Rocky Mountain Region USFS Numbering

[es93546]

I promised this a long time ago and then didn't follow through. I just found a 2022 document showing all the forest and ranger district numbering. I was only asked to provide Colorado, but will include Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas also. This will show the National Forest (NF) and its number within the region followed by the name and number of each ranger district. There numbers skipped throughout due to forest and ranger district consolidations, which is mostly the result of insufficient budgets. Where they exist National Grasslands are also shown with the abbreviation "NG."

These numbers are usually the basis for unit/personnel radio identifiers (AKA "callsigns").

R2 Rocky Mountain Region

02 Bighorn NF
01 Powder River
04 Medicine Wheel
06 Tongue

03 Black Hills NF
01 Bearlodge
03 Hell Canyon
06 Mystic
08 Northern Hills

04 Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison NFs
02 Grand Valley
05 Norwood
06 Ouray
07 Gunnison
08 Paonia
09 Taylor

06 Medicine Bow-Routt NFs
01 Yampa
02 Brush Creek-Hayden
03 Hahns Peak-Bears Ears
04 Parks
05 Laramie
09 Taylor

07 Nebraska NF
01 Bessey
02 Pine Ridge
05 Fall River
06 Wall
09 Fort Pierre NG

09 Rio Grande
01 Forest Supervisor's Office
03 Canejos Peak
04 Divide
07 Saguache

10 Arapaho and Roosevelt NFs
01 Boulder
05 Canyon Lakes
06 Pawnee NG
07 Clear Creek
08 Sulphur

12 Pike and San Isabel NFs
01 Leadville
02 Salida
03 San Carlos
06 Comanche NG
07 Cimarron NG
09 Pikes Peak
10 South Park
11 South Platte

13 San Juan NF
05 Mancos/Dolores
06 Pagosa
08 Columbine

Shoshone NF
01 Clarks Fork
02 Greybull
03 Washakie
04 Wapiti
05 Wind River

White River NF
01 Aspen
02 Blanco
03 Sopris
04 Eagle
07 Holy Cross
08 Rifle
10 Dillon

I hope this helps decipher some identifiers you may hear.
es93546

 

[es93546]

If people find the above useful and there is interest I can do other USFS regions. Some regions, in particular, the Northern Region (R1) have have identifiers for their fire apparatus and identify all personnel by their last name, no matter what position they are in, so the forest/ranger district numbering is not as important. Last names without ID's such as division, battalion, captain, timber, recreation, wildlife, range, etc. or a number equivalent of them is confusing for visiting units or when other agencies are communicating on other agency radio systems. If I've driven to Montana from Arizona with my Type 6 or Type 7 patrol rig for a temporary assignment and there is an initial attack on a fire, when I hear someone giving out orders and they just say "Thompson" or "Smith," how am I to know if this is a fire management officer from a district, the forest supervisor's office, a battalion chief, someone in recreation who is qualified as a Type 5 incident commander, or whatever?

When I arrived on a ranger district I had transferred to in Region 4, I was told to disregard the number system they once had for the forest and use my last name. I told them I didn't want my personal identity being broadcast all over the place, found the old sheet of paper showing some numbers and used the one for my position.

If last names are used at least knowing the ranger district number used to identify engines, patrols and crews will be of some use.

Anyway, let me know if other USFS regional numbering is of interest. I may be slow to get regions together as the effort is just a little time consuming, but I will get it done eventually. If there is no interest, then I won't.

 

[ColoradoRedlands]

Shoshone NF
01 Clarks Fork
02 Greybull
03 Washakie
04 Wapiti
05 Wind River

White River NF
01 Aspen
02 Blanco
03 Sopris
04 Eagle
07 Holy Cross
08 Rifle
10 Dillon

Thanks es93546. Great list. Was there a 'Forest' number for Shoshone NF and White River NF?

 

[KyFireFreak]

If people find the above useful and there is interest I can do other USFS regions. Some regions, in particular, the Northern Region (R1) have have identifiers for their fire apparatus and identify all personnel by their last name, no matter what position they are in, so the forest/ranger district numbering is not as important. Last names without ID's such as division, battalion, captain, timber, recreation, wildlife, range, etc. or a number equivalent of them is confusing for visiting units or when other agencies are communicating on other agency radio systems. If I've driven to Montana from Arizona with my Type 6 or Type 7 patrol rig for a temporary assignment and there is an initial attack on a fire, when I hear someone giving out orders and they just say "Thompson" or "Smith," how am I to know if this is a fire management officer from a district, the forest supervisor's office, a battalion chief, someone in recreation who is qualified as a Type 5 incident commander, or whatever?

When I arrived on a ranger district I had transferred to in Region 4, I was told to disregard the number system they once had for the forest and use my last name. I told them I didn't want my personal identity being broadcast all over the place, found the old sheet of paper showing some numbers and used the one for my position.

If last names are used at least knowing the ranger district number used to identify engines, patrols and crews will be of some use.

Anyway, let me know if other USFS regional numbering is of interest. I may be slow to get regions together as the effort is just a little time consuming, but I will get it done eventually. If there is no interest, then I won't.

I would be interested if you have anything for the Indiana, Kentucky, to Tennessee region. I travel extensively in this area and listen to some of their stuff. Good work there, we appreciate it.

 

[es93546]

Thanks es93546. Great list. Was there a 'Forest' number for Shoshone NF and White River NF?

Sorry to overlook that. THe Shoshone NF is forest #14 and the White River is forest #15. I had many interruptions while I was typing this so I didn't maintain a good rhythm putting it together.

 

[es93546]

I would be interested if you have anything for the Indiana, Kentucky, to Tennessee region. I travel extensively in this area and listen to some of their stuff. Good work there, we appreciate it.

You've mentioned states in both the Southern Region (R8) and Eastern Region (R9) of the U.S. Forest Service. When I get some time, I will post threads for each of them. R8 has 11 units and a slug of ranger districts. R9 has 15 units and not quite as many ranger districts.

 

[Rooney140]

You've mentioned states in both the Southern Region (R8) and Eastern Region (R9) of the U.S. Forest Service. When I get some time, I will post threads for each of them. R8 has 11 units and a slug of ranger districts. R9 has 15 units and not quite as many ranger districts.

I am interested in R9 when you find time to post info, Thanks