The New Ranger in Town

Bob Chalfant has big shoes to fill. For almost three decades, Gary Lentz worked as the ranger in charge of Lewis and Clark Trail State Park. For years Lentz main­tained the facilities while providing interpretive pro­grams extolling his extensive knowledge of the history and biology of the region.

But at the end of June, the Dixie man retired from his post. Now Chalfant, a 31-year veteran of the parks system, has been assigned to the task.

"My goal is to enhance what Gary has done here," Chalfant said. "He's left shoes that are impossible to fill, but I hope to talk him into coming back to continue sharing his knowledge and experience here at the park."

Chalfant has known Lentz for most of his career, which began for Chalfant in 1979 when he worked as a summer park aid. His older brother was a park ranger, so it was a no-brainer for Chalfant to keep on that track and get the two-year degree to become a ranger himself. He moved to Pomeroy in 1990 to manage Chief Timo­thy Park, when it was still a state park, near Clarkston. In 2002, the state decided on a reduction in force at the park, and Chalfant relocated to Bainbridge Island, near Seattle.

There he worked as the Fay Bainbridge area manager for eight years, in charge of Fay Bainbridge State Park, Fort Ward State Park and Old Man House State Park, the one-acre home of the Indian chief for whom Seattle was named that was transferred to the Suquamish Tribe in 2004.

Though a native of Bell­ingham, Chalfant always felt most at home on the east side of the state. When he moved to Bainbridge, he left an 1884 Victorian home in Pomeroy - one he intended to return to one day.

When he learned that his pal Lentz would soon be retiring, Chalfant decided to apply for the lower-ranking job, though it meant what Chalfant called a "signifi­cant" reduction in pay. "It was worth it to get back to this area," Chalfant said.

Chalfant's new responsi­bility, which Touchet Valley residents know well, is a 37-acre park between Waitsburg and Dayton on U.S. Highway 12 purchased by the state in two parcels during 1933 and 1942 with 133 feet of Touchet River shoreline. The property, with its 24 campsites, two group camps and a kitchen area, was once an independent park but is now a satellite under its "mother park," Sacajawea State Park near Kennewick. The location is said to be one visited by explorers Meri­wether Lewis and William Clark in the very early 1800s. "A state park is like a little city," Chalfant said, with its own water and sewer sys­tems, its own capital projects and maintenance repairs to complete. "A park ranger has to wear many hats," he said. "We're commissioned officers of the law, customer service specialists, interpreters and maintenance personnel."

In the winter, Chalfant will be the only employee at the park, in charge of every­thing from fixing leaks, wid­ening roads, improvement projects, painting and more.

This summer he's had the services of two summer aids, Keith Wilbur of Dayton and George Alexander of Waits­burg,

to help with projects, pruning and park preserva­tion. "They're a real important part of the operation," Chalf­ant said. "They're my right hand." Chalfant has also engaged various volunteer camp hosts over the summer to be on site, doing restroom checks and litter clean-up, greeting campers and assisting with firewood collection.

The new ranger's goals for Lewis and Clark Trail State Park are exceptional public service and "real nice" facili­ties for the public. "We have a reputation as a quiet, family-oriented place, and we work hard to keep it that way," he said.

Projects Chalfant is work­ing on now at the park in­clude painting and fixing up the campground bathroom, pruning and making repairs to roadways damaged during the 2006 flood. Chalfant's wife, former park ranger Catherine Chalf­ant, manages the couple's other business ventures in Pomeroy, including rental homes and the Mangaboos Antiques store. His daughter, 22-year-old Ashley, lives in Pomeroy as well.