As President of the New York Conservation Officers Association, I want to thank everyone who has supported our efforts across our great state.

As Environmental Conservation Officers/Investigators go about their duties and live their lives, they promote the wise use of our resources both for our daily living needs and enjoyment, and also to help ensure their existence for future generations. Being a Conservation Officer becomes a way of life – a life style different from most and much more rewarding than many. These people are very dedicated, self-motivated and eager to help with solving problems to make life better. Three hundred such officers patrol the entire State of New York doing their best to conserve and promote the wise use of our resources.

It is important that everyone do their part to support the efforts of the Conservation Officer, living your life doing the best you can everyday to promote wise use-not strict preservation-.but wise use of our resources. That may mean that you have to change some of your behaviors and learn new ideas. You need to set an example for others through your actions. You need to learn all you can and teach others, especially our children, that being responsible for the future is everyone’s job. There are long standing “rules” of life that you can apply to the way you look at the wise use of our natural resources and the way you treat the environment. Remember the old adages – “waste not want not” and “prevention is the best medicine”?

Conservation means “wise use”. When we talk about our natural resources – both renewable and non-renewable – wise use is important to every one of us now and in the future. Many of the resources we enjoy today can be here forever as long as we manage them properly and allow them to renew themselves. However, some of our resources will eventually be depleted and it is also important that we manage their use until we can develop new technologies to accommodate the needs that are dependent on that resource.

As we go through life we need to balance what we want and what we need against the long-term effects of our actions. The terms “cause and effect” and “risk vs. reward” are two good expressions we can use as we evaluate the things we do. How will what we do today affect the future? This applies to things as simple as what you do with the wrapper from the candy you just ate to complicated things like global warming or managing fish populations that travel thousands of miles through international waters. New technologies bring new rewards but what are the long-term effects? What’s the right course of action?

A great place to start is by becoming involved with the New York Conservation Officers Association. Our association is dedicated to conserving our natural resources for future generations. We are continually looking to the future using our experiences from the past while making the most of the present. Involve yourself by learning all you can and support the ideals you believe are the best for our future.

If you don’t know the officers assigned to your area, I encourage you to seek them out and learn about their career and job responsibilities. I also encourage you to apply for membership in NYCOA today.