2024 Conservation Officer of the Year

In recognition of his outstanding overall career performance, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Andy Schmidt has been named the 2024 Conservation Officer of the Year. DNR Enforcement Division Director Rodmen Smith presented awards to Schmidt and 4 other officers on February 12th as part of an annual award celebration at Camp Ripley.

A conservation officer since 2008, Schmidt currently works in the Duluth West station. He’s spent his entire career working in the northeastern part of Minnesota, and recently accepted a promotion to become district supervisor in the area in early March. One of the other conservation officers honored was Shane Vernier who is stationed in Willmar. He patrols some of the state’s best waterfowl-hunting lakes and marshes and the public lands that surround them. Shane has been a conservation officer since 2015 and works hard to protect the habitat that draws waterfowl to the area. He’s committed to teaching the next generation of waterfowl hunters how to enjoy the sport ethically and safely.

Another conservation officer stationed in Willmar – Cassie Block – received the Willard Munger Wetlands Achievement Award. She’s been a conservation officer since 2020, and works in an area where waterways receive heavy pressure ranging from agriculture to recreational use. She prioritizes investigating and resolving complaints related to wetlands and water resources and emphasizes work around preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species.

REMOVE FISH HOUSE

With warm weather in the forecast for much of Minnesota during the coming week, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds anyone who still has a fish house on the ice to start planning for its removal. The shelter removal deadline for inland waters in the southern two-thirds of the state is 11:59 p.m. on March 3rd. The deadline for inland lakes in the northern portion of the state is 11:59 p.m. on March 17th. The DNR reminds all fish house owners to pick up and properly dispose of any trash as part of hauling their shelter off the ice.

LAKE MANAGEMENT

The DNR fisheries offices across Minnesota report that about 151 lakes in 40 counties will have their fisheries lake management plans updated in 2025. The DNR encourages people with thoughts on the future management of a lake scheduled for a 2025 plan update to call or email the area fisheries office listed for that lake before March 31. You can find more details on the Lake Management page at mndnr.gov. The lake management plans to be update in 2025 include Dunns, Hoff and Richardson in Meeker County; Andrew, Florida, Games and Norway Lakes in Kandiyohi County; Koronis and Rice in Stearns County; and Granite and Lake Waverly in Wright County.