Violence Against Federal Lands Employees on the Rise

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) report that violence and threats of violence against Forest Service employees, BLM rangers, range specialists, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees were up in 2002 over the previous year.

"When park rangers are 10 times more likely to be assaulted than agents of the DEA [Drug Enforcement Administration] and 12 times more likely than FBI agents, a reasonable person would say the agency needs immediate change," said Randall Kendrick, director of the U.S. Park Rangers Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police.

"These numbers may only be the tip of the iceberg, as many people in the field are discouraged from reporting threats and assaults," PEER's Eric Wingerter said.

Source: Grist