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.

“DEC Forest Rangers are among the nation’s most versatile first responders, utilizing their expert training and wide-ranging knowledge to protect natural resources while encouraging responsible stewardship among those who visit State lands and sites,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “Their expertise in wildland fire suppression, technical rescue techniques, and law enforcement mean that Rangers are always prepared to successfully execute critical missions, here in New York State, as well as across the continent.”

City of Rutland
State of Vermont
Public Outreach: On Jan. 18, Forest Rangers Clute and Hess spoke to students at Stafford Technical Center in Vermont. The students learned about the Rangers’ duties in a class focused on forestry and natural resources, and in another class focused on public safety and criminal justice.

Hamlet of Staatsburg
Dutchess County
Training: On Jan. 18, Forest Rangers Pries and Russo conducted a wildland search course for 21 members of New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation at Mills Norrie State Park. Training with Parks ensures better cooperation during large-scale incidents such as searches and wildfires.

Following the classroom portion of the course, Rangers split the participants into two search crews and directed them look for clothing items placed in the woods three days earlier. After finding the clothes in the snow, crews had to find a set of keys one of the participants had accidentally dropped during the exercise. Thanks to their training and grid searching techniques, it took just 10 minutes to find the keys.

Town of Indian Lake
Hamilton County
Wilderness Search: On Jan. 18 at 8 p.m., Forest Rangers Miller and Scott responded to a request from New York State Police (NYSP) in Indian Lake to help search for three teenagers. A resident alerted Rangers to footprints heading towards the lake. After checking the thickness of the ice, Rangers used snowmobiles to track the subjects and followed the tracks for approximately 1.5 miles until they left the ice and entered the woods of the Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area. Ranger Scott started tracking on foot for more than a mile, which continued back onto the lake and toward a set of islands, while Ranger Miller continued patrolling the shoreline. Rangers found the three subjects suffering from mild hypothermia and warmed the teenagers while Lieutenant Kerr and Ranger Snye found an area by Route 30 that could be reached by snowmobile. Rangers and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office helped transport the subjects and met up with Indian Lake EMS. The teens were then turned over to NYSP and their parents. Resources were clear at 12 a.m.

Village of Wurtsboro
Sullivan County
Training: On Jan. 19, Forest Rangers participated in flat ice rescue training at Bashakill Wildlife Management Area. Rangers practiced rescue techniques and discussed various scenarios they may encounter at local bodies of water. The training is essential as the weather to date has not been consistently cold enough for local bodies of water to completely freeze over. More information about ice safety is available on DEC’s website.

Hamlet of White Lake
Sullivan County
Public Safety: On Jan. 20, Forest Rangers O’Connell and Schweider attended the Sullivan County Polar Freeze for a Cure. Rangers ensured all participants enjoyed their plunge safely. All proceeds from the fundraiser support the Alzheimer’s Association.

Town of Lake Pleasant
Hamilton County
Training: On Jan. 20, Forest Rangers Caswell and Snye conducted flat ice rescue and ice safety training on Lake Pleasant. Speculator Fire Department members learned the different characteristics of ice formation, proper equipment needed to safely conduct a water rescue, various rescue techniques, and hypothermic patient care.

Town of Kent
Putnam County
Ice Rescue: On Jan. 20 at 2:47 p.m., Forest Ranger Lieutenant Ashida was in the parking lot at White Pond talking to anglers about measuring the thickness of the ice when an angler ran over reporting someone nearby had just fallen through the ice. Lieutenant Ashida grabbed a personal flotation device and a throw bag and ran to the location. A nearby angler had already successfully pulled the 65-year-old from Patterson out of the water. Lieutenant Ashida helped walk the subject to his car and met Ranger Cowart and members of the Kent and Kent Cliff Fire Departments. Ranger Cowart helped the subject out of his wet clothes and into a sleeping bag for warmth. The subject was checked out by EMS and declined further medical care. Resources were clear at 3:37 p.m.

Town of North Elba
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Jan. 20 at 1:55 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a hiker with a knee injury slowly making his way down Mount Marcy. At 4:30 p.m., Forest Rangers Duchene, Lewis, and Praczkajlo reached the 34-year-old from Massachusetts and brought him to Lieutenant DiCintio at South Meadows Road. Lieutenant DiCintio transported the subject to his vehicle at the Adirondak Loj.

Town of Alabama
Genesee County
Law Enforcement: On Jan. 20, Forest Ranger Lieutenant Kennedy and Rangers Cordell and Miller conducted snowmobile safety checks at Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area. Rangers checked approximately 91 snowmobiles and issued six tickets for unregistered snowmobiles and modified exhaust. The sound produced by snowmobiles operating in New York State must not exceed 73 decibels.

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.