Natural resources law enforcement officers play a critical role in protecting our environment, wildlife, and public lands while ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations. These dedicated professionals work across the United States in various capacities, enforcing laws related to conservation, wildlife management, fishing, hunting, and outdoor recreation.
Career Opportunities
- National Park Ranger
- US Park Police Officer
- US Fish and Wildlife Service Officer
- US Customs and Border Protection Natural Resources Protection and Enforcement
- NOAA Fisheries Law Enforcement Officer
- US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management
- National Forest Service Law Enforcement
- WV Department of Natural Resources
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources
- Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources
All states have state agencies similar to those in our region that are listed above. A sampling of those agencies are listed in the table at the bottom of this page.
Employment Resources
Professional Associations
State Agencies
| State | Office | Position | Education | Preferred Field |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources | Conservation Enforcement Officer | High school diploma | |
| Alaska | Alaska Department of Public Safety | Alaska Wildlife Trooper | High school diploma | |
| Arizona | Arizona Game Warden Resources | Game Warden | Bachelor’s degree | Wildlife Science or closely related wildlife management field: Forensics, Wildlife Science, Crime Scene Investigation, Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice, Land Management |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Game Warden | Game Warden | Proper equivalent of a Bachelor’s Degree | In a discipline such as criminology, criminal justice, or natural science. |
| California | California Game Warden | Game Warden | High school diploma or its equivalent | |
| Colorado | Colorado Game Warden | Game Warden/ Wildlife Officer | No minimum specified | |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection | Environmental Conservation Police Officers | High school diploma/GED | |
| Delaware | Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control | Natural Resources Police Officer I | High school diploma or its equivalent | |
| Florida | Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission | Fish and Wildlife Conservation Officer | High school diploma or its equivalent | |
| Georgia | Georgia Department of Natural Resources | Game Warden | Associates Degree from an accredited college or university | |
| Hawaii | Hawaii Fish and Wildlife | Conservation Enforcement Officer | High school or comparable graduation | |
| Idaho | Idaho Fish and Game | Conservation Officer | Bachelor’s degree | Wildlife or Fisheries Management |
| Illinois | Illinois Department of Natural Resources | Conservation Police Officer | Associate’s degree | |
| Indiana | Indiana Department of Natural Resources | Conservation Officer | No minimum specified | |
| Iowa | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | Conservation | typically have a 4 year degree in | Fish and Wildlife Management, Biology, Criminal Justice or a similar field |
| Kansas | Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism | Natural Resource Officer | Bachelor’s degree | Natural Resources or a related area |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Game Warden Services | Conservation Officers | Associate’s Degree | |
| Louisiana | Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries | Game Warden | High school diploma or GED | |
| Maine | Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Warden Service | Game Warden | High School Diploma | |
| Maryland | Maryland Department of Natural Resources | Fish and Game Warden | High School Diploma | |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Environmental Police | Environmental Police Officers | High School Diploma | |
| Michigan | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | Conservation Officers | High School Diploma | |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | Conservation Officers | Associate’s or Bachelor’s | Natural resources |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks | Conservation officer | Minimum of 64 hours at an accredited community college or university | |
| Missouri | Missouri Department of Conservation | Game Warden | High School Diploma or GED as well as a Bachelor’s Degree | Natural sciences, law enforcement or criminal justice. |
| Montana | Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks | Game Warden | Bachelor’s degree | |
| Nebraska | Nebraska Game and Parks | Conservation Officer | ||
| Nevada | Nevada Department of Wildlife | Game Warden | High School Diploma and a bachelor’s degree | Criminal justice, Biology, or wildlife/natural resources management |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire Fish and Game Department | Conservation Officer | Associate’s Degree | |
| New Jersey | New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Fish and Wildlife Division | Conservation Police Officer | Bachelor’s degree which must include or be supplemented by 24 semester hour credits in any combination of the following areas: Fisheries Science, Wildlife Science, Ecology, Natural Resource Management, and Biological Sciences | In one of the Biological Sciences: Biology, Biostatistics, Microbiology, Natural Science, Zoology, Marine Science, Wildlife Biology, Marine Biology, Animal Science, Botany, Physics, Wildlife Science/ Conservation, Fisheries Science, wildlife Management, Conservation Law Enforcement, Ecology, Natural Resource Management, environmental Studies or Environmental Studies. |
| New Mexico | New Mexico Game and Fish | Conservation Officer | Bachelor’s degree with at least 12 hours in wildlife management | |
| New York | New York Department of Environmental Conservation | Conservation Police Officer | Bachelor’s degree | |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission | Wildlife Enforcement Officer | High School Diploma | |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Game and Fish | Game Warden | Bachelor’s Degree | |
| Ohio | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | Natural Resources Officer | Associate’s degree | A Natural Resource Area ( Parks & Recreation, Forestry, Fisheries, Wildlife, Environmental, Conservation Biology, Natural Science, or Criminal Justice/ Law Enforcement |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation | Game Warden | Bachelor’s Degree | Wildlife |
| Oregon | Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife | Game Warden | Bachelor’s Degree | Criminal justice, natural science, or related field |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Game Commission | Wildlife Conservation Officer | completed 60 college credits | |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management | Environmental Police Officer | Bachelor’s degree | Biology, natural resources, or related discipline |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Department of Natural Resources | SCDNR Law Enforcement Officer | Bachelor’s Degree | |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Agency | Game Warden/Conservation Officer | Bachelor’s Degree | Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Zoology, or Biology |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency | Wildlife Officer | Bachelor’s Degree | Wildlife or Fisheries Management |
| Texas | Texas Parks and Wildlife | Game Warden | Bachelor’s Degree | |
| Utah | Utah Division of Wildlife Resources | Conservation Officer | High School Diploma | |
| Vermont | Agency of Natural Resources: Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department | Game Warden | Bachelor’s Degree | |
| Virginia | Virginia Department of Game and Wildlife Fisheries | Game Warden | Bachelor’s or Associate’s | Criminal Justice, Crime Scene investigation, Wildlife management, law enforcement, and Land Management |
| Washington | Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife | Fish and Wildlife Police Officer | 2 years of college coursework | |
| West Virginia | Department of Natural Resources | Natural Resources Police Officer | 4 year Bachelor’s Degree | Natural sciences, law enforcement, criminology, or criminal justice. |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | Conservation Warden | Minimum of 60 college credits or earn them within 5 years of being hired | |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Game and Fish Department | Game Warden | Bachelor’s degree | Wildlife management, range management, biology, zoology, ichthyology or other closely related field |