Garwood Named Conservation Officer of the Year

Monday, September 21, Senior Conservation Officer Lee Garwood of Hailey was named the Shikar-Safari Club International wildlife enforcement officer of the year. Garwood has been an Idaho Fish and Game conservation officer for nearly 20 years. He is stationed in the Wood River Valley of south-central Idaho which includes the affluent tourist mountain communities of Hailey, Ketchum, and Sun Valley. "Lee's relentless loyalty to his community and the natural resources in the area bring great credit upon himself, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the great state of Idaho," Fish and Game enforcement Chief Jon Heggen wrote in his nomination letter. Bob Hitchcock of Shikar-Safari Club International said he is always impressed with the quality of officers Idaho has each time he presents these awards. Conservation officers represent Fish and Game in their communities, whether on duty or not. They are almost always the first contact on wildlife issues in the smaller communities throughout the state, and Garwood has always represented the department in a very professional manner. Garwood also is a field training officer, teaching, coaching, and mentoring new recruits as they begin to develop a foundation for their careers in wildlife law enforcement. Every day, Garwood handles calls about urban wildlife issues, including big game animals in subdivisions, black bears in bird feeders and campgrounds, moose among the willows and homes along the Big Wood River, nuisance red foxes, beaver consuming landscaping, and a variety of other incidents in and around the area. This past winter wolves have become a highly charged political issue in the Wood River Valley. The Wood River Valley winters numerous elk, and some of the elk concentrations are the result of private feeding operations. This winter the Phantom Hill wolf pack moved into residential parts of the Wood River Valley killing elk in or near subdivisions. Garwood's approach was to prevent problems by removing elk carcasses, hazing wolves and educating residents and tourists. "His actions demonstrated both his leadership and ingenuity in dealing with situations new to the area and to the Department of Fish and Game," Heggen wrote.