Group warns against losing Powder River District Ranger

BUFFALO – According to a report by The Council for the Big Horn Range (CBHR), and recently submitted to Washakie County Commission Chairman Terry Wolf, the CBHR discovered in late February that the position of Powder River District Ranger for the Bighorn National Forest was not going to be filled except by a four-month detail, then many of its functions will be transferred and shared by the Medicine Wheel and Tongue District rangers.

Currently, the Buffalo Ranger District office will remain open, though, reportedly, some staff may be detailed elsewhere on the Bighorn National Forest.

The CBHR is currently working with local governments and organizations across the region to resist this move with the belief that there are better remedies to the budget and manpower issues that plague the Bighorn National Forest.

“This move would effectively shutter the Ranger District from Washakie County and move its administration to Sheridan,” explained CBHR Director Rob Davidson.

Big Horn National Forest Supervisor Andrew Johnson disagrees.

“Frankly, that’s inaccurate,” said Johnson. “The Big Horn National forest has been working for a couple years on coming up with a workforce plan reorganization that allows us to work within our budget.”

Johnson pointed out that forestry budgets, nationwide, have been affected due to increased wildfires.

“Wildfires eat up a lot of the budget, and although we haven’t seen that many fires in the BNF, it impacts us here,” said Johnson. “What we are proposing [a ranger rotating between Sheridan and Buffalo] would simply be more efficient.”

Davidson countered that the southern end of the Bighorn National Forest needs to have a full-time line officer who can become part of the community. “Not drop into the office a couple of days a week. This is particularly important for Johnson and Washakie counties. There are a number of connections and relationships in Washakie County from timber to rock climbing, and keeping the Powder River Ranger District in Buffalo would give us a myriad of connections to manage our public lands and leases.”

Davison also noted that recreational use on the south end of the Forest comprises more than half of the entire recreation workload, with half of the overall campground use, and half of the dispersed recreation use, 800 plus rock climbing routes in Tensleep Canyon and the only three rentals on the Bighorn National Forest.

Noting that there has been a district ranger in Buffalo since 1989, Davidson said, “If the Forest Service office in Buffalo were to close, the employees stationed in either Sheridan or Greybull would be spending more time driving to the Forest, than if they were stationed in Buffalo. Powder River staff is 45 minutes to one hour to the western most part, outside of Ten Sleep.”

Johnson once again, disagrees. “It’s simply not the case. Our plan is to be even more efficient than previously, within our budget. The old model is unaffordable. It’s the reality we are working in, and if I could afford more, I would gladly have them, but this model will give us a district ranger that will be able to work across boundaries, and still manage the Powder River district.”

In addition to contacting neighboring county commission members of the change, Davidson plans to organize public meetings to address the change, and inform the Bighorn National Forest of public opinion. The CBHR previously met with the Johnson County Chamber of Commerce and congressional representatives to discuss the matter.