Page 2 - Outdoor Oklahoma Magazine Mar-Apr2023

PANORAMAS

Your state Department of Wildlife Conservation An Oklahoma Game Warden is a certified
plays many roles in safeguarding the great out- peace officer, just like law enforcement offi-
doors. Just consider the Department’s mission cers in local police departments. After they
statement: “We manage and protect fish and wild- finish the academy, they attend the CLEET Basic
life, along with their habitats, while also growing Academy to receive their Oklahoma CLEET cer-
our community of hunters and anglers, partnering tification, if they don’t already have it.
with those who love the outdoors, and fostering Unlike city police, Game Wardens are certi-
stewardship with those who care for the land.” fied to enforce laws across the entire state, just
Marni Loftis To me, the part of that statement that stands like Oklahoma Highway Patrol officers. Add to
out most is about protecting our natural resources. that the fact that Game Wardens also enforce
As the full-time training coordinator of the federal wildlife laws, and you realize that Okla-
Department’s Law Enforcement Division, I make homa Game Wardens are entrusted with the
sure all of ODWC’s law enforcement officers most extensive law enforcement capabilities of
receive all the instruction (and then some) that any peace officer in the state.
they need to perform their duties at the level of Also notable this year is the size of the train-
excellence demanded by our agency and the ing class. Because of an unusual number of
citizens of Oklahoma. retirements in the ranks, 10 Game Warden
I spent 16 years as a Game Warden in the recruits have started this year‘s academy. It is
field. In September 2019, I promoted into my believed to be the largest Game Warden recruit
current position at ODWC headquarters. class in the Department’s 120-plus-year history.
Among my initial projects was to create the Much of the academy takes place at Camp
first ODWC Game Warden Training Academy Gruber in Muskogee County.
for newly hired Game Wardens. The first acad- About 30 instructors are employed during
emy was in 2020. The third academy launched the intensive nine-week academy that culmi-
March 1 this year. nates in a badge-pinning ceremony. Then the
The 2023 academy is notable in several ways. new Game Wardens will begin the brand new
The curriculum has evolved into one of the most 12-week field training program to learn along-
comprehensive Game Warden training academies side their colleagues on the job across the state.
in the nation. Other conservation agencies are Game Wardens are the “public face” of the
already looking at our schedule to see how they Wildlife Department. They deserve the best
can incorporate some of our classes and training. training possible, and that’s what we are doing
The academy focuses almost solely on game- through our Game Warden Training Academy.
and fish-related law enforcement. Most of the We strive to earn the public’s trust through our
360 hours of instruction is accredited by Oklaho- professionalism, excellence, pride, and dedi-
ma’s Council on Law Enforcement Education and cation to serving all of Oklahoma’s citizens and
Training (CLEET). Recruits receive instruction in protecting our natural resources that belong
topics you would expect, such as wildlife and fish- to everyone.
eries laws, wildlife and fisheries enforcement tech-
niques, search and seizure, and firearms. Other
topics perhaps less expected include snake ID,
precision boating, wildlife forensics, man tracking, Marni Loftis, Operations Manager, Law
hunter incident investigations, and trauma first aid. Enforcement Division, ODWC