Park Leaders Show : Park Ranger | National Park | State Park | Leadership

"Leadership is hard because it's a gray decision. It's not a black and white decision. You have to take a breath, take two steps back, and figure out what the objective is and why the resource is being protected in order to make the right decision." - Phil Gaines Phil Gaines recently attended the California Parks training conference. He joins this episode to share what he learned there as well as his wealth of experience in park management and viewshed protection. One unexpected experience for this self-proclaimed Southern boy accustomed to sunshine, was venturing to the snow-filled wilderness of California. However, it was there that he found an interesting issue in the parks between protecting a historic view shed or letting nature take its course. This is one of the latest compelling clashes between preservation and progress.   There were other impactful moments while he was at the conference including learning from park rangers from around the country and talking about the importance of friends groups an