New York Forest Rangers stretched thin as state park tourism soars

Leaf-peeping season is peaking all over the Adirondacks and Catskills. As New Yorkers from the city and suburbs swarm to see nature's yearly show and get in a good hike or canoe trip, state forest rangers are concerned about managing more tourists and more land without additional rangers.

The New York State Forest Ranger force, part of the Department of Environmental Conservation, numbers around 134 across the state. Most are located in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks. Known as the Forest Preserve, this land is dedicated by legislation passed more than a century ago to remain "forever wild."

The Adirondack Park is nearly 6 million acres on its own — 2.6 million of that state parkland — the largest publicly protected area in the continental United States; the Catskills parkland adds another 700,000 acres. The state has actually added land to the preservation area in recent years. It's a great accomplishment, but one that has grown forest rangers' responsibilities but not their workforce.

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