By Nick Pritchard
Whether you are planning a new trip or paddling your favorite spot it is important to build a relationship with local land management agencies. These agencies have the most up to date and accurate information for your adventure. The most common agencies that you will encounter are the Department of Natural Resources or the National Park Service.
Getting to know the local land management agency also provides them with more information about you. In stead of just sending your itinerary to them and getting the necessary permits, plan on spending a little bit of time in the ranger station talking with the rangers there. During this conversation the rangers are likely to find out more about your group, skill levels, planned itinerary, and other items so that if something were to happen to you or your group they would be able to respond better.
Talking with the rangers at the station will also help you determine what resources they have available in case of emergency. You can also discuss with them what radio channels they monitor and the best way to contact them. Maybe they have a ranger doing rounds of the park every few hours that you wouldn't have known about unless you talked with them.
The local land management agencies in the places that we visit have a wealth of information that are sure to help you have a much smoother trip. Plus the rangers usually have some good stories that will likely give you a good laugh!
As always feel free to ask us if you have any questions.
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