19 Pennsylvania waterways conservation officers report to regions for duty

Harrisburg — The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission recently announced that 19 members of its 26th class of waterways conservation officers have formally graduated from the agency’s H.R. Stackhouse School of Fishery Conservation and Watercraft Safety.

Following a graduation ceremony held July 18 at the state Capitol, the officers reported to their assigned regions across the commonwealth to begin their duties.

“I am proud to officially welcome this dedicated group of new officers to the Fish & Boat Commission and our Bureau of Law Enforcement,” said Col. Jeffrey Sabo, director of the commission’s Bureau of Law Enforcement.

“With their intense training behind them, these officers are ready to serve the anglers and boaters in Pennsylvania and work to protect, conserve and enhance our aquatic resources.”

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Before graduating, officers undergo an extensive 49-week training program that encompasses all aspects of standard police principles and conservation law enforcement.

Following civil service testing and selection, trainees completed a 17-week Municipal Police Officers Basic Training conducted at Mansfield University, Tioga County.

An additional 32 weeks of training was conducted at the commission’s H.R. Stackhouse school in Bellefonte, Centre County, and included field training alongside seasoned conservation officers.

During their conservation law enforcement careers, the officers’ duties will be multifaceted and include patrolling the streams, rivers, and lakes in their regions, conducting environmental investigations, participating in public outreach events and stocking waterways with fish.

The new waterways conservation officers are listed below, along with their hometowns and assigned regions.

• Jenna Alleman, Elliottsburg, assigned to north Montgomery/east Berks counties

• Blake Anderson, Erie, assigned to west Schuylkill County

• Robert Angst Jr., Schwenksville, assigned to south Carbon/southwest Monroe counties

• Kamron Bettinger, Spring Grove, assigned to Lebanon/south Dauphin County

• David Brockett, Polk, assigned to Butler County

• Andrew Callahan, Harborcreek, assigned to Forest/Clarion/Venango counties

• Krystal Daniele, Glen Lyon, assigned to north Wayne County

• Colton Dinges, Hollidaysburg, assigned to south Lake Wallenpaupack

• Andrew Fish, Pleasantville, east Schuylkill County

• Wyatt Fleischer, Saegertown, assigned to south central Crawford/east Mercer

• Dalton Hopper, Philipsburg, assigned to Centre County

• Dustan Luzier, Williamsport, assigned to Cumberland County

• Michael Mielnicki, Coraopolis, assigned to south Monroe/north Carbon counties

• Derrick Noonan, Altoona, assigned to north Dauphin/Northumberland counties

• Jacob Oliver, Cambridge Springs, assigned to north Lake Wallenpaupack

• Nathan Ridgley, Pittston, assigned to Lackawanna/Wayne/Susquehanna counties

• Hunter Sanner, Markleton, assigned to Berks County

• Cassidy Shawley, Tyrone, assigned to north Luzerne County

• Steven Zeigler, West Leechburg, assigned to north Bucks County

• In addition to the graduating class, several wildlife conservation officers recently accepted new assignments, which include:

• Shane Casey, transferred from west Schuylkill County to south Luzerne/Columbia counties

• Abigail Luteri transferred from north Montgomery/east Berks counties to west Armstrong County

• Logan Opfer from west Armstrong County to Greene/south Washington counties

• Sean Rae, transferred from south Chester County to north Chester County

• D. Dorian Seibel transferred from Greene/south Washington counties to Fayette County

• Erik Shellgren transferred from Forest/Clarion/Venango counties to east Crawford/Warren counties

• Luke Walter transferred from Butler County to west Erie County.