New York DEC graduates 17 Forest Rangers

Lake Placid, N.Y. — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton on Sept. 29 welcomed 17 new graduates from the 25th Basic School for New York State Forest Rangers. The ceremony, held in Lake Placid, celebrated graduates from across New York State who followed extensive law enforcement and natural resources training in the classroom and in the field.

“I am thrilled to bring on 17 brave new Forest Rangers into the DEC family,” Commissioner Lefton said. “Over the past six months, these Forest Rangers and their families made tremendous sacrifices to make this day possible. Their skills and dedication will carry them as they pursue this noble career protecting our resources and positively changing the trajectory of other people’s lives. I wish them success as they begin this next chapter with DEC.”

For the last six months, recruits endured strenuous training at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry campus in the hamlet of Wanakena and the Huntington Wildlife Forest in the town of Newcomb.

MORE COVERAGE FROM NEW YORK OUTDOOR NEWS:

New York DEC mourns loss of esteemed biologist Kevin Hynes after auto accident

Old Reel Collectors Assoc. gathers in New York’s Warren County

Dan Ladd: Are numbers from New York’s Sept. antlerless hunt a sign of things to come after regulation changes?

The Division of Forest Protection trained the Ranger recruits in a wide range of rescue techniques, including rope rescues, and led extensive training in wildfire suppression, prescribed burns, water rescues, and wildlife protection, among other skills. The 17 graduates will join the State’s Forest Ranger force for a total of 161 Rangers statewide.

The list of graduates from is as follows:

• Joshua Betts – Highland, Ulster County;

• Jack Caulfield – Massapequa, Nassau County

• Ian Dill – Morris, Otsego County

• Ethan Engel – Peru, Clinton County

• Tucker Griffin – Niskayuna, Schenectady County;

• Griffen Johnson – Rome, Oneida County;

• Isaac Knapp – Stanfordville, Dutchess County;

• Ian Lupole – Kirkwood, Broome County;

• Alison MacCue – Croghan, Lewis County;

• Kaylynn Massa – Freehold,

• Greene County;

• Brian McMahon – Spencerport, Monroe County;

• Jacob Owen – Allegany, Cattaraugus County;

• Jeremy Patnode – Chateaugay, Franklin County;

• Mitchell Rigano – North Chili, Monroe County;

• Nathan Ryan – East Greenbush, Rensselaer County;

• Timothy Sarno – Kinderhook, Columbia County;

• Samantha Severing – Livingston Manor, Sullivan County.

Upon graduation, DEC assigns recruits to patrol areas to join the ranks of Forest Rangers currently serving across the state. In 2025, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 362 search and rescue missions, extinguished 202 wildfires covering nearly 840 acres, participated in 68 prescribed fires that served to rejuvenate 1,649 acres of land, and worked on cases that resulted in more than 1,100 tickets or arrests.

In early September, DEC announced 28 new graduates from the 25th Basic School for Environmental Conservation Police Officers (see Sept. 18, NYON). The new ENCON officers are currently serving throughout DEC’s nine regions.