CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK — Crater Lake National Park officials have plans to create an auxiliary search-and-rescue program in place of an independent ski patrol that has operated for more than four decades.

Crater Lake Superintendent Craig Ackerman said the park is adopting a “Preventative Search and Rescue Program” that will handle incidents on a year-round basis. For the past four decades, the Crater Lake Ski Patrol, a volunteer group operating in winter, has assisted the park with patrolling areas used by cross-country skiers and snowshoers, helping in emergencies and providing information to park visitors.

In a statement, Ackerman said he had no authority to abolish the ski patrol and that it was unwise to abandon the park’s long-standing relationship with an organization that has significant partner support.

“I think,” he said, “we can work together to find a role for the ski patrol within a well-managed PSAR program. The organization does not need to surrender its identity or history but will need to conform to our new PSAR program.”

The new program will help visitors understand how to be prepared for the weather, plan their trip, follow regulations and enjoy the park in a safe manner.

That, in turn, reduces the amount of search and rescue calls and emergency calls.

Ski patrol members have typically attended one or two weekends a year of training coordinated by park rangers. They then volunteered for one to three weekends, depending on their availability. They have operated with 20 to 30 active members, but those numbers have declined in recent years.

The group, according to a Park Service statement, “has operated somewhat independently from the park causing the park staff to spend numerous hours and increased efforts to ensure they operate within park policy and applicable regulations.”

The ski patrol’s leading council was abolished in 2012 by the Park Service, but was reestablished a year later after a change in park staffing and following a push from retired park service staff who led the volunteer group.

The new program would consist of three to five full-time volunteers available 32 to 40 hours a week. Long-term plans include one to three permanent positions and two to four seasonal staff to include those qualified in emergency medical services.

In creating the new plan, Crater Lake officials said, “The Park Service has seen the need across the country for paid and volunteer staff to perform a PSAR role and the significant benefits it provides the visitors and the park.”

Programs have been developed in Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Bryce Canyon, Great Smokey Mountains and Shenandoah national parks, among others.

Crater Lake National Park “would benefit from following the PSAR model that has already been established and differs from what is currently being used,” officials said.

During winter, the Crater Lake group would focus on Rim Village, West Rim Drive to Lightning Springs and East Rim Drive to the Vidae Falls area. In summer, the group would focus on Cleetwood Trail, Garfield Peak Trail, Mount Scott Trail and sections of the Pacific Crest Trail.

Part-time volunteers would be welcome to add support on weekends. Housing would be provided to the full-time volunteers.

Recruiting is planned through the Crater Lake National Park website, social media and community outreach. PSAR volunteers at other parks also can commit to a season at Crater Lake, officials said.