Shoshone gets new conservation officer

SHOSHONE - After four years of being vacant, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game has a new Senior Conservation Officer patrolling the Shoshone area. Greg Milner, formerly working as a Conservation Officer in the Salmon Region, has been assigned to the area. "I'm excited about being here," said Milner. "Shoshone is a great area. You get the small-town life style but you're only a few minutes away from all the conveniences of Twin Falls. I think we're going to really enjoy being here." Milner isn't new to the agency or the Rocky Mountain Region. Born and raised in Polson, Mont., Milner has dreamed about being a Conservation Officer since he was a young man. "From the time I was in seventh grade my school teacher got me interested in working with fish and wildlife," he said. "It just seemed like it would be an exciting and fun job. "My dad was a hunting guide in the Bob Marshall Wilderness area. He has always been an avid sportsman and his love for the outdoors rubbed off on me," Milner said. "When I began working toward a wildlife management degree I always knew I wanted to be in enforcement. I felt that is where I could do the most good and help protect our resources." After six years of college at Montana State University, where Milner received his Masters Degree in Wildlife Management studying mule deer habitat, he landed a job in 2001 with the Department of Fish and Game as a Wildlife Technician at the Andrus Wildlife Management area near Cambridge. After a year there he qualified for a Conservation Officer position in the Salmon Region where he has been in training for the past year. "In Shoshone, I just want to be a part of the community and be a positive part of the town," Milner said. "The primary job of a Conservation Officer is to educate the public about wildlife, the rules and why we are doing the things we do. Nine times out of 10 we are the only contact people ever have with this agency. "A lot of people think all enforcement officers do is go around and write tickets," he said. "But the most important part of the job is being a positive contact with people, being an educator and letting people know what we are doing as an agency. "If I write a ticket and walk away, not educating them on why I'm writing them a ticket, I'm not doing my job." Fast facts: Greg Milner is 32 years old and has been married to his wife, Beth, for the past eight years. - He was born and raised in Polson, Mont. - Attended Montana State University where he received his Masters Degree in Wildlife Management. - His hobbies include hunting, fishing and hockey.