Hunterdon County’s Park Rangers unit is now at its full complement, ensuring greater safety for park users, thanks to the recent appointment of four additional Rangers from the state’s newly promulgated civil service list, by the Hunterdon County Board of Commissioners.
Hunterdon Board Director John E. Lanza and Deputy Director Zachary T. Rich welcomed new Rangers; A.J Sweetin, Nick Cevasco, Ken Kirsch and Gary Powell, who join Supervising Ranger Craig Evans and Principal Rangers Warren Schultz and Scott Howarth in the unit, at a recent meeting with the team, at County Park headquarters at the Arboretum in Clinton Township.
Director Lanza told the group, “The Board had directed, as the county experienced some retirements and vacancies, that the Ranger team be brought up to a full unit and now, thanks to finally having a civil service list approved by the state, the full complement is on board.
The Rangers are a critical part of park operations, overseeing the safety and welfare of all visitors and the protecting the natural resources on the nearly 9000 acres of County Park land.”
Deputy Director Rich, the Board’s liaison to the Parks Division, stated, “The Board and the public count heavily on the Rangers during the controlled hunting program on various county owned open spaces. The Ranger team ensures the hunting rules and regulations are upheld and assist local officials with Fish and Wildlife concerns.
The Rangers’ visibility and service are invaluable to the public. They are commonly available at the large gatherings in the parks, supporting the rest of the parks team’s programming efforts. Hunterdon County Rangers are often the first point of contact for park patrons and serve as educators and ambassadors to the outdoors of Hunterdon County.”
New Rangers will be attending the Basic Course for County Park Rangers at the Monmouth County Police Academy, beginning in March 2022.
Dan Bush, Division Director of Parks & Recreation commented, “In addition to the Police Academy, in-house training is conducted by senior Ranger staff and is critical to the development of our new team members.
The County’s Ranger unit has longed adhered to the national Ranger motto of Integrity, Honor, and Service, and we have every expectation that our new Rangers will live up to our high standards.”