A conservation officer’s duties and responsibilities vary. In general, they:
- Safeguard park visitors
- Minimize conflict among visitors
- Protect natural resources in parks and on public lands
- Patrol geographic areas to monitor recreational users, anglers, and hunters
- Enforce federal and provincial laws, regulations, rules, and orders relating to recreation, fish, and wildlife
- Investigate complaints, apprehend violators, prepare administrative and court documents, issue summonses and warnings, and prepare and present evidence in court
- Investigate complaints about human-wildlife conflict, take appropriate control measures, and advise recreational visitors about effective wildlife control measures to implement on their own
- Deliver public service programs such as school presentations and public education activities
- Supervise and train park employees
- Respond to correspondence, complete reports, and issue permits
- Conduct search-and-rescue operations
- Contribute to park management and operational plans
Conservation officers frequently patrol their areas by truck, foot, boat, off-highway vehicle (OHV) and sometimes by plane, snowmobile, skis, or horseback. They watch for potential hazards and assess the condition of the park, its wildlife, and its other natural resources.
Conservation officers are trained in first aid and lifesaving techniques and must take charge when visitors are lost, injured, or in danger. They work in cooperation with other first responders and law enforcement agencies to assist visitors in need.
