By Jack Spaulding

A ceremony was held May 20 to remember fallen Indiana Conservation Officers and recognize current officers for their excellence while serving the state and its residents.

The seven members of the DNR Division of Law Enforcement who have died in the line of duty since its inception in 1911 were honored in the auditorium of the Indiana Government Center in Indianapolis. The officers, listed with their end-of-watch date, were: Sgt. Ed Bollman, Feb. 13, 2018; F/Sgt. Karl E. Kelley, April 17, 1998; ICO Thomas Deniston, Oct. 16, 1990; ICO James D. Pitzer, Jan. 2, 1961; Robert S. Perkins, May 27, 1958; Warden William J. Nattkemper, April 27, 1926; and Warden William J. Peare, April 27, 1926.

Indiana Conservation Officers are law enforcement officers for the DNR, and the DNR Division of Law Enforcement is the oldest Indiana state law enforcement agency. A total of 214 conservation officers serves the state.

After the memorial ceremony, the division recognized current individual officers for their outstanding service.

District 2 Officer Andrew Harmon, assigned to Wells County, was selected as the James D. Pitzer Indiana Conservation Officer of the Year. The award establishes Harmon as the top officer of 2021, as selected from the 10 district Officer of the Year recipients.

The Pitzer award is named for Conservation Officer Pitzer, who was killed in the line of duty in Jay County. The Pitzer recipient demonstrates professional ethics, attitude, and service to the public while demonstrating dedication to the principles of the conservation of natural resources and the enforcement of laws affecting the department. The officer must also demonstrate the ability to provide a positive influence, develop camaraderie within the ranks, and gain the confidence and respect of fellow officers.

Capt. Nate Berry received the Director’s Leadership Award for his work overseeing officers in the southern portion of the state and assisting the agency to navigate COVID-19 and the 2021 ICO hiring process.

District 6 Officer Joe Tenbarge was recognized by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators as the state’s Boating Enforcement Officer of the Year and for his leadership in in boating education.

District 1 Officer Matt Maher was presented with the 2021 Waterfowl Protection Officer of the Year award for his enforcement of waterfowl regulations and his related performance in public education and community interaction.

Conservation Officers Hunter Law, of District 1, Rob Klakamp, of District 8, Travis Stewart, of District 9, and Terri Millefoglie and Alex Neel, of District 10, were honored with Life Saving Awards for their exceptional actions resulting in the saving of a life.

Grants for field trips

Educators interested in taking K-12 students on field trips to an Indiana state park or state-managed lake in the 2022-2023 school year can receive financial help through the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation (INRF). Grants from the Discover the Outdoors fund are available for public, private, parochial or home-school educators, according to INRF executive director Jody Kress.

“The Foundation’s mission is to celebrate and preserve Indiana’s natural legacy,” Kress said. “This grant gives children an adventure that showcases some of Indiana’s natural and cultural treasures and teaches the importance of protecting and preserving them for everyone to enjoy.”

Since the grant program’s inception in 2013, a total of 153 grants have been awarded, providing the opportunity for more than 17,000 students to visit state parks at less cost to the schools and students.

Indiana has 24 state parks, eight state-managed lakes, two state recreation areas, and two off-road state recreation areas eligible for field trip funding, which will engage students in learning about Indiana’s fish, forest, wildlife, natural habitats, conservation and outdoor recreation opportunities.

“These trips help children understand how previous generations viewed the significance of Indiana’s natural and cultural resources, and at the same time let them make great memories that they will carry into adulthood,” said Ginger Murphy, deputy director for stewardship for DNR State Parks.

The maximum grant award is $250 per application. Applications are accepted from May 1-June 30 prior to the school year for which the grant is requested. Applications must be postmarked no later than June 30.

Applicants will be notified by Sept. 1 regarding potential grant awards. The grant application is at on.IN.gov/state-park-group-programs. Read more about the impact the grant has had at indiananrf.org/the-inrf-difference/education. A video explaining the program is at youtu.be/uC4QjhsBLO8.

The INRF is accepting donations to the fund from individuals, businesses, and anyone else who supports the idea of getting kids outdoors. The fund was established in memory of Tom Huck, a longtime DNR employee who was an ardent supporter of outdoor experiences for children. For further information, including how to donate, email discoveroutdoorsgrants@dnr.IN.gov.

Officer saves man thrown from boat

An Indiana Conservation Officer was in the right place at the right time on the morning of May 19 and saved the life of a Kokomo man. Robert Boyd, 76, was rescued in Mississinewa Lake at approximately 10:25 a.m. by Indiana Conservation Officer Hunter Law.

Boyd was operating his watercraft when he was thrown from the vessel. Law, who was on a routine patrol in the area, overheard a boat engine rev up and then quickly turn off. Law quickly located the unoccupied boat in the middle of the lake.

Law discovered Boyd just underneath the surface of the water. Boyd was transported to shore where EMS transported him to Community Howard Regional Health for evaluation.

Boyd was not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD). A safety lanyard turned off the engine when Boyd was ejected. Without the safety precaution, the boat could have circled Boyd possibly striking him or another object.

Conservation Officers urge everyone to wear a PFD and for all boat operators to wear a safety lanyard. Units on scene assisting Indiana Conservation Officers include Wabash Fire-EMS, Mississinewa Park & Reservoir Staff.

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication, or e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net. Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle download.