During the early years of my career as a National Park Service ranger I valued the words of Walt Dabney, ANPR member and for a time the NPS chief ranger in Washington. One statement I remember Walt making (paraphrased) was this: “One of the management functions that the NPS performs most poorly in is position management.”

The NPS has poorly managed the park ranger occupation since the 1960s, first through the park ranger/park technician position management system and for the last 14 years under the Ranger Careers system. My perception is that NPS management has been unwilling to insert the leadership necessary to focus park ranger duties on those that are mission-critical as priorities. Absent direct links in specific terms to the NPS strategic plan, park level strategic plans and park annual work plans, many park rangers’ annual performance plans emphasize duties in ratios that aren’t in line with the standardized Ranger Careers position descriptions.

This issue of Ranger is focused on using the full range of position management tools found in Ranger Careers to best meet each individual park’s needs. Included is ANPR’s official position on refocusing the NPS’ efforts in position management of the national park ranger profession.

On another issue, ANPR continues to struggle along with many good ideas and suggestions but few members actually willing to commit the time to see suggestions and programs through to fruition. For more than a decade ANPR has needed a new involvement from members who are at the early or midpoints of their careers — members who have a passion for the NPS and its employees, the agency’s fundamental purpose as defined by law, and the National Park System.

So where are you? Are you coming? While our longstanding members have served ANPR well for many years, they are moving into different phases of their lives with different responsibilities and may no longer be focused on issues that impact NPS employees on a daily basis. Many of these longtime members have related to me that they are ready for a new generation of NPS employees to lead ANPR in tackling issues and programs most timely now and into the immediate future. We need fresh enthusiasm, fresh ideas and those with the conviction to do the work necessary to keep ANPR active and relevant for today’s NPS employees. Without you I fear that ANPR will continue to struggle to produce any meaningful results, and our collective ideas and concerns will continue to have only marginal impact with NPS and other government decision makers.

I joined ANPR in 1982 when I was 25 years old. I began more active involvement in 1988 when I ran for and was elected to ANPR’s Board of Directors. While my happiness with ANPR has ebbed and flowed over the years, depending on what issues were or were not being advocated for, I have never regretted the decision to be a more active ANPR member.

My perception is that the exposure helped my individual career in most instances, and positive outcomes like Ranger Careers and lessening the threat of outsourcing NPS jobs would not have happened without the involvement of ANPR members working outside the “official chain-of-command” communication system.

I urge you to take the same chance and become more involved in ANPR business, whether working on advocacy issues or social enrichment opportunities. Please check here to learn more about opportunities to help ANPR succeed. You also may contact any board member to find out more (contact information on back cover). The future of our organization truly is in your hands.

— Scot McElveen