State officials pledge more resources for rangers
By Gwendolyn Craig
In February 2018, more than 30 forest rangers from around the state descended on Saddleback Mountain in the High Peaks Wilderness to rescue an injured hiker. The rescue took nearly two days in the snow and ice.
Forest Ranger Robbie Mecus told the Adirondack Explorer then that “it’s probably the worst spot in the High Peaks that you can break a leg,” adding that “there’s no way to get to it without going over a High Peak.” Adirondack High Peaks rise roughly 4,000 feet or taller.
“There were rangers that had to stop, set up shelter and rewarm themselves on the side of the trail to keep going,” said ranger Andrew Lewis. “The conditions were just that bad.” Among the rangers covering the High Peaks region — just over a dozen — Lewis said many of those who responded to that 2018 winter rescue did not have suitable mountaineering boots, clothing layers or packs.
To assist colleagues in defraying costs for gear, Lewis and others recently launched a new initiative: The Forest Ranger Foundation. Based in Keene, the nonprofit organization’s mission is to provide “additional equipment, training and support for New York State Forest Rangers to improve their unique abilities to protect lives and resources.”
The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) provides gear to forest rangers. But items such as winter base layers, snow pants, socks, tents, emergency shelters, sleeping bags and additional backpacks are on a ranger’s own dime.
Rangers get an annual boot stipend of $175, but Lewis said boots often wear out before the year is over.
“We personally purchase a lot of equipment to make ourselves more functional, to make ourselves safer, and to provide a better service to the public,” Lewis said.
Thirty-eight rangers most recently graduated from the ranger academy, and Lewis is glad they are on board. But new rangers, which start out at the lowest base pay, tend to need the most gear. Out-of-pocket costs can be as much as $5,000 per person for new recruits, Lewis said.
More experienced rangers tend to pay closer to $1,000 or $2,000 a year, he said. Some rangers refuse to purchase anything for their jobs, he said, and that can make search and rescues particularly difficult.
Foundation website
To learn more about the Forest Ranger Foundation and to donate, go to forestrangerfoundation.org/.
The foundation plans to roll out fundraisers for specific items, which will likely be distributed to all rangers across the state. Though rangers experience different job environments depending on where they are stationed, Lewis said wildfires and big search and rescues, such as the Saddleback Mountain rescue, can call in rangers from everywhere. They all need to be prepared for anything, Lewis said.
In addition to equipping rangers, the foundation hopes to partner with outside organizations on better training programs for challenging rescues and wildfire responses.
The nonprofit hopes to work with the state so that rangers are paid their salaries while the foundation pays for their transportation and attendance at training seminars. The foundation also plans to assist rangers with their physical and mental health, though Lewis said the board is still working on how to address that.
Lewis is the president of the new organization. Its treasurer is John Gullen, a ranger in the Catskill Park. Mark Brand is the foundation’s secretary, based in the southern Adirondacks. Lewis said board members must be field rangers. Scott van Laer, a retired forest ranger and outspoken advocate for rangers, provided the bulk of the funding to get the nonprofit off the ground, Lewis said.
DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said he was puzzled about the creation of the foundation and pointed to the ranger force and resources being larger than ever.
Talking to the press in Saranac Lake on Friday, Seggos said staff should be able to get whatever they need and should not have to turn to a foundation. “We need to connect the dots” to the rangers who might not know they can ask for equipment, Seggos said.
But rangers have been vocal about a lack of resources recently.
In an environmental conservation budget hearing at the beginning of the year, rangers testified before state lawmakers about the matter. Arthur Perryman, an Adirondack forest ranger and director of forest rangers for the New York State Police Benevolent Association, told lawmakers they often buy their own down jackets and winter gear.
“We have to get you down jackets,” responded state Assemblyman John Lemondes Jr., R-Lafayette. “That makes no sense at all.”
Perryman told the Explorer he thought the foundation was a positive thing for the rangers, and would also be beneficial for conducting more public outreach.
State Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, was surprised to hear about the foundation’s creation and thought the state should be paying for any gear rangers need. With a $227 billion state budget, Stec said, “there’s no reason for us to, as a state, to nickel and dime” the approximately 140 rangers statewide.
“As a budgetary matter, there’s not so many of them where we shouldn’t figure it out,” Stec said.
Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Deborah Glick, D-Manhattan, noted that state police have foundations to assist with purchasing bullet proof vests and other equipment and teachers often pay for classroom items out of their own pockets.
“There are many areas in which we are shortchanging professionals that have vital jobs, but we will continue to work on this,” Glick said. “I didn’t realize that Andrew (Lewis) had gone to the point of starting a foundation, but I understand why, and we need to do a better job as a state to ensure that they have the resources and equipment that they need to do the job that we ask them to do.”
Glick said lawmakers and the DEC should raise the issue with Gov. Kathy Hochul soon to target resources in the proposed executive budget next year.
Lewis said the creation of the foundation was never meant to be critical of the state. The purchasing process between the state and outdoor gear companies, he said, “is extremely difficult, extremely tedious.”
“It just became clear that we have to augment what the state equips us with,” Lewis said. “We have to be capable at the highest level, otherwise we are putting ourselves in danger, and we’re potentially not saving a person. The argument is we need to push for the absolute best from ourselves.”
Seriously? Rangers are expected to conduct rescues that require them to spend a night or 2 in the High Peaks in winter and the State doesn’t provide them with winter rated down bags and bivy shelters?
And a good pair of winter mountaineering boots cost way more than $175. Heck that doesn’t even cover their day to day footwear.
Shame on Hochul, Seggos and the Legislature.
I am glad the Rangers are taking steps to ensure their safety and effectiveness. While it should not be necessary in NYS, it apparently is. I’ll certainly contribute.
“DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said he was puzzled about the creation of the foundation…”
Seems like that’s where the disconnect is. The rangers need equipment. The state isn’t providing it. They’ve turned to the private sector and created a foundation, presumably so donations to support the rangers can be tax deductible. I’m puzzled that Seggos is puzzled. Maybe he meant to say he’s embarrassed.
Seggos is indeed the disconnect, and it is intentional. As long as he keeps stating that funding and staffing are sufficient, why would the governor and the legislature disagree? If he can’t understand the situation, why is he still there? Indeed, is he puzzled, embarrassed, or ashamed??
NYS looking to spend bond act funds. Here is a good place.
We could do that, but then annual budget funding will likely be reduced even further. There is no reason to keep the Ranger force on a continual shoestring budget.
This is what happens when you promote people to the highest positions based on politics on not qualifications! Seggos is surprised, and that doesn’t surprise me.
Talk about disconnect. What a jerk for making those comments.
He should either be carried out of the woods strapped to a stretcher while Rangers strain to carry him….or do the carrying. Then he would see. Unbelievable.
Seggos doesn’t even have enough understanding to be ashamed or embarrassed.
What an uninformed idiot.
As always Scott van Laer leads the way. Good job !
Thanks to the Adk. Explorer and to Gwen Craig for shining a light on this bootstrap initiative to form a “forest ranger foundation”. This fund raising effort is being led by forest ranger Andrew Lewis, et al, with a generous start-up contribution from retired ranger Scott vanLaer. Well done to all of you!
The new foundation hopes to raise money to help our current forest rangers fill in state funding gaps that force rangers to buy expensive personal gear out of their own pockets or else try to get along without it. Additional funding will permit forest rangers to carry out their emergency response duties more safely and efficiently to the benefit of all of us.
I urge everyone to stand by our forest rangers and contribute to this worthwhile cause.
So, in 2018 over 30 rangers responded with volunteers to a difficult winter rescue in the High Peaks. This resulted in the hiring of 38 additional rangers which raised their ranks to 160 which is 25 above their authorized fill level. This also required the DEC to purchase 38 more trucks, equipment and uniforms. The DEC has a fixed budget like all state agencies. This means the funding was taken from existing programs’ hiring budget. This past year ranger union president Perryman requested new uniform equipment and were told that it would be financed by our politicians. Now the rangers come to the Explorer to release information that they have organized a “Go Fund Me” foundation to raise money for uniforms. It sounds like Seggos and Stec were not in the loop about the creation of this foundation. So, they are puzzled and embarassed. Their response is that funding will be secured to buy the uniforms while the foundation also raises money for additional expenses. Problem solved for the rangers. I hope there is funding for all the volunteers that unselfishly respond to these emergencies with their own equipment, gear and vehicles on their own time and are not salaried, funded and do not get overtime pay. I also hope that funding is returned to all the state agencies that suffer shortfalls in staffing to fund these efforts. Maybe they should also follow the example and start Go Fund Me pages or foundations.
This is pretty embarrassing, why did they hire so many more rangers if there was no funding, why not invest more into the actual TRAILS to prevent injuries ? More money should be spent on trail crews to do good work and less injuries would happen. Seems the cheaper solution, and more beneficial to the entire public, Not just those doing and needing the rescue. Our trails are in terrible shape, only adding to the strain put on hikers leading to injuries. NYS Employees always take the single minded approach- we need more in our dept!!!! Screw everyone else!!!