Nick Glidden arrived in Bayfield earlier this month to fill the vacant role of Columbine Ranger District. The 690,000-acre district is one of three that lie within the San Juan National Forest. The former ranger, James Simino, left the position in June after three years.
Glidden arrives after having spent the last four years as the district ranger of the Pine Valley Ranger District of the Dixie National Forest in Utah. He started there as an intern in 2001 and worked his way up the ranks. Before becoming district ranger, Glidden also worked as the forests’ recreation program manager.
Now that he has settled in Durango, soon to be joined by his wife and adolescent daughters, Glidden said the community in the area and the opportunities for recreation played a major part in the move.
“(We want to be) a part of a community that embraces the things that this community does – the outdoors is a big part of my life, personally and professionally,” he said. “My family really does a lot of outdoor stuff. My daughter, for example, likes to ride mountain bikes and race. And so of course, Durango was a great place for mountain biking and that kind of stuff, and my other daughter plays soccer. This area’s got some great things for kids to do. So, really, that community is really a big part of what our move was about.”
Glidden enjoys skiing, fishing, hunting and owns a utility terrain vehicle as well. He said he doesn’t fit into one box as far as recreationalists go.
With just a couple of weeks on the job, Glidden said he has yet to establish any specific priorities for his tenure other than learning the ecological, social and administrative landscapes. Projects underway in the district include recreation enhancement and restoration projects, fire mitigation and the permitting of gas wells. Glidden says he has little familiarity with the permitting of gas wells.
“Some of that is newer to me,” he said. “Going back to the first question of ‘why here,’ it is (about) getting that experience and broadening my mind, my depth of experience.”
While the particular problems he will encounter will inevitably differ from his previous district, Glidden said the issues at-large are often similar. He described his current work as the “sponging phase” of becoming familiar with the area.
The forest service is known for its relatively high turnover rate, even of the personnel who occupy district-level roles. Glidden said he’ll take the transition one day at a time.
“I guess it’s always too early to tell and never say never to anything,” he said. “I really don’t have a plan. ... We’re just taking this one step at a time right now. But I’m fully committed to being here and if my history shows anything, it’s that when I get into a place that I like, I tend to stay for a while.”
rschafir@durangoherald.com
