What Does a Forest Ranger Do?
A job as a forest ranger is a good fit for someone who is outgoing, independent, loves to be outdoors and enjoys working with the public. Forest rangers can be responsible for managing the flora, fauna and lands contained within parks and reserves run by local, state or federal governments.
Other People Are Reading
-
Enforcement Duties
-
A forest ranger is responsible for enforcing laws, restrictions and regulations that apply to the wildlife and wildlife conservation within the park he oversees. He may collect unpaid fees, conduct safety inspections, or may respond to a noise complaint at one the campgrounds in the park. He is trained and certified as a police officer, and can present written warnings, court summons and arrest warrants. He also investigates and prosecutes crimes.
Educational Duties
-
A forest ranger may be involved in educating the public in outdoor fire prevention, about the conservation of wildlife, or may act as a guide to visitors in the park. She may be involved in research projects concerning the land, water, plants and animals of the area she works in. She may work in a visitor's center, supplying information to tourists, or she may travel to schools or group meetings, presenting information about the conservation of wildlife and parks.
-
Fire Control and Prevention Duties
-
A forest ranger plays a large part in fire prevention within the area he works. He is always watching for signs of fire in his park or reserve, and is often the first to respond to a fire emergency while waiting for firefighting crews to arrive. He may be assigned the responsibility of manning a lookout tower high in the mountains, where he has a bird's eye view of the forest.
Safety Duties
-
A forest ranger may participate in search and rescue activities, like saving a drowning person from a raging river, looking for a lost child in the desert or locating a hiker who has not returned home from a trek. She may respond to an accident on the roads of the park, or to an emergency involving a dangerous encounter between a visitor and one of the wild residents of the area. She may be involved in trapping and relocating a wayward bear that frequents a campground, foraging through tourist picnic baskets.
Places A Forest Ranger May Work
-
A forest ranger can work in a variety of settings, like the desert, the mountains, an island, or on a river or lake. He may work at a historical site that was once a military encampment, or perhaps at a former ranch of a famous actor. He can work at a park that sits in the middle of a populated area, overseeing its hiking trails and Native American petroglyphs.
-
