Crater Lake Chief Ranger to Retire: Dave Brennan has been on the job for 7 1/2 years
Herald and News
Klamath Falls, Oregon
December 3, 2007
By LEE JUILLERAT
H&N Regional Editor

Dave Brennan, Crater Lake National Park’s chief ranger the past 7-1/2 years, doesn’t like the word, “retirement.”
“We call it a renewal rather than a retirement because it’s a chance to try something new,” explains the 51-year-old Brennan, who will end his 27-year National Park Service Dec. 31.
Federal law enforcement staff and firefighters are allowed to retire after 20 years, and he plans to take advantage of that opportunity.
“For me and my wife, while I’m still young and healthy it gives me an opportunity to do different things,” Brennan said. “It’s very important for us to enjoy other parts of life. I’ve seen some friends hang on. I’ve come to admire those who retire earlier than later.”
Keeping outside
He and his wife, Kate Kennedy, have a house in Ashland, where she teaches high school. They enjoy whitewater kayaking, skiing and bicycling – “all my outdoor activities.” Brennan also hopes to “dabble in writing.” He envisions finding “different ways to contribute,” possibly through another career, volunteer service or membership in different organizations.
Brennan’s Park Service career began in 1980 at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park in California. He has been at Crater Lake since June 2002, when he transferred from Grand Canyon National Park.
“When he came to Crater Lake he was prepared and that has really proven out,” Superintendent Chuck Lundy said of Brennan. “Whenever we’ve had complex incidents Dave really never encountered any situations he couldn’t manage in a professional way.”
Major incidents
During his years Crater Lake, major incidents included the shooting death by a ranger of an out-of-control camper, the still unsuccessful search for Sammy Boehlke, who was 8 when he disappeared in October 2006 – “the largest search this park has ever seen” – and, that same year, the Bybee Complex fire, which park officials allowed to burn because it did not threaten any structures in or near the park.
Brennan’s departure will occur at the same time Lundy retires.
“One of the beauties of the Park Service is we have a mobile enough work force that we can get an infusion of new people that helps keep us fresh and on our toes,” Brennan said, referring to his and Lundy’s retirements.
Of working at Crater Lake, Brennan said he remains awed by “the landscape, the snow. All the different varieties of snow – the same place is different every time you look at it. The sheer physical beauty of the park in all its moods.”
Other pages in this section
- Gorgeous and Free: free, guided snowshoe hikes – December 27, 2007
- Chief Ranger Dave Brennan Retires This Month – December 31, 2007
- Finding Your Winter Wonderland – December 15, 2007
- Exploring Crater Lake in Winter: Volunteers Answer Pressing Questions – December 15, 2007
- A part of history: Annual Great Nordeen cross-country ski race links the past to the present – December 15, 2007
- Into the Deep: Crater Lake’s ranking as one of the world’s deepest lakes varies by how list is determined – November 29, 2007
- Where to go for Thanksgiving snow: Mount Hood, Crater Lake offer best bets – November 21, 2007
- Lundy happy with progress at Crater Lake park – November 12, 2007
- Plotting a new course: Crater Lake superintendent Chuck Lundy to retire next year – November 12, 2007
- A bit of history – November 12, 2007
- Delegation Supporting Visitor Center at Crater Lake – November 11, 2007
- Walden, DeFazio Voice Support – November 11, 2007
- Crater Rim Drive closes Friday evening – November 7, 2007
- Follow-up on 2005 Ranger-Involved Shooting – November 5, 2007
- Source of the Rogue – November 01, 2007
- Unanimous Oregon Delegation Requests $2.5 Million for Crater Lake Visitor Center – October 31, 2007
- Crater Lake Seeks Volunteers – October 27, 2007
- Screaming wind downs forest trees: Crater Lake park, Prospect area hit by gusts of up to 60 mph – October 27, 2007
- Crater Lake Ski Patrol looking for members – October 18, 2007
- Crater Lake offers a compelling glimpse of the changing seasons – October 04, 2007
- Survival of the fittest for our man in Patagonia – September 30, 2007
- Crater Lake deep yields mysterious moss – September 15, 2007
- Cycle Oregon: This year’s tour includes Diamond, Crater Lakes – September 12, 2007
- Bicyclers pedal and party their way through state – September 10, 2007
- Fairview woman dies in Jeep accident near Crater Lake – September 03, 2007
- Remains of Long Missing Body at Crater Lake – August 29, 2007
- Free Admission Saturday – August 24, 2007
- Crater Lake Rim Runs Recap – August 13, 2007
- Runs Bring Out Veterans – August 13, 2007
- Runners Chase Personal Bests, Shed Baggage – August 12, 2007
- Pine Beetles Infest Crater Lake Rim – August 11, 2007
- See Crater Lake Panorama From Atop Garfield Peak – August 10, 2007
- Little-visited Sphagnum Bog a hotbed for botanists – August 6, 2007
- Crater Lake’s Mystery Moss – August 01, 2007
- Travelers Find Solace in Sights, Scenery – July 29, 2007
- Since You Asked: Espey Had Quite a Life – July 28, 2007
- Thinning to Cause Delays – July 19, 2007
- He made movies in Brooklyn, over 100 years ago – July 5, 2007
- Blue-green algae detected in Lemolo Lake – June 26, 2007
- Annie Springs Campground – June 17, 2007
- Cycle Oregon 2007: The Week Ride – Jun 3, 2007
- Crater Lake northern entrance opens today – May 24, 2007
- Mountain Climber Brian Smith – May 24, 2007
- Shadow Everest: Brian Smith – April 27, 2007
- Unraveling the secret of Crater Lake’s … Deep Moss – April 2, 2007
- National Park Service Listening Session: Gatlinburg, Tennessee – March 14, 2007
- National parks budget mostly a shell game – March 2, 2007
- Rainier third most dangerous U.S. volcano, USGS says – February 28, 2007
- New ‘America the Beautiful’ pass stirs controversy – February 23rd, 2007
- Post-Kim task force helps in finding man – February 21, 2007
- Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Oregon Experience Profiles William Steel, the “Father of Crater Lake” – February 13, 2007
- Task force formed to improve search efforts – February 11, 2007
- DeFazio wants Interior to rethink Crater Lake fee hike – January 3, 2007
- Keep parks affordable – January 3, 2007
- DeFazio Urges Interior Secretary to Reconsider Hike in Park Fees – January 2, 2007
- DeFazio against parks fee increase – January 2, 2007