Arming rangers

There’s no question that the Maine woods can be a dangerous place — not so much because of the flora and fauna, but because of some of the illicit human activities that take place there, from marijuana growing to organized timber theft. Few of Maine’s law-enforcement officers are in a better position to confront these dangers than forest rangers.

Which makes it understandable that many rangers want to carry firearms along with their firefighting gear. Understandable, but for now unnecessary. Forest rangers are charged with administering the state’s forestry rules, engaging in firefighting and fire prevention, and enforcing a variety of other natural-resources laws.

No one doubts that those law-enforcement responsibilities carry some degree of risk. But there is no evidence that those dangers pose a substantive or even reasonable threat that would be reduced by firearms. In short, notes Conservation Commissioner Ron Lovaglio, who oversees the ranger force, there has been no incident in recent memory in which having an armed ranger would have better protected either the ranger or the public.

That history, plus estimated price tag of $500,000 to arm and train every ranger, are ample reasons for lawmakers to refuse the ranger’s request at this time. By being careful during their investigations and by enlisting the help of of other law-enforcement agencies when violent conflict is possible, most rangers should not need handguns at their hips.

Circumstances do change, and the Maine woods are becoming more dangerous, so it may be inevitable that some rangers eventually will have to be armed. For now, a compromise can be struck: Commissioner Lovaglio and his successors could be given the authority to arm trained individual rangers in high-risk assignments, based upon demonstrated dangers. This will not resolve the overall question of whether rangers should carry firearms, but it will protect rangers and the public at a reasonable risk of violence.