COs serve as front-line protectors, helping to ensure that the next generation can safely, successfully hunt, fish and recreate.



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"DNR News"



March 13, 2025
Contact: Katie Gervasi <[email protected]>, 517-290-0679

*Conservation Officer Appreciation Day is Saturday*

"Training Academy No. 13 is underway; follow the conservation officer recruits’ week-to-week journey"

officer checking a duck on the back of a truck

As fully licensed law enforcement officers who serve a unique role in our state’s law enforcement community, Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers receive additional training to protect fish and wildlife, state parks and forests, rivers, lakes and streams – and the people who enjoy them.

In honor of the 250 men and women who currently patrol all 83 counties of Michigan and who swore under oath to faithfully enforce the laws of Michigan and the rules and regulations related to Michigan's natural resources, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proclaimed Saturday, March 15, as Conservation Officer Appreciation Day [ [link removed] ].

The proclamation, in part, shares that:


* The State of Michigan considers the protection of its citizens, environment and cultural and natural resources to be among its highest priorities.
* Conservation officers continuously adapt to successfully meet emerging challenges, accept new missions and deliver premier customer service.
* These officers serve with bravery, honor and distinction in locations ranging from urban communities to the deep woods and the Great Lakes.

“DNR conservation officers work hard every day to protect Michigan’s natural resources and the millions of visitors who value them. Their work is as much a calling as it is a job,” said DNR Director Scott Bowen.

These officers serve as front-line protectors, helping to ensure that the next generation can safely, successfully enjoy hunts that put food on the table, camping trips, hikes and other adventures on scenic public lands, and responsible participation in boating, off-road vehicle riding, snowmobiling and other outdoor pursuits.

In 2024, DNR conservation officers connected with more than 453,000 people through their patrols and outreach, in a job that is anything but predictable. A shift might begin at 3 a.m., gearing up in green with hunter orange and silently leaving home to ensure they are in the woods before the first shots of opening day, or responding to reports of ORV trespassing, illegal hunting from vehicles with loaded and uncased firearms, and hunters or hikers who didn’t return home on time. Sometimes it’s about celebrating an angler’s first catch or rewarding young boaters for properly wearing their life jackets.

“Conservation officers respond where they are needed, when they are needed,” Bowen said.

Michigan conservation officers are fully licensed law enforcement officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety, and protect residents through general law enforcement and conducting lifesaving operations in the communities they serve.

Learn more at Michigan.gov/ConservationOfficers [ [link removed] ] and follow our weekly blog [ [link removed] ] with updates from the conservation officer recruits in Training Academy No. 13, underway now in Lansing.



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*Note to editors:* Accompanying photos are available below for download. Caption information follows.

Duck [ [link removed] ]: Conservation Officer Sydney Griffor verifies a northern pintail, successfully taken in St. Clair County.

Officers [ [link removed] ]: Sgt. Kyle Bucholtz and Conservation Officer Marissa Sturtevant check for anglers on a spring day in Huron County.

Teaching [ [link removed] ]: Conservation Officer Anna Cullen presents a fur kit to a group of young students in Muskegon County.


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This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Michigan Department of Natural Resources · Constitution Hall, 525 W. Allegan St., PO Box 30028 Lansing MI 48909 · 1-800-439-1420