Ranger Service
In Hungary the ranger service has existed on a legal basis for more than 30 years, but its legal status, tasks, rights and liabilities have significantly changed during the last decade. Rangers have been public servants since 1993, and their rights and liabilities were considerably extended by the second paragraph of the Act No. CLIX of 1997. Their detailed job description is determined by the Service Regulation issued as a ministerial decree in 2000.
In a modern sense today's ranger is a generic term that refers to state rangers in various ranks and to rangers of local governments.
According to the new, effective law in the interest of the protection, conservation and the prevention of the degradation of the natural and protected natural areas and assets a Ranger Service - formed by members who are equipped with service uniform, a service permit, a service badge, a handgun and other technical devices - is operating within each national park directorate. Beside that, the local governments have the possibility to employ their own rangers in order to protect the protected natural areas of local interest. Citizens can help the job of the rangers as civil rangers.
Ten National Park Directorates exist in Hungary, which are the regional authorities of state nature conservation. Their names refer to the national park located on their operational territory. Their competency covers their whole administrative area, which includes:
the national park, the landscape protection areas and the nature conservation areas,
the non-protected areas, where the protection of the natural and the protected natural assets is necessary.
The principle task of the national park directorates:
the elaboration of the nature conservation management plan of the protected natural areas and their nature conservation management,
taking official measures in case of petty offence against the nature conservation regulations,
the operation of the Ranger Service and further professional state responsibilities in the interest of the nature conservation.
State rangers are members of the Ranger Service of the national park directorate, entitled to take measures on behalf of the authorities, and equipped with appropriate service devices and a uniform. Their primary duty is the protection of the natural assets and areas among which the protected natural areas and assets are of high priority. Their diverse scope of duties include:
guarding of natural areas and assets,
local administration duties of the national park directorate as a contravention authority,
local duties of the national park directorate relating to the nature conservation management of the protected natural areas and assets.
The public ranger in the interest of the nature protection, is entitled and obliged - among others - to:
the control of the observance of nature conservation regulations,
the detention of a person or vehicle, identification, examination of the luggage and the vehicle in case of an offence against conservation interests, such as endangering or damaging the natural and the protected natural areas and assets,
the controlling of the hunters and anglers,
the retention of appliances used to endanger natural assets,
to capture, detain or take someone to the police station if caught in the act of committing a crime by damaging the nature or in case of defiance of the measure taken,
to take enforcement measures (physical constraint, handcuffs, chemical agent, police-dog, the service handgun is carried only for self-defence),
to commence criminal procedure, petty offence procedure or administrative proceedings and to impose a fine on the premises.
230 public rangers are currently working for the national park directorates. Consequently the operational field of one ranger covers 400 km² in average, 4000 ha of which is protected natural area.
The green colour and the cut of uniform of the public ranger are set by the law. The insignia of the service uniform are: the brassard, the label of the national park directorate, the plaque of the service position, the badge on the hat, the service card and the badge in service.
In a modern sense today's ranger is a generic term that refers to state rangers in various ranks and to rangers of local governments.
According to the new, effective law in the interest of the protection, conservation and the prevention of the degradation of the natural and protected natural areas and assets a Ranger Service - formed by members who are equipped with service uniform, a service permit, a service badge, a handgun and other technical devices - is operating within each national park directorate. Beside that, the local governments have the possibility to employ their own rangers in order to protect the protected natural areas of local interest. Citizens can help the job of the rangers as civil rangers.
Ten National Park Directorates exist in Hungary, which are the regional authorities of state nature conservation. Their names refer to the national park located on their operational territory. Their competency covers their whole administrative area, which includes:
the national park, the landscape protection areas and the nature conservation areas,
the non-protected areas, where the protection of the natural and the protected natural assets is necessary.
The principle task of the national park directorates:
the elaboration of the nature conservation management plan of the protected natural areas and their nature conservation management,
taking official measures in case of petty offence against the nature conservation regulations,
the operation of the Ranger Service and further professional state responsibilities in the interest of the nature conservation.
State rangers are members of the Ranger Service of the national park directorate, entitled to take measures on behalf of the authorities, and equipped with appropriate service devices and a uniform. Their primary duty is the protection of the natural assets and areas among which the protected natural areas and assets are of high priority. Their diverse scope of duties include:
guarding of natural areas and assets,
local administration duties of the national park directorate as a contravention authority,
local duties of the national park directorate relating to the nature conservation management of the protected natural areas and assets.
The public ranger in the interest of the nature protection, is entitled and obliged - among others - to:
the control of the observance of nature conservation regulations,
the detention of a person or vehicle, identification, examination of the luggage and the vehicle in case of an offence against conservation interests, such as endangering or damaging the natural and the protected natural areas and assets,
the controlling of the hunters and anglers,
the retention of appliances used to endanger natural assets,
to capture, detain or take someone to the police station if caught in the act of committing a crime by damaging the nature or in case of defiance of the measure taken,
to take enforcement measures (physical constraint, handcuffs, chemical agent, police-dog, the service handgun is carried only for self-defence),
to commence criminal procedure, petty offence procedure or administrative proceedings and to impose a fine on the premises.
230 public rangers are currently working for the national park directorates. Consequently the operational field of one ranger covers 400 km² in average, 4000 ha of which is protected natural area.
The green colour and the cut of uniform of the public ranger are set by the law. The insignia of the service uniform are: the brassard, the label of the national park directorate, the plaque of the service position, the badge on the hat, the service card and the badge in service.
