Introduction
Jordan Fisher Smith’s Nature Noir: A Park Ranger’s Patrol in the Sierra is a memoir that displays various sides of the Forest Service from a ranger’s point of view. At first sight, working as a park ranger might be attractive and, to a certain extent, romantic. However, Smith’s reference to the noir genre in the title suggests a darker side of such an occupation. While reading the book, a reader dives into the wilderness atmosphere and witnesses the beauty of Sacramento’s landscapes through Smith’s eyes. Most significantly, the narrative includes a collection of routine and exceptional experiences of a ranger as a law enforcement agent, investigating criminal incidents and deaths, or dealing with gold miners.
Overall Impression
Nature Noir is theoretically a collection of anecdotes from Smith’s days as a regular park ranger at the Auburn State Recreation Area. In fact, there is a series of short essays on the history of state and federal parks in America, especially the history of Auburn, how water erodes mountains to create beaches, and the conservation and breeding of cougars. Each chapter focuses on a particular story, which Smith uses as an excuse to explore a different topic.
Frankly, the book was too short. I would love to read another 200 pages of Smith’s stories and reflections on natural phenomena. Especially the last chapter on Smith’s diagnosis of Lyme disease is not inspiring at all. The author also devotes parts of the narrative to exploring the historical significance of the Auburn area and the disturbing political side of the dam building on the American River. Overall, Smith provides a deeper look at the ranger’s occupations and day-to-day tasks, keeping the reader engaged by describing some exceptional stories about law enforcement cases and investigations.
Attractive Book Features
Explicit Work Description
One of the peculiar sides of Nature Noir is that it provides a demystifying look at the ranger’s work and outlines the essence of working in the Forest Service. Smith writes that the perseverance of wildlife is fundamental to all parks in the United States and that most regulations are “designed to promote civility” (Smith, 2005, p. 53). Therefore, it is illegal to visit such recreational areas with firearms, yet this rule is being consistently violated.
Smith writes about how disappointed he was when, as a ranger, he could only charge a fee to the armed men (Smith, 2005). However, since he was dealing with such frustration, he decided to do his best to reduce the number of guns kept by the park visitors. As a result, over the ten years, he “confiscated 125 weapons in criminal cases” (Smith, 2005, p.62). Smith admits that the gun problem poses a danger not only to the wildlife but also to the ranger patrol working in the park. Therefore, his motivation was professional and personal because he had experienced life-risk situations many times.
Comprehensive Experience Detailing
Another essential characteristic of Smith’s narrative is that he does not avoid introducing routine parts of work to the readers. In the first chapter, before finding a suspect who suffered an overdose and needed medical help, Smith describes the process of having interviews with the witnesses, taking notes, and preparing some paperwork (Smith, 2005). Moreover, the author shares his experience dealing with specific environmental conditions for which one cannot prepare beforehand. In particular, he mentions the severe dust they had to survive during the summers in the Auburn area.
The dust appears as a natural challenge that affects both the physical bodies of the rangers, irritating their eyes, and the patrol equipment, such as guns and vehicles. Smith describes rangers’ struggle to “fieldstrip and clean weapons” and how “each new patrol wagon began its complaint of rattles and squeaks” after making thirty or forty miles in those conditions (Smith, 2005, p. 27). Eventually, the everyday life of a ranger appears to be a blend of regular law enforcement service and challenging routines that could put a ranger’s survival at risk.
Curious Accidents Described
Missing People
Hereafter, some of the most adventurous parts of Smith’s book recount exceptional accidents he witnessed and investigated on the American River. For instance, Smith covers the incident of Barbara Schoener, a woman who went missing after going for a run in the park (Smith, 2005). During the search in the area, they found evidence pointing to a cougar attack that was the cause of Barbara’s death.
Dangerous Animals
In the seventh chapter, Smith introduces a brief history of lion-related legislation, which changed from the permissive type allowing hunting those animals to classification as “a nongame mammal” (Smith, 2005, p. 129). In the investigated case, however, the cougar that attacked the woman was perceived as dangerous to visitors to the recreational area. Smith notices that the animal that once killed a human could repeat such behavior when hungry (Smith, 2005). Therefore, the team, followed by trained dogs, eventually had to find the lion and kill it.
Other Crimes
While Barbara’s case appears exceptional, Smith mentions other notable incidents during his service. He remarks on cases in which rangers recovered “stolen cars and investigated the deaths of four people in accidents or suicides” (Smith, 2005, p. 64). The author also confirms that “high-speed car chases” are nothing extraordinary to ranger patrol, and they have such races twice yearly (Smith, 2005, p. 64). Overall, the author engages the reader through first-hand experience in unique and demanding cases far from the picture of a calm nature.
Park-Related Challenges
In addition, Nature Noir outlines some ambiguous issues related to park administration and the political side of preserving wilderness. Particularly, Smith writes about the history of building the Auburn Dam on the American River, which appears to be a failed project to him. After decades of technological improvements, the project failed to achieve its objective of flooding and maintaining certain water areas and had to be withdrawn (Smith, 2005).
Nonetheless, the surrounding canyons were known among gold miners who remained active during Smith’s service there. The author recalls how challenging it was to protect nature against miners because, after prohibitive legislation, there was also a “reversal,” making the regulations more confusing (Smith, 2005, p. 58). From the ranger’s point of view, it wasn’t easy to convince miners that they were violating the law, especially when the price of gold increased. As a result, the legislative and political processes affected the efficiency of ranger patrol work in the area.
Conclusion
The author’s fanatical views predetermined not only the author’s misunderstanding of his work but also how he interacted with the earth and, most importantly, with people. Vigorously doing the law enforcement part of his job with the attitude and zeal of the Inquisition may have led to a life of conflict and crime rather than a social life and positive influence. I don’t understand irrational and radical environmentalists, in common with the author. Still, I know public service and trying to do a good job in bad or hopeless situations. Despite my efforts to be great, I have not achieved this goal. Thank you, Jordan Fisher-Smith, for everything you do.
Reference
Smith, J. F. (2005). Nature Noir: A Park Ranger’s Patrol in the Sierra. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.