From redcoats to turncoats...

 

The rangers are coming! The rangers are coming!

Oh wait, did I say "rangers?" I meant to say "British," but is there really a difference?

As far as I'm concerned park rangers — spanning from state parks to U.S. Forest Service to Bureau of Land Management — are turncoats. They're the new redcoats.

As I walk down a trail or set up a tent or park alongside the road to my favorite trail that leads down to a prospecting honey-hole, Idaho County Sheriff Doug Giddings' words ring true.

"Every time I go to the forest I know I'm doing something wrong," Giddings said when appealing to the Idaho State Legislature in a hearing against the Environmental Protection Agency in February.

The beauty is he is an elected official, voted in by the people, for the people. But, what of these sworn in, so-called "peace officers" that wear tan and green and tout the propaganda that this land is their land, not my land, as the old folk song goes. To whom do they have to answer?

I was infuriated to find a ticket dated the Fourth of July sitting on my windshield after a long holiday weekend of camping, hiking, fishing and prospecting on public lands managed by the BLM. Here it is, one day after Independence Day, which marks our escape from outlandish British taxation and tyranny, and I'm getting a ticket from a California Parks and Recreation Department officer for "Illegal Parking on Public Grounds." This public ground in question lies just in front of signs advertising a California State Parks fee area. The road in question is a county road that I have been parking on for years. In fact, last year when these fee signs were erected, I complained to Auburn State Recreation Area Supervising State Park Ranger Scott Liske, who stated in an email: "There are areas nearby for legal parking along the roadway outside of the fee area if you want to avoid the $10 day use fee."

When I first saw the citation, I thought, 'Where does this guy get off ticketing me for an area out of his jurisdiction?' Come to find out, California State Parks Rangers have free rein over all the land. So, you are telling me these people can cite me anywhere in the state of California, no questions asked? While the citation was completely bogus and a blatant lie — accusing me of parking on state parks land without paying — I am in the beginning stages of fighting what will most likely prove to be a long and frustrating battle. But, it is a battle that must be fought. If not now, when? If not by me, then by whom?

The problem is there is no reasoning with the redcoats. The problem is, in the eyes of these state and federal agencies — none of which were elected by the people, for the people — we are all guilty with no chance of proving our innocence. Furthermore, the ticket, which is initially sent to Santa Ana, Calif., is simply returned to the district where it was handed out. From there, someone in the same district that ticketed you will decide if you still deserve that ticket. And, if and when they deny the appeal of the ticket, the parks department can collect even more fees for taking the time to look at your rebuttal. Do you want to guess where that citation money goes? Yep, right back in their pockets. At least, when dealing with a traffic citation from highway patrol, your argument is handed off to a judge. Can you imagine your letter of appeal going to the police chief where you received your ticket? It's positively incestuous.

These "peacekeepers" run around doling out tickets with no one to answer to. They turn outdoor-loving, environmentally conscious, law-abiding citizens into criminals, villains. I can't lie — the vindictive part of me wanted to take all the litter I picked up while prospecting and hiking, as well as the trash that I "packed in and packed out," and scatter it all over that state park property at the bottom of the hill. It's frustrating to do all the right things only to be penalized for my efforts.

The system is completely flawed and broken. There needs to be accountability and transparency. I would say federal and state rangers are overstepping their boundaries, but that's just the problem — there are none. 

I've been inspired by others who have recently said, "Enough is enough." Those good ole Idaho boys have refused to take crap from the EPA and launched an Occupy Idaho Waters rally on Independence Day weekend. Debbie and David Young have refused to tolerate bullying from BLM employees and heavy-handed rangers. So what can you do? Dump your tea! Don't stand for harassment. This land is your land. This land is my land.

What to do if you've been unjustly cited:

• Know your rights: First and foremost, make sure you know your rights, and remember that this is your land. Federal and state agencies will tell you it is their land, but they have been misinformed. It is your land, public land.
  
  
• Do your homework: Research your citation. Contact everybody that could even be remotely connected to your situation to ensure you've covered all your bases. For me, this meant checking the California Department of Motor Vehicles code for which I was cited; getting the Memorandum of Understanding between BLM, Bureau of Reclamation and California State Parks from the California Department of Parks and Recreation; contacting the Placer County Roads Department to verify that I was parked legally; contacting the Auburn State Recreation Area Ranger; getting advice from mentors, such as the Western Slope No-Fee Coalition, Public Lands for the People and Western Mining Association. You have to think like a lawyer. There is no reasoning with these redcoats, so you must stick to the book. These agencies don't care about what's fair or unfair, ridiculous or common sense. They must be met with concrete laws and facts. Truth be told, even that doesn't work most of the time, but ultimately, when you have your day in court, it will pay off.
  
  
• Make a stink: It's highly likely that you are not the first person to be hassled or ticketed. Join forces with others like you. Put your feelers out and follow up. Stand and fight for your rights, or you will lose them!

Sarah Reijonen is a freelance writer based in California. She can be reached at sarahreijonen@yahoo.com.