Syracuse.com - DEC's newest class of environmental conservation officers and forest rangers graduate in Pulaski

[HuntingNY-News]

The new conservation officers will report to work Oct. 23, with a starting salary of $50,827. All 31 will be assigned to the lower Hudson Valley/New York City/Long Island regions.

A heavy rain storm Friday morning couldn't dampen the spirits or erase the smiles of the state's newest group of environmental conservation officers and forest rangers.

A graduation ceremony for the two groups was at held at the state Department of Conservation's training facility in Pulaski. In anticipation of foul weather, the commencement was held inside a giant tent. By the end of the ceremony, the sun was shining.

"I am very proud of all of you," said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens in front of a packed crowd of the graduates' families and friends. "You are the face of the agency."

This year's graduating class -- the state's 19th -- included 31 conservation officers (six females) and 13 forest rangers (three females).

The two groups started their training together 24 weeks ago at the training facility. The recruits were required to show up each week on Sunday night and stay on the premises until Friday afternoon. The paramilitary-style training and other demands took its toll on some. Six recruits didn't make it through.

Alexander Virkler, of Syracuse, stands in line at attention just out the tent prior to graduating as a DEC forest ranger.David Figura | [email protected] 

"We had one recruit leave within 20 minutes of starting the program and another left just three weeks ago," said Lt. Bernard Rivers, the officer-in-charge. He noted the required time away from family and other personal developments added to the strain.

"This class had two child births (by spouses), two marriages, two engagements and two family deaths," he said.

A proud Matthew R. Foster, of Camillus, (second from left), is among the state's newest environmental conservation officers. He's surrounded, from left, by his father, Bill Foster; his wife, Samantha and his mother, Nancie Arquette.David Figura | [email protected] 

The hour-long ceremony included a rousing performance by the New York State Environmental Conservation Police pipe and drums band, and a video that gave the crowd an idea of what the training involved.

In addition to Martens and Rivers, others speaking included Assemblyman Will Barclay; Col. Walter Heinrich, acting director of the DEC's division of law enforcement, and Joe Zeglin, the DEC's forest protection director.

The new conservation officers will report to work Oct. 23, with a starting salary of $50,827. All 31 will be assigned to the lower Hudson Valley/New York City/Long Island regions.

The new rangers will start Oct. 21, earning $55,693. Two will be assigned to St. Lawrence County, one to Otsego county, one to Essex County and the remaining 12 will be assigned to the lower Hudson Valley/New York City/Long Island regions.

Local conservation officer graduates include Waldemar Auguscinski, of Pulaski; Matthew Burdick, of DeRuyter, Matthew Foster, of Camillus; Jeffrey Krueger of Ithaca; Jason Hilliard, of Genoa; Edward Piwko, of Parish and Geoffrey Younglove, of Red Creek.

Local forest ranger graduates Michael Chappell and Alexander Virkler, both of Syracuse.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog