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National Park Service Rangers are among the uniformed employees charged with protecting and preserving areas set aside in the National Park System by the United States Congress and/or the President of the United States. While all employees of the agency contribute to the National Park Service mission of preserving unimpaired the natural and cultural resources set aside by the American people for future generations, the term Park Ranger is traditionally used to describe all National Park Service employees who wear the uniform. Broadly speaking, all National Park Service rangers promote stewardship of the resources in their care - either voluntary stewardship via resource interpretation, or compliance with statute or regulation through law enforcement. These comprise the two main disciplines of the ranger profession in the National Park Service. ==History== The origin of the term "ranger" dates to the 14th century in England, and was drawn from the word "range" (to travel over a large area). "Rangers" patrolled royal forests and parks to prevent "poachers" from hunting game belonging to the crown.〔()〕 The title "Ranger" in the modern sense was first applied to a reorganization of the Fire Warden force in the Adirondack Park, after 1899 when fires burned in the park. The name was taken from Rogers' Rangers, a small force famous for their woodcraft that fought in the area during the French and Indian War beginning in 1755. The term was then adopted by the National Park Service.〔Angus, Christopher, ''The Extraordinary Adirondack Journey of Clarence Petty'', Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 2002. ISBN 0-8156-0741-5.〕 The first Director of the National Park Service, Stephen T. Mather, reflected upon the early park rangers as follows:
Horace Albright, second director of the National Park Service, called Harry Yount, gamekeeper of Yellowstone National Park, the "father of the ranger service, as well as the first national park ranger".〔 Yount was hired in 1880 to enforce the prohibition on hunting in the park. In addition to these duties, he would act as a guide and escort for visiting officials, such as he did in 1880 for the Secretary of the Interior Carl Schurz. Although he was paid a yearly salary of $1,000 (out of the park's overall $15,000 yearly budget) he resigned at the end of 1881. Before leaving, he suggested to the superintendent of Yellowstone that "...the game and natural curiosities of the park be protected by officers stationed at different points of the park with authority to enforce observance of laws of the park maintenance and trails." Yount pointed out that it was nearly impossible for one person to protect the game properly over the park's vast expanse. Official Classification The Park Ranger position in the Federal Government began as a series of specialized positions in the miscellaneous Series. In 1959 the official Park Ranger position (GS-0025 Park Ranger) was established throughout the Federal Government.〔POSITION CLASSIFICATION STANDARD FOR PARK RANGER SERIES, GS-0025; Office of Personnel Management; TS-75 November 1985〕 along with its companion series the Park Technician (GS-0026). The Park Ranger position was designated for 'professional' work like management of the park (Park Ranger (Manager)-Park Ranger(Site Manager)), or management of division (Chief Ranger, Chief of Interpretation). The Park Technician series was designed to handle routine technical skills, i.e., giving walks, talks, patrolling roads, fee collection.〔 After years of concern of pay, the National Park Service and the Office of Personnel Management agreed to consolidate the two series into a single group, to be used only for professional positions and temporary/seasonal positions. The agreement also required that the park service begin using other appropriate technical series for lower paid positions.〔 The Protection Ranger series was changed to "GL"-0025 in 2005. *0025 – Park Ranger Series * The duties are to supervise, manage, and/or perform work in the conservation and use of Federal park resources. This involves functions such as park conservation; natural, historical, and cultural resource management; and the development and operation of interpretive and recreational programs for the benefit of the visiting public.〔Handbook of Occupational Groups and Families May 2009; Office of Personnel Management; Washington D.C.〕 Beginning in 1985, the service made this adjusment. Today, Park Ranger like duties are handled by a range of employees, wearing the traditional 'green and gray' uniforms, who are not park rangers. These positions include: * 0303 – Miscellaneous Clerk and Assistant Series, aka Visitor Use Assistances. Duties include clerical, assistant, or technician work when other series are not appropriate. The work requires a knowledge of procedures and techniques involved in handling special program. This series is commonly used for Fee Collectors at campgrounds and entrance stations.〔 * 0189 – ''Recreation'' Aid and ''Assistant'' Series. Provides support to recreation programs by performing limited aspects of recreation work, lifequards〔 * 0090 – ''Guide'' Series. Provides or supervises interpretive and guide services to visitors to sites of public interest. Gives formal talks about natural and historic features, explains engineering structures and related water developments, answers questions, and guides tours.〔〔Position Classification Standard for Guide Series, GS-0090; Office of Personnel Management; TS-37 December 1961〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「National Park Service Ranger」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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