By DAN NEPHIN, Associated Press WriterSat Jun 23, 1:04 PM ET

Fish and wildlife departments around the country are on the hunt — for more wardens.

From California to Pennsylvania to Florida, states are struggling to recruit officers and habitat and other projects are being delayed. Those enforcing wildlife laws have a full workload, and officials suspect poaching is increasing, though hard numbers are difficult to come by.

“I think the nefarious people realize there’s a good chance they’re not going to get caught and are taking more opportunities,” said Nancy Foley, chief of the law enforcement division of California’s Department of Fish and Game.

Besides enforcing hunting and fishing laws, wildlife wardens respond to calls about injured or nuisance wildlife and provide environmental education. In states such as Texas, they are among the first responders to hurricanes and other natural disasters, said Col. Pete Flores, director of the law enforcement division for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

The danger of the job and declining interest in outdoor activities may also be to blame for shortages, officials say. But mostly, it’s the pay, often thousands less than traditional police officers make.

California’s Department of Fish and Game has about 75 vacancies out of 300 officers. About 40 percent of the state’s trainees leave the academy, mostly because of the low starting salary, which was recently raised to $48,000 from $44,000, Foley said. The disparity could be because officials don’t view wardens as valid law enforcers, she and others said.

“To think a conservation officer is any less important than a state police officer … they’re not thinking about it in the right way,” said Col. Julie Jones, director of law enforcement for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and president of the National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs.

Nevada has three vacancies in its 32-officer unit, which is responsible for 110,000 square miles, and Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has about 50 vacancies out of about 470 field officers.

In Pennsylvania, where the Fish and Boat Commission operates with about a half-dozen vacancies in its complement of 80 field officers, starting annual pay for officers is about $9,000 less than for state troopers, said Thomas J. Kamerzel, director of law enforcement for the commission.

Kamerzel competed with 6,000 applicants to the agency nearly 30 years ago. The agency’s latest graduating class numbered just 360, and Kamerzel said he has only attracted only several hundred applicants through mailings, posters and newspaper ads.

Pennsylvania’s game wardens recently switched from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union to the Fraternal Order of Police in hopes of obtaining a salary and retirement benefits comparable to those of state police, said Brian Witherite, a Wildlife Conservation Officer in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Game wardens in California are likely to encounter marijuana crops grown in rural areas and drug smugglers trekking through the woods. California’s wardens issued about 45,000 to 50,000 tickets last year, about one-third of which fell into categories associated with traditional policing, Foley said.

And game wardens patrol people who are frequently armed — hunters — in vast expanses of wilderness. Statistics show a warden is about 2.5 times more likely to be assaulted with a deadly weapon than are other officers, said Rob Buonamici, chief game warden for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

It hasn’t helped that for years, these officers have outside the public view. Now, there’s a growing effort to educate people about what they do, Jones said.

HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Vern Ross today announced that the agency is beginning to recruit applicants for its 27th class of Wildlife Conservation Officer trainees.

“With recent retirements, we currently have 10 vacant districts for Wildlife Conservation Officers,” Ross noted. “By the end of the current fiscal year, we anticipate more retirements that will create additional vacancies.

“Also, while we are planning to start the next class of about 25 trainees by March 2006, the agency’s current fiscal situation could force us to delay the class to a 2007 start date.”

Applications will be accepted from March 4-April 1, or until 900 applications are received, whichever occurs first. Applications are available from the Civil Service Commission; the Game Commission Personnel Office at 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797; or any of the six Game Commission region offices.

Applications also may be filed on-line by going to the State Civil Service Commission’s website (www.scsc.state.pa.us), click on “Job Opportunities,” then select “Law Enforcement, Investigation and Safety,” and scroll down to the listing for “Wildlife Conservation Officer trainee.”

Wildlife Conservation Officers are covered by the Civil Service Act of Pennsylvania. Applicants for this position must be in excellent physical condition, have a knowledge of hunting and outdoor activities, and be able to maintain an effective working relationship with associates and the general public.

Employees in this classification are selected and appointed following a competitive examination conducted by the State Civil Service Commission. Officers begin their careers as Trainees assigned to the Ross Leffler School of Conservation, the Game Commission’s in-service training school located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Wildlife Conservation Officer Trainee classes are periodically recruited as necessary to maintain the complement of field personnel.

Applicants must be: a resident of Pennsylvania; have a high school diploma or G.E.D. equivalency; at least 21 years of age as of the date of enrollment at the Training School; possess a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license; and pass competitive written and oral examinations administered by the Civil Service Commission.

Any offer of employment is conditional upon successful completion of medical, vision, hearing, physical, strength, stress, agility and swimming tests, which includes swimming for 100 yards and treading water for five minutes.

A confidential pre-employment background and character investigation will be completed on all applicants considered for appointment.

After being accepted for employment, Wildlife Conservation Officer Trainees are required to complete an intensive 50-week training program conducted at the Game Commission Training School.

Trainees are paid $982.50 bi-weekly and receive a standard Commonwealth employee benefits package. Lodging and meals are provided at the School at no charge.

During weekdays, trainees are required to reside at the school. Weekends are generally free of duty and trainees may return to their permanent residences. Housing accommodations for the families of Trainees are not available. Absences may be granted only under emergency conditions or as the training schedule may permit.

Major subject areas of instruction include: wildlife management; law enforcement; principles and methods; wildlife laws and regulations; land management practices; public relations and conservation education; firearms training and unarmed self-defense; and agency administrative procedures. In addition to classroom studies, the training program includes temporary field assignments with experienced officers. Field training provides Trainees with practical experience in law enforcement and other duties performed by Wildlife Conservation Officers. Trainees are reimbursed for authorized expenses incurred on these assignments.

Upon successfully completing the training program, Trainees are promoted to the position of Wildlife Conservation Officer and are assigned to fill vacancies throughout the Commonwealth. The current annual starting salary for this position is nearly $36,000.

Wildlife Conservation Officers are responsible for administering a wide variety of Commission programs within an assigned district of about 350 square miles. Primary duties include law enforcement, responding to wildlife conflicts, conservation education, and administration of the Hunter-Trapper Education program. Officers also are responsible for supervising and training part-time Deputy Wildlife Conservation Officers.

The Game Commission provides all equipment necessary for the performance of duties including a desk, filing cabinet, typewriter, and vehicle equipped with a two-way radio. Officers work from their residences and are reimbursed for rental of office space. Uniforms and sidearm also are provided and are required to be worn in a prescribed manner consistent with grooming regulations.

Wildlife Conservation Officers work under the supervision of a Regional Director and supervisory staff. Officers generally work 40 hours per week and are eligible for overtime under certain conditions. Hours of work vary and often include nights, weekends and holidays.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is an equal opportunity employer.

In 1930, Ross Leffler, the then-president of the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners, proposed the establishment of a training school for game protectors. When the training school opened its doors in 1932 in Brockway, Jefferson County, it was the first such conservation officer training school in the world and served as a model for other states. From 1932 until 1935, the Ross Leffler School of Conservation offered in-service training for game protectors. The Commission voted to make the school a permanent facility and enrolled its first class of trainees in 1936, and continued training new classes at this facility until 1986.