Michigan Conservation Officers
Encyclopedia
Michigan Conservation Officers are the enforcement branch of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources
. Their primary duty is to enforce the environmental laws in the state of Michigan. Since Michigan Conservation Officers are fully commissioned peace officers they are empowered to enforce all the laws of the state of Michigan
. Many states and nations have Conservation officer
s but use the term game warden. The terms are synonymous with each other and both have the same job duties. The Michigan Conservation Officers work closely with local police departments, Michigan Sheriff’s departments, the Michigan State Police
, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement Division and many other state, federal, and foreign agencies.
", William Alden Smith, who was appointed in 1887.
Warden Smith was charged principally with appointing deputies for the enforcement of fish and game regulations. The mission of the DNR Law Enforcement Division has expanded substantially since Smith's appointment and now includes protection of all natural resources and the environment, as well as the health and safety of the public.
Today, "Conservation Officers" and other noncommissioned support staff direct their efforts to a wide array of responsibilities designed to support this broad mission. Enforcement, Education, Recreational Safety and Public Outreach represent some of the general categories of services.
has approximately 230 officers.
They are represented in collective bargaining by a union, the Michigan Conservation Officer Association.
The last time the Law Enforcement Division (LED) of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources held a recruit academy was in 2007. The academy concluded February 2007. At that time they added 14 new conservation officers.
and Chevrolet Tahoe
as patrol vehicles. They also use patrol boats that range in size when they patrol the Great Lakes, inland lakes, rivers, and streams. Other motorized vehicles used include snowmobiles and All Terrain Vehicles or (ATV).
or at North American Game Warden Museum
on the Jurisdictional Plaque. There are also individual memorials scattered around the state.
Based on the State of Michigan imposing budget restrictions on the LED of the DNR applicants now no longer go through the following process. Once selected by the Department of Natural Resources through a rigorous selection process the recruits go through an intense 22-week live in training period. The live-in training is held at the Michigan State Police training facility in Lansing. Once completed, the recruits are then fully commissioned conservation officers. After the training, the new officers will be assigned a field-training officer for 18 weeks at a variety of locations around the state. Once the probation period is completed, the officers will be assigned to one of the 83 counties in Michigan. Michigan Conservation Officers are certified by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards or MCOLES. http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-42199-45375--,00.html
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission...
. Their primary duty is to enforce the environmental laws in the state of Michigan. Since Michigan Conservation Officers are fully commissioned peace officers they are empowered to enforce all the laws of the state of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Many states and nations have Conservation officer
Conservation officer
A conservation officer is an employee who has the role of protecting conservation values.-United States:*Michigan Conservation Officers*Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries - Enforcement Division*Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police...
s but use the term game warden. The terms are synonymous with each other and both have the same job duties. The Michigan Conservation Officers work closely with local police departments, Michigan Sheriff’s departments, the Michigan State Police
Michigan State Police
The Michigan State Police is the state police agency for the state of Michigan. The MSP is a full service law enforcement agency with its sworn members having full police powers statewide....
, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement Division and many other state, federal, and foreign agencies.
History
"Early Michigan citizens recognized the rich and vast natural treasures surrounding them and the need for their conservation and protection. The result was the nation's first salaried "Game WardenGame warden
A game warden is an employee who has the role of protecting wildlife. Game wardens may also be referred to as conservation officers or wildlife officers...
", William Alden Smith, who was appointed in 1887.
Warden Smith was charged principally with appointing deputies for the enforcement of fish and game regulations. The mission of the DNR Law Enforcement Division has expanded substantially since Smith's appointment and now includes protection of all natural resources and the environment, as well as the health and safety of the public.
Today, "Conservation Officers" and other noncommissioned support staff direct their efforts to a wide array of responsibilities designed to support this broad mission. Enforcement, Education, Recreational Safety and Public Outreach represent some of the general categories of services.
Structure
Michigan Conservation Officers fall under the Law Enforcement Division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Some states including Oregon and Alaska include Environmental law enforcement under the Department of State Police. This allows resources to be combined and saves the states money by eliminating duplicate services. Combining the two departments also has some disadvantages. Most states don't combine the two departments.Personnel
The Law Enforcement Division of the Michigan Department of Natural ResourcesMichigan Department of Natural Resources
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission...
has approximately 230 officers.
They are represented in collective bargaining by a union, the Michigan Conservation Officer Association.
The last time the Law Enforcement Division (LED) of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources held a recruit academy was in 2007. The academy concluded February 2007. At that time they added 14 new conservation officers.
Rank Structure
| Title | Insignia |
|---|---|
| Chief Chief - Title or rank :* Chiefs of the Name, the head of a family or clan* Chief executive officer, the highest-ranking corporate officer of an organization* Chief Master Sergeant, in the United States Air Force* Chief of police, the head of a police department... |
 |
| Captain Police captain - France :France uses the rank of capitaine for management duties in both uniformed and plain-clothed policing. The rank comes senior to lieutenant and junior to commandant.... |
|
| Lieutenant Lieutenant A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank... |
 |
| Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent.... |
 |
| Corporal Corporal Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4.... |
|
| Officer Officer (armed forces) An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position... |
|
| Recruit |
Budget
| Fiscal Year | DNR Budget | Law Enforcement Budget | Pct. of DNR Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–2009 | 265,383,333.00 | 31,846,000.00 | 12% |
| 2009–2010 | 298,572,300.00 | 28,629,000.00 | 10% |
| 2010-2011 | 307,400,000.00 | 31,627,500.00 | 10% |
| 2011-2012 | 330,200,000.00 | 33,020,000.00 | 10% |
| 2012-2013 | 336,500,000.00 | 33,650,000.00 | 10% |
Vehicles
The conservation officers use the Chevrolet SilveradoChevrolet Silverado
The Chevrolet Silverado , is the latest line of full-size pickup trucks from General Motors.-History:...
and Chevrolet Tahoe
Chevrolet Tahoe
The Chevrolet Tahoe are full-size SUVs from General Motors. Chevrolet and GMC sold two different-sized SUVs under their Blazer/Jimmy model names through the early 1990s. This situation changed when GMC rebadged the full-size Jimmy as the Yukon in 1992...
as patrol vehicles. They also use patrol boats that range in size when they patrol the Great Lakes, inland lakes, rivers, and streams. Other motorized vehicles used include snowmobiles and All Terrain Vehicles or (ATV).
Fallen Officers
From 1908 to date the Michigan Conservation Officers have lost 10 officers in the line of duty. The sacrifice of these officers are customarily recognized on the National Law Enforcement Officers MemorialNational Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., at Judiciary Square, honors the nearly 19,000 U.S. law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty throughout history. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund was established by former U.S...
or at North American Game Warden Museum
North American Game Warden Museum
The North American Game Warden Museum is a museum in the International Peace Garden on the Canada–United States international border between the Canadian province of Manitoba and the U.S. state of North Dakota. The museum is located on the American side of the border...
on the Jurisdictional Plaque. There are also individual memorials scattered around the state.
Training
Due to budget issues the MDNR Law Enforcement Division have not held a recruit academy since 2007. Instead, once an individual is selected for the position of Conservation Officer and the individual is not certified by MCOLES the MDNR pays the individual to complete the required MCOLES Academy. They then complete the MDNR Environmental Law Enforcement courses. If the individual is MCOLES certified the individual goes through training courses focusing on Environmental Law Enforcement.Based on the State of Michigan imposing budget restrictions on the LED of the DNR applicants now no longer go through the following process. Once selected by the Department of Natural Resources through a rigorous selection process the recruits go through an intense 22-week live in training period. The live-in training is held at the Michigan State Police training facility in Lansing. Once completed, the recruits are then fully commissioned conservation officers. After the training, the new officers will be assigned a field-training officer for 18 weeks at a variety of locations around the state. Once the probation period is completed, the officers will be assigned to one of the 83 counties in Michigan. Michigan Conservation Officers are certified by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards or MCOLES. http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-42199-45375--,00.html