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.

Training opportunity: Dealing with Human/Large Carnivore Conflicts

Our colleagues at the Wyoming Game & Fish Department have announced a WAFWA-sanctioned workshop for mid-and upper-level managers who deal with conflicts between humans and large carnivorous animals.

Set to take place May 5-7, 2015 in Cody, Wyoming, you can find more information on their website or contact Dan Thompson at (307) 332-2688  or daniel.thompson@wyo.gov for more information.

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.

First Ever NACLEC Leadership Academy Cohort Graduates!!

History has been made!!  The graduation ceremony for the first-ever 35 member class of the National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Leadership Academy took place on Thursday, September 18, 2014 at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.  Academy participants came from across 26 states and Canada.

NACLEC, in conjunction with the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement, developed a vision for this academy at a nationwide meeting at the National Conservation Training Center in April 2012.  The vision has become a reality with the graduation of this first class.

NACLEC is very proud of each member of the class, and very appreciative of our partner in this effort, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.  William Woody, Chief of the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement has been very supportive of our leadership development initiative.  In addition, Jay Slack, Director of the USFWS National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and his staff, have been a model for hospitality and customer service at NCTC.   The USFWS was key to the success of this initiative.

NACLEC is also very appreciate of the work of Academy Administrative Services Coordinator Marcie Marquardt.  With Marcie's competent efforts, and close attention to detail, the academy would not have been a success.

Applications for the second academy to be held in 2015 will be solicited in November 2014.  Watch for additional information on the application process in mid to late October 2014.

The members of the first graduating class in the photo located below are as follows:

Front Row (L to R):  Jeffrey Samorajczyk (CT); Curtis Brown (FL); Dean Harre (MO); Randy Stark (NACLEC Exec. Director & Chief, WI - Ret.); Daniel Menard (ME); Thomas Strother, III (MO); Pete Flores (Colonel, TX - Ret.); Marcie Marquardt (Leadership Academy Staff); William Woody (USFWS Law Enforcement Chief)

Second Row (L to R): Thomas Grohol (PA); Nathan Erdman (OK); Gene Elms (Chief, AZ); Jay Slack (NCTC Director)
 
Third Row (L to R):  Rodmen Smith (MN); Jeffrey Weaver (GA); Richard King (WY); Kevin Davis (TX); Doug Shugart (OR); Robert Fleenor (Colonel, OK); Kurt Blanchard (Deputy Chief, RI); 

Fourth Row (L to R): BJ Thurman (KS); Randy Shoup (PA); Rick Olson (UT); Jonathan Cornish (ME); Steven Hall (AK); Larry Yamnitz (Chief, MO) 

Fifth Row (L to R): Travis McLain (MO); Glen Ehler (Nova Scotia, Canada)

Sixth Row (L to R):  David Bess (CA); Andrew Alban (SD): Mark Walker (OK); Cody Jones (TX); Bernard Chastain (AK); Kyle Overturf (Colonel, CT) 

Seventh Row (L to R): Frank Floor (RI); Randy Doman (MO); Casey Krueger (WI); Jack Daugherty (FL); Walter Rabon (GA); Karl Brooks (WI)

Eighth Row (L to R):  Dan Hoenke (ND); Harold Guse (MT); Scott Jurk (TX); Justin Shirley (UT) 

Flanked By:  Pennsylvania Game Commission Ceremonial Unit.

NACLEC Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri

From Sunday September 21, 2014 through Wednesday September 24, 2014, the National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs held a meeting in conjunction with the 104th meeting of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in St. Louis, Missouri.

The following Conservation Law Enforcement Executives were in attendance:

Pat Fitts, Arkansas                              

Bob Thompson, Colorado

Heather Dugan, Colorado

Clavin Adams, Florida

Jack Daugherty, Florida

Kyle Overturf, Connecticut

Ron Cave, Florida

Eddie Henderson, Georgia

Kevin Jones, Kansas

Larry Yamnitz, Missouri

Jeff Clauson, Nebraska

Joel Wilkinson, Maine                        

Christopher Cloutier, Maine              

Martin Garabedian, New Hampshire

Ben Byrd, New Mexico                      

Ken Fitz, Ohio

Dirk Cochran, Ohio

Chisolm Frampton, South Carolina

Alvin Taylor, South Carolina

Andy Alban, South Dakota

Craig Hunter, Texas

Danny Shaw, Texas                                 

Tony Wood, Utah

Mike Cenci, Washington

Todd Schaller, Wisconsin                    

Brian Nesvik, Wyoming                     

David Deckard, Oklahoma

Mike England, Georgia                       

Topics discussed included:

·      Development of a National Strategy for continuously adapting the institution of conservation law enforcement to new realties being created by changing social, technological, economic, and environmental conditions.

·      The NACLEC Leadership Academy

·      The Interstate Violator Compact

·      Information sharing systems between states

·      International Wildlife Trafficking

·      Funding future conservation law enforcement efforts

Based on our discussions about the importance of creating a more inclusive and diverse conservation community in the future, we thought it appropriate to use the historically significant Old Courthouse in St. Louis as the backdrop.  This was the Federal and State courthouse beginning back in 1839 and the site where an enslaved husband and wife, Dred and Harriet Scott, sued for their freedom in 1856 (the infamous Dred Scott Case) and where Virginia Minor sued for a woman’s right to vote in 1872.  These are two examples where people courageously exercised leadership in pursuit of equal treatment for everyone on America.

NACLEC members attending the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agency meeting in St. Louis September 21-24, 2014.

NACLEC Embarks on National Strategy Formulation for Conservation Law Enforcement

Based on strategic conversations that took place at the annual NACLEC meeting in St. Louis September 21-24, 2014, NACLEC members are beginning stages of formulating a National Strategy for Conservation Law Enforcement for the 21st Century.  

The purpose of this effort is to identify the strategies, tactics and dedicated actions the institution of conservation law enforcement needs to employ to successfully adapt to the new realities created by changing social, technological, economic, and environment changes taking place in order to achieve our mission.

A subcommittee was formed to frame the issues and develop a draft National Strategy document for presentation at a meeting in South Carolina in January 2015.  

If you have ideas or thoughts you'd like to pass on to NACLEC in formulating this strategy, please send them on to Mike Cenci, Deputy Chief of Law Enforcement, State of Washington Department of Fish and Game Police at mike.cenci@dfw.wa.gov

The Inaugural NACLEC Leadership Academy Class Completes Phase One

On Monday, May 5, 2014, the National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs, in partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, launched the inaugural session of the National Conservation Law Enforcement Leadership Academy at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.  

The first class consists of 35 conservation law enforcement executives from across the United States and Canada, representing 24 states and the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.     

This leadership development initiative is critical to the future of conservation law enforcement in the United States and Canada.  This project would not be possible without the support of the the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), NACLEC members, and the outstanding partnerships between NACLEC, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, USFWS Chief of Law Enforcement Bill Woody, NCTC Director Jay Slack and the staff at NCTC.  At the end of the day, it’s partnerships and relationships that make this important initiative possible and successful."

Participants in the program completed the first two week residency on May 16, 2014.  They then returned to their respective agencies where they will complete an applied learning leadership project.  They will return to NCTC for a final week of courses and a graduation ceremony on September 18, 2014.

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National Conservation Law Enforcement Leadership Academy, Class of 2014