Portland parks budget preserves 29 rangers, cuts dispatcher positions and some support roles

Portland Parks & Recreation told the City Council Community and Public Safety Committee on May 27 that the bureau’s adopted budget keeps 29 full‑time park rangers and up to 15 seasonal rangers but eliminates the bureau’s dedicated ranger dispatch program and two support positions.

The bureau’s director, Adina Long, said the ranger program covers about 12,000 acres of park property and provides resource protection, community engagement and public‑safety patrols. “The park ranger program's mission is to maintain safe and accessible spaces in our parks, community centers, and natural areas,” Long said.

Vicente Harrison, identified by the bureau as a health, safety and emergency management manager, said rangers make proactive patrols across parks, docks, trails, beaches and community centers, and that rangers logged contacts and incidents digitally to guide…