The Red and Black

Issue date: 6/18/09 Section: News

GREEN

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources announced in May it had approved monthly unpaid furloughs for park rangers, a budget cut that might hit some University students as they apply for jobs and internships this summer.

Sally Winchester said the furloughs were one of several changes being made at the Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division of the DNR. Winchester, the marketing and communications manager for the division, said the primary reason for the furloughs is a reduction in the revenue stream.

The furloughs, which Winchester described as "a day off without pay," will affect all DNR divisions except the Environmental Protection Agency. As for students, Winchester said that although she could not speak for the whole of DNR, the "state parks system will not be offering internships this summer."

Derek Colbert, a junior from Grovetown, said though he has not applied for any of the DNR internships, he is interested in getting one.

"I feel like an internship would definitely up my chances of getting employed," he said. "From what I've been told, it's good to get your foot in the door, and that's what the internship will do."

Gary Green, assistant professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, said as far as the furloughs go, "you've got to look at the big picture."

Green said all his students who applied for jobs at the DNR got them.

Green also said there is a balance between retiring and incoming rangers. As more older rangers retire, more graduates obtain positions.

"It's not as bleak as people seem to think," he said.

In addition to the furloughs, Winchester said the Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division of the DNR will separate 95 employees from service and eliminate 81 positions that are currently vacant in an effort to curb costs.

"We're going to do the best we can to manage the furloughs," she said. "There will not be a decrease in security."

For example, she said, one park ranger who is assigned to a single park on a given day could now have to cover two parks on that day. She said the DNR would be managing rangers' days off so that every park is covered.

Also outlined in the restructuring, parking fees for the visitors of Georgia's 48 state parks and 15 state historic sites will increase to generate an additional $1.2 million. The 11 million annual visitors of the state parks will be charged for services such as guided hikes and interpretive programs, which were once free.

"These decisions were heart-wrenching but were made using a business case analysis," said DNR Commissioner Chris Clark in a Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites news release. "We are exploring every avenue to manage budget reductions and revenue shortfalls to properly care for our state parks and historic sites, and to minimize the impact on Georgia citizens and communities."

Despite the unsure outlook, Colbert said he hopes to work for either the DNR or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after obtaining a master's degree. He said while he would be leery of working for anyone who used furloughs, that would not be the only factor he would consider.

"If that's all I'm going to get, then I'll take it," he said. "It's sort of a sucky deal, but it's better than getting laid off."

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