Conservation Law Enforcement Officers prepare for spring

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Javier Alvarez
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  As winter comes to an end, the presence of wildlife on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson increases.

Bears awaken from their slumber, while moose search for a safe place to birth their calves. Bald eagles are also known to grace the base community with their presence - among other forms of wildlife.

As these creatures emerge, the work of the conservation law enforcement officer increases - for their job is not only to ensure the safety of the base community, but the wildlife as well.

"We have [more than] 125 square miles and we've got [more than] 40,000 military, dependents, civilians and others who have access to recreate on JBER," said Mark Sledge, 673d Civil Engineer Squadron senior conservation law enforcement officer. "We provide for the safety of [the people and animals on base] as well as enforce laws to protect the resources the Air Force is in charge of."

The duties of the conservation law enforcement officers are extensive.

"People think we're just game wardens, [but we're not]," said James Wendland, 673d CES chief conservation law enforcement officer. "We basically have to do what Fish and Wildlife Service does, and what Park Service does. We have to deal with history and culture law. We have to deal with all state and federal fish and game laws. We enforce all regulations for recreating on base. So we do a little bit of everything."

Due to the size of the base and the high volume of wildlife, the officers employ the help of active duty military members through the Military Conservation Agent program.

MCA agents are primarily in charge of dealing with nuisance wildlife, which helps alleviate the workload of the conservation law enforcement officers, Wendland said. They may haze a moose hanging around a front door, or assist with setting a live trap for a problem bear.

Service members from all branches are welcome to apply at the Wildlife Conservation Office to be an MCA volunteer.

"They get hired on through an interview process in April, and between April and November they go through what is basically on the job training," Sledge said. "They have no authority - they are just learning."

"In December, they go through a week long enforcement training," he said. "The Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Park Service, National Marine Fisheries Service [help] us teach [the MCA candidates] the laws and everything they need to know," Sledge said. "We teach them contact procedures; how to write citations; and how to collect evidence."

As part of their training, MCA volunteers learn about living with wildlife, Sledge said.

Once the MCA volunteers complete their training they are given a limited scope of authority by the base commander to go out on patrols.

In 2015, there were 345 examples of nuisance wildlife calls in housing, Sledge said.

MCA volunteers get the opportunity to experience wild Alaska in a manner not all are afforded, all while reducing the workload of the conservation law enforcement officers and saving the military money.