The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), established in 1995, is the agency in the U.S. stateofPennsylvania responsible for maintaining and preserving the state's 124 state parks and 20 state forests; providing information on the state's natural resources; and working with communities to benefit local recreation and natural areas.[1] The agency has its headquarters in the Rachel Carson State Office BuildinginHarrisburg.[2]
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The department was formed on July 1, 1995 when then-governor Tom Ridge split the Department of Environmental Resources (DER) into the DCNR and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
DCNR ranger responsibilities have three primary elements:[10]
Public contact - Assisting visitors to make the outdoor experience safe, educational and enjoyable.
First responder - DCNR "forest" rangers are trained and certified Department of Health medical first responders capable of providing basic life support in an emergency. Some DCNR rangers have continued their education and training to be certified as emergency medical technicians.
Law enforcement - Rangers act as law enforcement officers the same way as typical police officers would, but also enforce game, fishing, and boating laws.
The DCNR is host to many different environmental education programs throughout the summer months. These range from topics such as "Leave No Trace" hiking/camping policy to the different wildlife and plant species of many of the state parks.
^"Contact DCNRArchived 2011-05-01 at the Wayback Machine." Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved on October 18, 2010. "Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Rachel Carson State Office Building PO Box 8767 400 Market Street Harrisburg, PA 17105-8767."
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