HISTORY AND AIMS
The
International Ranger Federation (IRF) was founded in 1992 with a
signed agreement between the Countryside Management Association
(CMA), representing rangers in England and Wales; the Scottish
Countryside Rangers Association (SCRA); and the U.S. Association of
National Park Rangers (ANPR).
The
goals of this agreement are to provide a forum for rangers from
around the world to share their successes and failures in protecting
the world's heritage and to promote information and technology transfer
from countries in which protected area management enjoys broad public
and government support to countries in which protected area
management is less well supported.
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Rangers from
any country can join the IRF. The only requirements are that they
have an association of protected area professionals and that they
petition the IRF for affiliation. In other words, the IRF is a
federation of associations, not an association of individual
members.
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Over 50
associations from national, state and territorial entities have
affiliated with the IRF. Additionally, rangers from other countries
have applied for provisional membership in IRF while they attempt
to establish ranger associations in their countries.
To achieve our
goal of providing a forum for communications among protected area
professionals, the IRF has sponsored five international congresses.
The first was held in Zakopane, Poland in 1995 and was followed by
further congresses in San Jose, Costa Rica in 1997, Kruger National
Park, South Africa in 2000, Victoria, Australia in March, 2003 and
in Stirling, Scotland in June 2006. The 6th World Ranger Congress
will be held in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, March 2009. Details of
the next Congress will be made available as they come to
hand. Previous Congress proceedings are available
by going to the CONGRESS section
of this site.
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AIMS OF
THE IRF
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To further the
professional standards of rangers throughout the world
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To advance the
aims of the IUCN's World Conservation Strategy
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To share knowledge
and resources
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To establish
global communications with ranger organizations
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To foster
professional exchanges between rangers
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To arrange regular
international meetings, including a World Congress every 3
years
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To undertake joint
activities to directly support each other1s operations where
necessary and feasible
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To represent
rangers interests through close co-operation with other
international organizations
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ZAKOPANE
DECLARATION
This
declaration was made at the first World Ranger Congress held in
Poland in 1995. Right-click
here to download declaration in PDF format.
See World Congress
Reports for subsequent declarations.
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