6 * * * * * "Oh, Ranger!" 



only the geysers, the elk and the other animals for company, Harry 

 Yount pointed out in a report that it was impossible for one man to 

 patrol the park. He urged the formation of a ranger force. So Harry 

 Yount is credited with being the father of the ranger service, as well 

 as the first national park ranger. 



In the public mind, there is little difference between national forest 

 rangers and national park rangers. The two groups do have much in 

 common, such as protection of the forests from fire, construction of 

 trails and telephone lines, planting of fish in lakes and streams, and 

 preservation of the wilderness under their charge. The differences in 

 their duties arise out of the fact that they are employed by different 

 bureaus in different departments of the federal government. The park 

 rangers are employed by the Department of the Interior, the forest 

 rangers by the Department of Agriculture. 



The national forest rangers are intrusted with the administration 

 of a vast area of forest land, a territory fifteen times as great as that of 

 all the national parks together. Their duty is to see that timber is not 

 cut until it is fully grown, that slashings are burned, and that new for 

 est growths are protected. They have under their charge much grazing 

 land on which live stock is pastured under permit from the government. 

 The national forest areas include many reservoir and power sites and 

 the forest rangers supervise their utilization under the Federal Power 

 Commission's authority. In brief, the forest ranger is charged with 

 administration of an area which must produce the best possible crop of 

 timber, grass, and water power. The national forests are a business 

 proposition, and the forest ranger must look at them from an economic 

 point of view, though they are also sanctuaries of wild life and open 

 to the public for recreation, as a secondary consideration. 



The national park ranger is not concerned with the many economic 

 and commercial problems that confront the forest ranger. The national 

 parks were set aside to preserve the natural wonders in them, and the 

 rangers' duty is to protect the features and resources of the parks in 

 their natural state. The only economic developments allowed in the 

 national parks are those for the convenience and service of visitors. 

 No hunting is allowed in the parks. The national park ranger is custo 

 dian of a great natural museum through which he must guide tens of 

 thousands of visitors each year. He must tell them about the parks, see 

 that facilities are provided for their comfort, pleasure, and entertain 

 ment. The national park ranger must be more than a skilled moun 

 taineer and woodsman ; he must have the ability to establish and maintain 

 close contacts with the public, during the summer months at least, 

 and then must turn to his task of protecting the wild life during the 

 wintertime. 



