Whether on Land or Water, MNRR’s New Program Promotes Law and Safety | Community

Podany’s career has taken him to Canyonlands National Park in Utah, the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park, and alongside the Border Patrol in Arizona.

Today, Podany serves at the Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR) headquarters in Yankton. He occupies a historic role as the first chief ranger of the Visitor and Resource Protection (VPR) of the MNRR.

In his role, he is the NPS’s most senior legal officer responsible for visitor safety and the protection of natural resources. He sees himself fulfilling a combination of law enforcement, education and outreach.

One of the most notable aspects of his stance is the timing.

“Most (national) parks have a law enforcement station established for decades. At a time when the National Park Service was actually closing these programs and cutting staff and money for it, I’m proud that we’re able to put a new program in place in the midst of it all.

Podany admits he was intrigued by the challenge of starting a new program in a national park that is mostly a river with little land.

“It caught my attention and I wanted to be a part of it,” he said. “We have a great team here (at Yankton), and it’s great to have people under you. Josh Evans is my permanent ranger and McCoy Lambling works for me seasonally.

When taking to the water, Podany and his rangers stand out from other boaters on the Missouri River. Their ships have the distinctive green and white stripes with “Law Enforcement” on them, similar to their trucks and other vehicles.

Their presence creates a new dynamic not only for MNRR patrols but also for the region, Podany said. Rangers not only cover the 39 and 59 mile segments of the recreational river, but can also assist the US Army Corps of Engineers at Lewis and Clark Lake and other agencies in the South Dakota and Nebraska area.

“We used to borrow a couple of rangers in Niobrara, Nebraska when we were busy on a weekend. They already had a program similar to this for decades,” Podany said.

“Now the MRRN has a program dedicated to the protection of visitors and resources. Our presence is on the river corridor, but we assist other organizations in emergency situations. We usually put more first responders in the area.

Such cooperation becomes especially important for a wild and scenic river that borders two states, Podany said.

He is federally trained as a fully certified law enforcement officer. Trained in the handling of weapons, he can intervene as a peace officer if necessary. He is also trained in search and rescue, which came into play last winter when a hiker fell through the ice in the Missouri River.

“We have the capacity to help in an emergency with other agencies,” he said. “We are working together under a big umbrella, and we are ready to accept this (arrangement).”

VRP Officers perform a variety of duties, including enforcing water laws such as boating under the influence (BUI), safe operation of boats, and enforcing lifejacket requirements and of safety equipment.

NPS rangers participate in the Operation Dry Water campaign, which combats boating under the influence, Podany said. The year-round effort received particular attention during the Independence Day weekend due to the heavier boat traffic.

“Boating-related deaths are always a concern, and alcohol is the number one culprit,” he said. “Drinking while boating is getting worse for a number of reasons. Swimming wears you out faster, and you have the combination of hot weather and developing “boat legs.” Then you have the cycle of people alternating between driving the boat and swimming, jet skiing or tubing.

Additionally, Podany is working to crack down on adults who supply alcohol to underage passengers on boats and other sites.

Innocent bystanders are being hit both on the water and along the shore, he said. “It ends in a downward cascade of bad decisions once they’re on the water,” he said.

For the most part, Podany and his team have spent this year familiarizing themselves with the area and, in turn, being more visible to the general public. As this is the first full year of the VRP program, the rangers have focused more on raising awareness and knowing the law rather than dealing with violators—although they do so when warranted to serious offences.

“We have taken an important position on written or verbal warnings,” he said. “We treat it like early education because people get used to seeing our faces, and they understand.”

Rangers also enforce regulations related to endangered species, invasive species, and the protection of Native American cemeteries and other religious and cultural sites.

Additionally, rangers work with outreach efforts in schools, at state parks, and with public events such as the Lake Yankton Outdoor Festival and the Missouri River Watershed Education Festival.

“With the school year approaching, we would like to reach out a bit more to universities, Mount Marty and the University of South Dakota,” he said. “We have been approached to offer some type of program as there seems to be one drowning (by students) every year in the lakes and rivers in our area.”

Podany’s educational outreach includes its staff. He has led courses in boating safety, including kayaking.

“Much of our work can be done with kayaks or other self-propelled vehicles. We don’t need everyone in this park to be able to drive a motorboat to patrol or reach a nearby site,” he said. “For the kayak lesson, we went to Yankton Lake to learn how to paddle, then up the (Missouri) River from Gavins Point Dam to Riverside Park.”

Podany and other MNRR personnel do not remain solely focused on Yankton, as they patrol miles along the river to learn its features and carry out their law enforcement and security duties. public assistance.

So far, Podany says he remains satisfied with the progress made in the short time. He looks forward not only to the rest of the summer, but also to the opportunities throughout the year.

“I’m the hardest person on myself, and there are some things we were looking to put in place, but things are going really well,” he said.

“It’s just that some of them take a little longer. Now, when you’re out, people know who you are. I get invitations from parents to talk to their kids about becoming a ranger.

More importantly, Podany wants people to know that he and his staff are here to help.

“We let it be known that we don’t want any problems,” he said. “We’re just trying to work with people to stay safe and enjoy the river.”

Follow @RDockendorf on Twitter.