WILDLIFE OFFICERS HAVE A DANGEROUS JOB

The job of a wildlife enforcement officer, like all law enforcement jobs, is a dangerous one. Inherent in a wildlife officers job is contacting people in remote locations who are armed with guns, knives, and other weapons.  Some of the people wildlife officers contact are fugitives, convicted felons, and other wanted subjects.  Fortunately, wildlife officers across the country are very well trained professionals.

As evidence of the inherently dangerous circumstances wildlife officers face on the job, in the the last 90 days wildlife officers in four states have had to resort to using deadly force against subjects who were threatening or attempting to inflict great bodily harm or death upon the officers while officers were in the course of their patrol duties.  

Everyday, thousands of well-trained conservation law enforcement officers risk their lives while providing for public safety and protecting our natural resources on behalf or current and future generations.

Read more about the nature of these use of force incidents:

Louisiana 

Oklahoma

California

Colorado

2015 Conservation Law Enforcement Leadership Academy Participants Selected!!

In partnership with the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, NACLEC has launched the 2015 Conservation Law Enforcement Leadership Academy.  

The NACLEC Leadership Academy Steering Team met January 25-28, 2015 in South Carolina to review and evaluate the 2014 Academy experience, enhance the curriculum, and select the 2015 academy class.  

Special thanks to Colonel Chisolm Frampton, the South Carolina DNR staff, and the South Carolina Wildlife Officers Association for the hospitality, outstanding food, and educational and cultural enrichment during our stay. 

The Leadership Academy Steering Team members include:

Brian Nesvik, Chief Warden, Wyoming
Scott Edberg, Assistant Chief Warden, Wyoming
Larry Yamnitz, Chief of Protection, Missouri
Craig Hunter, Colonel, Texas
Danny Shaw – LT Colonel, Texas
Kurt Blanchard, Deputy Chief, Rhode Island
Kyle Overturf, Colonel, Connecticut
Gene Elms, Chief Warden, Arizona
Mike Cenci – Deputy Chief, State of Washington
Jack Daugherty, LT Colonel, Florida
Eddie Henderson, Colonel, Georgia
Heather Dugan, Assistant Director of Law Enforcement and Public Safety, Colorado
William Woody, Chief of Law Enforcement, USFWS
Chisolm Frampton, Colonel, South Carolina
Randy Stark – NACLEC Executive Director

The number of applicants went up 40% percent, increasing from 36 in 2014 to 60 in 2015.  The Steering Team had the difficult task of selecting the 36 participants from 60 outstanding applicants.   It’s good to see such a high quality stream of future leadership emerging from our ranks.   We look forward to those who were not selected this year applying again in the future.

Congratulations go to the following individuals from 27 states, the USFWS and Canada that were selected for the 2015 Conservation Law Enforcement Leadership Academy:

Captain Floyd Harper, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Captain Christy Wurster, California Fish and Wildlife
Captain Benjamin Byrd, New Mexico Game and Fish
District Supervisor Benny Pryor, Missouri Department of Conservation
Area Wildlife Manager Mark Leslie, Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Captain Drew Aydelotte, Delaware Natural Resource Police
Captain Jay Russel, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission
Major Don Duval, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission
Major Stephen Adams, Georgia DNR
Chief Greg Wooten, Idaho Fish and Game
Lt. Colonel Steve Hunter, Indiana DNR
Captain Dan Melson, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism
Captain Greg Williford, Texas Parks and Wildlife
Sergeant Troy Dow, Maine Marine Patrol
Lt. Kevin Adam, Maine Warden Service
Captain David Malloch, Michigan DNR
Supervisor Rodney Ivie, Missouri Department of Conservation
Regional Supervisor Chris Morrow, Missouri Department of Conservation
Captain John Douglas, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Assistant Administrator Jeff Clauson, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Major Michael Perry, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
Supervisor Michele Welsh, Ohio DNR
LT William Tobey, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
LT Casey Thomas, Oregon State Police
LT Michael Reeder, Pennsylvania Game Commission
Major Jamie Landrum, South Carolina DNR
Major William Poole, South Carolina DNR
Captain Clifton Swofford, Texas Parks and Wildlife
RAC Andrew Aloise, USFWS
Deputy RAC Bruce Corley, USFWS
Captain Mitch Lane, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Colonel Jason Batchelder, Vermont Fish and Wildlife
Deputy Chief Michael Hobbs, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Assistant Training Director Jeffrey King, Wisconsin DNR
LT. Colonel David Trader, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
Regional Wildlife Supervisor John Lund, Wyoming Game and Fish Department

The NACLEC Leadership Academy class of 2015 begins April 20, 2015 at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Shikar Safari Club Taking Scholarship Applications

NACLEC Members:

Shikar Safari Club is proudly taking applications from undergraduates and graduates. These scholarships will be given on a yearly basis. And will be given in the amount of $5000.00 each for those currently involved in the studies of Wildlife Management, Range Management and Law Enforcement.

Applicant requirements are as follows:

1.    Must be a son or daughter of an active or retired Game Warden, or a Game Warden interested in Continuing Education, of the United States of America.                                                      

2.   Course work hours qualifying as a Sophomore at the time of application.

3.  Must have a strong pro hunting viewpoint on wildlife management and land management.

4.  Must be an active hunter.

 5.  Must have a 3.0 or better grade point average.

 6.  Must show good leadership abilities 

 7.  Graduate students must send a copy of the Thesis project information. No more than 1 page.

 8.  Graduate students need to include both undergraduate and graduate transcripts.

For those students interested in applying, please send a total of seven (7) pages. This application must have, an introductory cover letter, a resume including those courses yet to be completed, an official transcript, two (2) letters of recommendation and a current photograph. This information must be received no later than June 1, 2015.  Applications accepted after June 1 will be applied to the following year. 

Send information to: Gary Rose

                                  P. O. Box 237

                                  Rosanky, Texas 78953        

If your department knows of anyone, male or female, who would possibly be interested and meets these requirements, please urge them to apply.

Thanks,

Gary A. Rose, Scholarship Committee Chairman

Announcing the Rollout of the Natural Resource Crime Center (NRCC)

NACLEC is announcing the launch of the Natural Resource Crime Center.  Thanks to the work of Deputy Chief Mike Cenci and others in the State of Washington who worked hard to make this a reality, we now have a secure-hosted information sharing website available exclusively to Conservation Law Enforcement agencies across the country.

We all know poachers and wildlife traffickers don’t stop at our state lines.  Today people are more mobile than ever, and technology enables illegal wildlife enterprises to easily communicate, coordinate and operate nationwide.  

It takes a network to beat a network.  Our success in achieving our collective mission of protecting people and natural resources is enhanced by our capacity to network.  One of our strategic goals in NACLEC is to enhance our networking, communication and collaboration among our member agencies across state lines.  The Natural Resource Crime Center is a new tool in our toolbox to enhance our networking capability on a national level. 

The NRCC offers a secure place to:

•    Share documents, videos and photographs.
•    Participate, initiate discussions, engage in creative problem solving, and collaborate on       investigations of mutual interest.  
•    Contact Natural Resources Law Enforcement Officers through the United States.
•    Share and market training opportunities.

Please seriously consider joining NRCC.  To participate in the NRCC you must be a member of Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS).  Contact your regional information network to determine if your organization is a member.  Most law enforcement agencies are members.

For access to the NRCC, or general questions, send an email to fmansfield@wsin.riss.net, include your organization and your RISS user name. Within 10 days you will receive an email inviting you to join the NRCC.