Ranger abuse

An environmental group that advocates on behalf of government employees reports there was a surge last year in attacks and threats against law enforcement rangers in national parks, and claims the problem may be fueled by anti-government rhetoric.

Among the nation's parks and recreation areas, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada led the group's count with 58 incidents.

The group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility said it used the Freedom of Information Act to compile a list of 158 threats and attacks against law enforcement rangers in national parks in 2009 -- up from 36 tallied in 2008 and the previous high of 111 in 2004.

The group's executive director, Jeff Ruch, contends anti-government sentiment is partly to blame. People just don't have the high level of respect for park rangers like they did in the past, he said Wednesday in Laramie, Wyo.

The group's numbers are surprising, and the Park Service hasn't studied what caused the increase, responds David Barna, the agency's chief of public affairs, though he believes the numbers are worth looking into. Incidents nationwide ranged from verbal threats by people told to leash their dogs to drinking and drug-related confrontations.

Now, no one should be threatening or assaulting our park rangers. Park Service officials should keep a close eye on any escalation in violence, doing what they can, within reason, to enhance the safety of their personnel.

But that said, it's unlikely drug dealers or reckless drivers need to tune in Rush Limbaugh or Mark Levin -- or read Range magazine -- to inspire them to misbehave.

And while the ideal number of threats and attacks would be zero, in fact 158 reported incidents is actually quite a tiny number, when we consider the Park Service reported 270 million individual park visits last year, with 13.8 million overnight stays -- especially if PEER is lumping in each shouting match over a barking dog with the rarer cases of assault.

The parks are not yet free-fire zones. The best solution, before the problem really does get out of hand, is for Americans heading for the woods and waters this summer to take a deep breath of that clean air ... and slow down.