Sawtooth National Forest mourns loss of district ranger 

JEROME, Idaho (KIFI) — The Sawtooth National Forest mourns the loss of Fairfield District Ranger Marty Gmelin, who passed away Saturday from injuries he sustained during a snow-tubing accident.  

Gmelin, a native of Penfield, New York, will most be remembered for his beaming smile, hearty and infectious laughter, and the way he cared for his employees and the communities he served. He is survived by his parents and his sister. 

“Marty was one of kind,” Forest Supervisor Jake Strohmeyer said. “He was always positive and tackled any assignment with a rare earnestness and sincerity that always impressed me.” 

After earning an associates degree in Forestry, Gmelin began his Forest Service career as a seasonal in 1988. He later went on to earn his bachelors degree in Forest Management from the University of Montana. 

Gmelin, who just celebrated 30 years of federal service, first came to work for the Sawtooth National Forest in 1995 as a seasonal forestry technician. The following year, he received a permanent appointment on the Stanislaus National Forest, where he spent most of his career in positions ranging from district forester to forest silviculturist. Gmelin returned to Idaho to lead the Fairfield Ranger District April 27, 2020. 

Celebration of life arrangements are pending and will be announced at a later date. Anyone with stories and pictures of Gmelin are invited to share them with his family through a memorial page HERE.

The Sawtooth National Forest staff extend their sincerest condolences to Gmelin’s family and friends.