enough Task Force members to adequately patrol the monuments. As you can imagine, the first arrest of an Anchorage Dentist was the lead story in the newspapers and tv for a couple days.
We did make some headway with the state and Federal law enforcement agencies. We were invited to participate in the Alaska Police Olympics. We were awarded a bronze medal for a running relay, a silver in tennis, and, lo and behold, we took 5 of the 6 medals in pistol shooting. As Congressman Don Young hung the medals around the necks of those who won the shooting medals, he said, ‘Well, we now know that the rangers can run fast and shoot straight.’
Finally, it was fall and hunting season was over. Task Force members began heading back to their usual assignments. As I was almost ready to leave, a writer for the Fairbank’s paper asked me if I would do an exit interview with her. I’m not quite sure why I said yes since that paper had raked the Task Force over the coals continuously. At the end of the interview, she asked me what I was most proud of regarding the work of the Task Force. I replied, ‘There are no dead Alaskans and no dead rangers.’
She nodded. ‘That’s a pretty good answer.’”
Rick Smith
5264 N. Fort Yuma Trail
Tucson, AZ 85750
505-259-7161
Perspective. The next time you meet a park ranger in a park you’re visiting perhaps this post will come to mind and you will look at the situation from the ranger’s perspective. We’ll close with an image of Denali National Park, Alaska now much more beckoning you to come.