Conservation Rangers in the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) face new challenges that have resulted from social and ecological changes caused by urbanization during the past 10-20 years. As the type of natural resource user in Georgia has changed, so has the role and responsibility of the conservation ranger. These changes include increased numbers of boaters, decreased numbers of hunters, an increased emphasis on education of the public by law enforcement personnel, and new laws (some of which are not game and fish laws) to enforce. As a result of these trends, conservation rangers in the future will be required to assume more diverse responsibilities than that of the traditional game warden. To meet the challenges associated with these trends, DNR will need more and differently trained conservation rangers in the future to serve the increasingly urbanized public in Georgia.
