Dedicated to the memory of those that gave their lives in service to our wildlife resources
It was recently announced that 5 employees of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources tested positive for a latent form tuberculosis in 2019 after testing white-tailed deer for chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis. Hundreds of other employees and volunteers were offered testing but no results of such testing have been announced. Investigations of the incident did not discover exactly how the workers became infected.
Source: The Bridge (MI), March 6, 2020
In May, 2018 USFWS wildlife technician Amber Kornack was collecting bear hair samples in Montana and despite following recommendations to make noise with whistles and hand claps to alert bears, she ended up walking to within 12 feet of a male grizzly bear. Once the bear noticed her, it attacked, and bit her head causing a skull fracture. She managed to drive it away with bear spray and ended up walking 2 miles with this severe injury in order to get back to her vehicle. The bear was relocated in 2019 after causing problems in a populated area.
Sources: Minneapolis Star-Tribune, October 29, 2019, NBCMontana.com
Federal land management agency employees are continuing to be attacked or threatened on a regular basis. These incidents resulted in opening up many domestic terrorism investigations. Check out the GAO report.
When I began by career I heard stories about “staff meetings” held in the 1970s or early 1980s where beer was consumed by the case. While that sort of wild behavior is a thing of the past, it isn’t uncommon to hear stories about colleagues struggling with alcohol issues, which probably happens in every profession.
However, I was still surprised to hear about the accident involving an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife hatchery truck on December 30th, for which the driver has been cited for driving under the influence and reckless driving. After a hydraulic failure put thousands of chinook and rainbow trout at risk at two different hatcheries, and a group of employees were tasked with releasing them. The truck went off the road at a sharp curve and overturned after striking a power pole and several trees. The driver suffered a broken shoulder and several lacerations while being pinned inside the truck.
Being drunk while on duty is most likely foreign to most wildlife biologists and making sure your employees aren’t hammered isn’t something that has even crossed our minds. While the days of agency sponsored beer bashes are over, we still need to be on the lookout for signs of trouble caused by drug and alcohol addiction in our colleagues and employees. Most likely there are counseling and other programs available that can help our friends with these problems and we have to be willing to have the uncomfortable conversations need to make sure they use these resources both to protect them, their families, and the general public.
If you’re a supervisor, I just don’t think this is something that you can afford to turn a blind eye too because they are a “good guy” or are otherwise great biologists. Do you want to be the one to tell their wife they ran their state truck off the road because they were drunk on duty and you knew this could happen? Some agencies may have mandatory drug and alcohol testing requirements and if you suspect something, you probably should make use of the tools available to you to make sure they are working soberly and safely.
Although many may consider it an unlikely source for investigative journalism of this type, High Country Times recently published a series of articles describing threats to public land employees in the western United States.
The series begins with “Defuse the West” by Ray Ring and Marshall Swearingen. The article gives an overview of the scope of threats to the safety of public land management agency employees in the west from 2010-2014.
In “Roots of the Rebellion“, reporter Tay Wiles discusses threats, primarily to federal employees, with a former director of the Bureau of Land Management, a Utah county commissioner, a professor from Boise State University, and the executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.
“Reports from the front lines” by Ray Ring and Marshall Swearingen, contains excerpts from official reports of shots being fired at Forest Service officers, confrontations in federal offices, firebombing of Bureau of Land Management campground hosts, and many other incidents where citizens threatened and/or carried out attacks against natural resource agency employees.
Many of these incidents have been mapped by Brian Calvert and Marshall Swearingen.
Difficulties these reporters faced in obtaining public records regarding attacks and threats against employees of the Bureau of Land Management are detailed by Ray Ring in, “The BLM Fails to Provide Public Records“.
For tips on what you can do to protect yourself against threats or attacks see our previous post about precautions you can take while working in dangerous areas.
You can report threats or attacks against you to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility as part of their Violence Against Employees campaign
While it is an extremely rare occurrence, murder is one of the most common causes of deaths of wildlife workers and assaults against government employees are an often under-reported problem. According to the Tuscon Sun, on August 23rd a group of bat biologists were confronted by armed militia members while counting bats at a site near the Arizona Border.
It is probably worth doing to always let law enforcement agencies know of your presence and intentions when working on any public lands and to check with them about any recent incidents that could prove a danger to you and your folks. For example, is the area known for sites where marijuana is grown? Are people cooking meth in caves or at campgrounds that you may be working around.
When working alone set up some sort of check-in system with your agency, friends, or family to let them know where you are, what you are doing, and when you expect to return. And be sure that your family knows the right people to contact if you are overdue.
Some agencies may allow firearms to be carried by wildlife biologists that are also not certified law enforcement officers. Depending on your situation, this may be something worth considering.
Sure, many of us work alone in remote areas on a regular basis and setting up and organizing such a system can be somewhat burdensome, but it only takes one incident to make it all worthwhile. Hopefully, all public agencies keep close track of their employees, but it appears to me that as cell phones are taking over from the radio as the main source of communications, wildlife biologists aren’t as likely to be keeping in contact with the dispatchers as well as they did in the past. Shouldn’t it be a matter of critical priority for public agencies to keep track of their biologists as they do others in the agency?
Boats are commonly used by wildlife biologists for transportation, management and research activities. After aviation accidents, drowning was the second leading cause of wildlife worker mortality from 1937-2000, accounting for 11% of known deaths.
Boating Safety Education
Everyone operating a boat should at a minimum be required to complete the state boating safety education class offered in all fifty states. Sure, many states have phase-in requirements that may exempt those above a certain age from taking the class, but we, as professionals should be setting the standard for the general public. And if you work for a state fish and wildlife agency there is really no excuse for not having taken this class since your employer most likely not only teaches the class but enforces the rules as well.
The state boating class is akin to the driver’s education class that many of us took in high school in that it will teach you many principles of boating safely as well as the “rules of the road”, but won’t really give you the hands-on experience you need to really become proficient in their use. Before going out on your own, you should spend some time running a boat under the supervision of someone who really knows what they’re doing. In some areas the Coast Guard Auxiliary or U.S. Power Squadron offer advanced boating skills classes that may be helpful to new and experienced boaters alike.
Some boats pose unique challenges that need to be addressed as part of the orientation process. Those using canoes and kayaks should consider taking a course from the American Canoe Association or other organization. Airboats have an entirely different set of operational principles and risks than other motor boats and some agencies will require an airboat training class. If this isn’t offered by your employer, check out the airboat safety manuals available on our Safety Resources page.
Life Jackets
This one is simple — if you’re on a boat deck, you must have your life jacket on. I don’t care whether or not its required of the general public, but those of us that work for public agencies need to be setting the example by wearing the jacket. If you don’t want to do it for them, do it for your family.
If your only experience is with those old bulky orange life jackets you really should check out some of the new models on the market. Inflatable life jackets are great for use in hot and humid environments as are mesh vests with strategically placed floatation materials. For winter use there are jackets or full body suits (similar to a snow suit) that will keep you from sinking in the water while providing some measure of protection from the wind (but not a lot of thermal protection) while on board.
Weight Management
Wildlife biologists don’t just use boats to get from one place to another – sometimes we’re using small boats as cargo vessels to move the supplies and equipment we use for management and research purposes. These small boats weren’t really built for this purpose and we need to pay special attention to how much weight we put in them as overloading can drastically change the handling characteristics of the boat and a lower free board will increase the risk of swamping the boat. Each boat should have a capacity plate that lists the maximum payload. Before launching make sure that the weight of the people and cargo don’t exceed the capabilities of your boat.
Annual Inspections
In addition to pre-trip inspection before every use, it is important that a thorough annual inspection be completed on boats and trailers. In many areas the Coast Guard Auxiliary can provide a free annual boat safety inspection. Annual inspections should ensure that:
1) Registration and hull identification numbers are clearly legible and that all required documentation is up-to-date and available.
2) Life jackets stored on or used by those on the boat are in good condition.
3) Fire extinguisher(s) is fully charged and within its service life.
4) Ventilation system is working on boats with enclosed engines.
5) Horn and navigation lights are working
6) The engine horsepower does not exceed the rated horsepower for the boat as noted on the capacity plate and that the engine kill switch is installed and working.
7) Visual distress signals are on board.
8) Trailer tires tread is serviceable, tires are properly inflated, turn signals and brake lights are working.
9) Battery terminals should be covered to prevent arcing
10) The general condition of the hull, deck, engine, and other parts of the boat is sound
Boats and Prescribed Fire
In certain parts of the country airboats are commonly used to set prescribed burns in shallow marshes. After making a fire line by mashing down grass in the swamp, flamethrowers mounted on the airboat are then used to start the fire. This can be quite risky as you are generally dependent on the boat to get you out of the hazard zone and into a safe area and if the boat fails for any reason other options may not be available. Obviously, all precautions should be taken to remove unnecessary materials from the boat that could catch fire due to a stray ember. Special precautions should be taken to shield extra gasoline needed for boat operation from heat generated from the flamethrower. Communication is essential so that if your boat fails you can request assistance immediately.
Are there other safety issues involving the use of boats for wildlife management and research that I should address?
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