DEC Contact: Jeff Wernick (518) 402-8000
PressOffice@dec.ny.gov

May 14, 2024

DEC FOREST RANGERS – WEEK IN REVIEW

Recent Statewide Forest Ranger Actions

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents statewide. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations, and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate, and extract lost, injured, or distressed people from across New York State.   

 

In 2023, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 370 search and rescue missions, extinguished 146 wildfires covering nearly 1,400 acres, participated in 52 prescribed fires that served to rejuvenate more than 1,000 acres of land, and worked on cases that resulted in hundreds of tickets and arrests.  

 

“Whether they are leading complex search and rescue incidents, suppressing wildfires, enforcing laws on State lands and easements, inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards, or encouraging responsible recreation, Forest Rangers stand ready to help when called,” DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said. “Forest Rangers’ wide-ranging expertise and collaboration with local, State, and federal partners are instrumental in protecting New York’s public lands and the many visitors who use them.” 

 

Village of Brewster 

Putnam County 

Invasive Species Control: On May 3, Forest Ranger Russo joined volunteers and staff from DEC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife to clear out reed grass phragmites from Bog Brook Unique Area. Phragmites are an invasive species that overtake some wetlands, making it difficult for native flora and fauna to grow. 

 

Ranger Russo clearing out phragmites in Bog Brook Unique Area (photo attached)

 

Village of Saranac Lake 

Franklin County 

Training: From May 6 to 10, Forest Rangers Adams, Bowler, and O'Connor participated in a Police Bike Patrol and Safety Course hosted by the Saranac Lake Police Department. This course is a requirement for Forest Rangers who patrol the rail trail on bicycles.

 

Police bike school (photo attached)

 

City of Albany 

Albany County 

Memorial: On May 7, members of the Forest Rangers Honor Guard participated in the annual police memorial at the Empire State Plaza. A service was held to honor police officer line of duty deaths from 2023.  

 

Forest Ranger Honor Guard at annual police memorial (photo attached)

 

Towns of Fine and Guilderland 

Albany and St. Lawrence Counties 

Prescribed Fires: On May 7, Forest Ranger Laymon joined staff and volunteers from DEC’s Division of Lands and Forests and the Albany Pine Bush to conduct a prescribed fire on 50 acres in the Pine Bush in the town of Guilderland.   

 

On May 9, Forest Rangers joined Ranger School students from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry to conduct a prescribed fire on 0.6 acres of land on East Boundary Road in the town of Fine. In addition to propagating warm season grasses, the burn served as a training tool for new wildland firefighters. 

 

Prescribed fire is an important land management tool used to improve habitat for lands and wildlife. These burns are regulated by law and regulation and require technical expertise to conduct safely. Controlled burns help prevent the spread of invasive species, and in some areas, prescribed fire is also used to reduce the buildup of wood, timber litter, and other hazards that fuel fires in order to reduce the potential for wildfires that threaten public safety and critical infrastructure. DEC carefully and responsibly implements prescribed fires only when conditions are favorable to meet land management goals. 

 

Prescribed fire in Fine (photo attached)

 

Town of North Elba 

Essex County 

Wilderness Search: On May 8 at 6:20 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from an SOS beacon near Moose Pond and the Northville Placid Trail. The subject was a 70-year-old from North Carolina who was not injured but was lost. At 10:40 p.m., Forest Rangers DuChene and Praczkajlo reached the subject, determined he needed rest before hiking out, and helped him to the Moose Pond lean-to where he spent the night. At 11:39 a.m. the following morning, Rangers returned to the lean-to and helped hike the subject out of the woods. They reached the trailhead at 2:27 p.m.   

 

Hamlet of Basom 

Genesee County 

Public Outreach: On May 11, Forest Ranger Lieutenant Kennedy and Ranger Miller attended the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Spring Spectacular, a celebration to welcome spring. The five-hour event featured information tents from Forest Rangers, DEC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Rangers explained the requirements to become a Forest Ranger while also talking about fire safety. More than 1,000 people attended the event. 

 

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Spring Spectacular (photo attached)

 

Be sure to properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC's Hike Smart NY, Adirondack Backcountry Information, and Catskill Backcountry Information webpages for more information. 

 

If a person needs a Forest Ranger, whether it's for a search and rescue, to report a wildfire, or to report illegal activity on state lands and easements, they should call 833-NYS-RANGERS. If a person needs urgent assistance, they can call 911. To contact a Forest Ranger for information about a specific location, the DEC website has phone numbers for every Ranger listed by region: http://on.ny.gov/NYSForestRangerRoster 

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