A cheetah pelt, boots made out of crocodile skin, a sea turtle shell turned into a clock. These were just a few of the many illegal items confiscated by officials with The U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Law Enforcement. The items were laid out on a table in one of Grays Peak’s classrooms, on Larimer campus.
These belts, boots, purses, and jewelry – all made up using parts of endangered animals – were set up. People from various departments of natural resource law enforcement came into the room and sat down. Officials from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, County Parks, Wyoming Game and Fish, and Wyoming State Parks. Their side of the room became full of uniforms. And the panel began.
The uniforms of officials, who appeared before myself and the other students attending the panel, I had seen before. Whether it was in Rocky Mountain National Park or near Glendo Wyoming, these officials I have known as park rangers.
Anthony Gurzick, who teaches the wildlife law enforcement class and invited the panelists, tells me that, “park rangers are certainly part of it. Game warden is another term. And in Colorado, at the state level, park rangers and wildlife officers are fully commissioned law enforcement officers. So they go through the same exact training that any police officer goes through. They can enforce any law in the state anywhere in the state. But, they kind of focus in on that natural resource aspect.”
I asked whether Mr. Gurzick thought park rangers were respected the same as regular police officers. He said, “Yeah, park ranger, game warden- people have a lot of respect.” He believes that this is the case because, “the interactions they have with people are oftentimes positive. You know, a police officer pulls you over for speeding, well you already broke the law right there. That’s why you got pulled over. So already there is this kind of tension right? Whereas a park ranger might be stopping by your camp just to make sure you have a map of hiking trails in the area.”
During the panel officers held up their reputation. In sharing their stories and explaining their duties the wilderness law enforcement panel excited the room, also answering student questions about how to obtain a job in the field. Some agencies even came to advertise jobs, with FRCC students getting hired for the summer!
Student Larissa Murray, who attended last year’s Wildlife Law Enforcement panel, was able to obtain a job as a seasonal park Ranger with Larimer County, sharing that the event was a good way to meet the future employers and network with professionals. Returning this summer to the Carter Lake District for the second summer season, Murray shares that she “probably wouldn’t have” went for the job without attending the panel.
Being able to take the Wildlife Law Enforcement class through Front Range proves beneficial to students aiming for this career. Murray shares that this class helped teach her title 33 laws, which specifically address wildlife crimes, prior to getting hired. Learning about the differences
between a fully commissioned and limited commission law enforcer also helps students learn what their specific career goals may be and what steps need to be done should they strive for a full commission should they pursue that path.
