A New York state assistant forest ranger who went missing while camping in the Adirondacks was found dead last month, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. His death has prompted a public petition calling for expanded safety measures for rangers.
Brendan Jackson, 42, was located at his tent site on June 15 in Duck Hole, a remote area of Franklin County in the western High Peaks, according to the Adirondack Explorer. His body was discovered by fellow rangers, more than a week after he last checked in with dispatch on June 7. A cause of death has not been released.
Jackson, originally from Delmar, Albany County, and based near Saranac Lake, had worked as a seasonal assistant forest ranger with the DEC since 2008. He was known for his trail work, public education, and backcountry patrols. During winters, he served as an interior caretaker at Marcy Dam and Mount Colden.
“Brendan put the public’s safety above his own when responding to rescues, suppressing fires, patrolling trails, and helping maintain backcountry facilities,” the DEC said.
Following his death, an online petition launched on Change.org by members of the backcountry and hiking community has gained traction, urging the DEC to implement employee tracking systems and enhance communication protocols for staff in remote posts. The petition had nearly 5,000 signatures as of July 12.
According to the petition, Jackson notified dispatch at 7:22 p.m. on June 7 that he was going out of communication range while working in the backcountry at Duck Hole. He missed several routine check-ins over the following days, but his absence went unreported until a friend contacted dispatch on June 14 to express concern. His body was found in his tent following morning, according to Adirondack Daily Enterprise.
In an open letter to DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton, Jackson’s friend Danielle Carr said the assistant ranger’s death was “100% preventable.”
“Brendan passed away in the backcountry … in the middle of his work week,” Carr wrote, criticizing the department for failing to notice missed check-ins and for not recovering his body until a week later. She urged the DEC to treat dispatch as an emergency system and provide additional support for seasonal rangers.
The DEC has not stated whether it plans to review its current staffing or safety procedures in the wake of Jackson’s death.
In a July 8 statement, the department praised Jackson’s years of service as a “remarkable steward” and expressed condolences to his friends and family.
Jackson’s death comes amid a busy summer season for forest rangers statewide. In the final week of June, rangers conducted multiple technical rescues across Ulster, Lewis, and Delaware counties, according to the DEC.
In 2024, the department responded to 362 search-and-rescue missions and extinguished 122 wildfires. Officials have previously voiced concern about understaffing and overtime reliance, with 153 rangers covering more than five million acres of public land.
According to his obituary, Jackson held an associate degree in mechanical engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology, a bachelor’s in forestry at Paul Smith’s College and a master’s in forest resource management at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.