Forest Service Officer Leaves Legacy of Commitment to Public Lands

Washington Trails Association sends our deepest sympathy to the family, friends and colleagues of Kristine Fairbanks, who served as a law enforcement officer for the United States Forest Service for 15 years. Including previous work at the National Park Service, Fairbanks was a federal employee for nearly 20 years. On Saturday, September 20, 2008, Officer Fairbanks was shot and killed while investigating a suspicious vehicle on Forest Service Road 2880 near the Dungeness Forks Campground on the Olympic Peninsula. Fairbanks was one of two law enforcement officers for the Olympic National Forest, an area encompassing over 600,000 acres on the Olympic Peninsula. She worked primarily in the Pacific Ranger District.

As hikers, we look to our public lands as a refuge from the troubles of daily life. This incident serves as an unfortunate reminder that this is not always the case. Forest Service officers, particularly those in law enforcement roles, are asked daily to uphold the rules and regulations of the Forest. They are called to protect both our natural resources and the people who choose to recreate in, work in, and explore these public lands. We are grateful for the service they perform every day.  

WTA celebrates the legacy Fairbanks leaves as a Forest Service officer working to protect the safety of all forest visitors. Her deep and abiding commitment to our public lands is an ethic we will aspire to live up to each time we visit the forest.

A public memorial service for Fairbanks will be held at Civic Field in Port Angeles at 1 pm on Monday, September 29, 2008.