Haynes Named Conservation Officer of the Year

Idaho Fish and Game conservation officer Marshall Haynes is the 2006 recipient of the agency's Conservation Officer of the Year award. Two conservation officers are selected each year to receive this coveted award; in addition to Haynes, conservation officer Barry Cummings also received the 2006 honor. Haynes' patrol district encompasses portions of Boise, Elmore and Ada counties. He is responsible for the north half of the City of Boise, Idaho City, the North and Middle Fork drainages of the Boise River, Banner Ridge, Graham, Atlanta and a portion of the Trinity Mountains. Haynes' passion for the varied facets of a conservation officer's job led to his nomination for the award by his supervisor, district conservation officer Bill London. "Marshall is a leader in wildlife protection through enforcement of game laws, through field-based biological studies and management, and through public outreach programs," London noted. "It is by melding these differing aspects of wildlife management that Marshall is able to promote the implementation of Fish and Game's conservation programs." Bull trout - a threatened species - occur over a large portion of Haynes' patrol area, prompting Haynes to become the leader of regional bull trout enforcement efforts. Not only did he organize patrols targeting bull trout vulnerabilities, Haynes also designed a data form for recording bull trout enforcement efforts and violations. He then compiled this information and wrote an end-of-year report that Fish and Game fishery managers have used to better detail Fish and Game's bull trout education/enforcement effort. Community outreach is important to Haynes who regularly writes articles for his weekly paper, and meets regularly with both his prosecutor and the judge to discuss Fish and Game legal changes and philosophies. He teaches Hunter Education classes, and is working with the Idaho City Police Department and the U.S. Forest Service to improve a local pond for increased fishing and improved public access. An avid wild turkey hunter himself, Haynes made arrangements this past spring with a local rancher and the National Wild Turkey Foundation to make the dream of hunting wild turkeys a reality for one wheelchair-bound boy. A life-long memory was made for this young man when he harvested a large tom turkey with the able assistance of Haynes. Conservation officer Marshall Haynes' willingness to go above and beyond in all aspects of his job made him a worthy recipient of the 2006 Conservation Officer of the Year.