You don’t have to read the fantastic page-turning book The Last Season by Eric Blehm about legendary backcountry ranger Randy Morgenson to understand how important the backcountry rangers are to the John Muir Trail and its vast wilderness. This dedicated staff is made up of highly-skilled backpackers and mountaineers who may act as both first responders in backcountry medical emergencies and trail ambassadors who remind everyone how to “Leave No Trace”. When necessary, they are there to protect us all and enforce the rules.

Over many years of budget cuts, changed priorities, and redeployed assets, the number of these experienced veterans has fallen, particularly along the JMT south of Yosemite National Park. Because the public lands through which the JMT travels are part of two separate cabinet-level federal departments- the Department of Agriculture for the forests and the Department of Interior for the national parks- the basic management protocols, device technologies, and even the IT platforms are inconsistent across the region. This affects rangers in the field by complicating their work and making regional efficiencies difficult to achieve.

The Conservancy is working to improve regional management of the sharply increasing visitor use across the greater JMT region. We have started by supplementing ranger patrols and will continue to improve equipment, expand training, and coordinate wilderness assessments and alerts. This program will eventually incorporate satellite-based device technologies, compatible applications with dynamic data-sharing, and a consistent IT platform across the land management units.