Ranger selected to lead park safety and protection

After a comprehensive search and thorough vetting process, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson and Deputy Superintendent Kevin FitzGerald announced the selection of Clayton Jordan as the new Chief Ranger, Resource and Visitor Protection Division.
With over 9 million visitors annually to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Chief Ranger oversees a multifaceted law enforcement and visitor protection operation that spans the half-million acre reserve. The duties of the Division of Resource and Visitor Protection are as varied and diverse as the Park itself given the vast expanse of rugged and harsh mountainous terrain, hundreds of miles of roadway and trails, and the irreplaceable cultural and natural resources.
The division’s employees are primarily engaged in enforcement of Federal and state laws and regulations against criminal threats to Park resources and visitors; a large public safety component involving search and rescue (SAR) and emergency medical services (EMS); management of front country campgrounds and backcountry use; wildland fire suppression; and response to roadway accidents. In 2009, rangers responded to almost 4,000 law enforcement-related traffic incidents, 50 DUIs, 295 motor vehicle accidents, 129 SARs, 263EMS and 270-plus resource violations, everything from taking rocks from streams and disturbing wildlife to defacing historic buildings and collecting artifacts.
In addition, under the supervision of the Chief Ranger, the Volunteer in Parks program is administered with over 2,400 volunteers involved in helping the Park.
"I am honored and excited for the opportunity to join the team at the Smokies,” said newly appointed Chief Ranger Jordan. “The Park has an incredible staff with a great reputation for accomplishing so much every year to protect this world class Park and to provide a safe, enjoyable experience for the millions of visitors who come to experience it.”