Land, Water and People

The fire engine bay was packed. A testament to the person, I’d say. They were all there to celebrate the man and bid him farewell as he embarks on a new Forest Service adventure that will surely mark the end of a fulfilling and respectable career. But he is not retiring yet. Certainly not before we say so long at this party, and he takes the helm of a new Ranger District for a while. Kelly Garcia, the Rangeland Management Specialist for the Conejos Peak Ranger District for the last 20 years was celebrated in an exciting potluck breakfast party on Wednesday, January 24th, just days before leaving the Rio Grande National Forest’s employment.

“It has been a great career here on the District,” said Garcia, after numerous stories of Kelly adventures were told by current and retired employees alike. And, after 35 years of working on the Rio Grande National Forest, you can bet those stories were plentiful!

District Ranger, Andrea Jones, fondly requested I add these words: For anyone who knows him, Kelly (or Mr. Kelly as he prefers to be called) is an “old school” Forest Service worker. He has a heart for taking care of the public resources and feels honored to have the career that he has. There’s no place he would rather be than all alone, deep in the rugged mountains. He truly cares about the people who use and depend on the forest, and while his career has been primarily in range management, his interests and efforts spanned every resource area. He isn’t afraid to put in hard work on anything from botany to firefighting to trail building. He’s committed and professional — the kind of person that you want to have in your corner.

Last week, I called an old friend and District Ranger of mine to tell him about Kelly’s next step. Paul Crespin advised me he “hired Kelly as a seasonal employee way back in the mid 80’s and (while laughing) never regretted it!” Crespin relayed numerous good times working together including a story about dealing with a military helicopter crash near Blue Lake in the South San Juan Wilderness. Funny, Kelly never mentioned it to me when he recommended the trip to Blue Lake, which I wrote about in the column last year. Maybe Paul wasn’t supposed to mention it. I expect all was in order. Right?

Garcia’s wife Sylvia attributed his fulfilling career and life partially to his love and draw to Mt Blanca and his annual trek up it for water sampling over the past 30 years with sometimes more than one trip a year. According to Sylvia, the sacred mountain whispers his name, calling out to him.  Sylvia also tells me that Kelly is inspired by the movie “The Greatest Good.” He also gets a good chuckle during the scene in “A River Runs Through it” when the father suggested a career with the Forest Service was a poor option. Garcia would have much different advice.

Jones told a few Kelly stories and offered this to the intent listeners: Kelly will spend a long day in the woods on a horse or hiking with the best of them. He knows the terrain of the Conejos Peak District better than most anyone and has the route of every trail burned into his mind. Just like everything else in life, Kelly doesn’t do anything halfway, so if you venture out with him be prepared for a twelve-hour day.  Occasionally, he may decide to take you on a “shortcut” which, (if you fall for it) will plunge you into a good fourteen-hour day afield! To his new co-workers and permittees, she muses - be ready!

Garcia is the new District Ranger of the Tres Piedras Ranger District on the Carson National Forest. Kelly and his wife plan to stay in the area as his new duty station in Tres Piedras is just not that far away. “We are proud of our roots. But I do look forward to connecting more with the people of Northern New Mexico,” Garcia told the group.

I reluctantly packed up and left the party but kept this quiet glow within me for the rest of day. It’s easy to say that I am fortunate to have met Kelly Garcia and work with him for the last four years of his distinguished career on the Rio Grande National Forest.

Gregg Goodland is the Public Affairs Officer for the Rio Grande National Forest. As an avid outdoor enthusiast, he encourages individual stewardship and responsible use of our public lands.