< FALL 2004 : EDITORIAL

The past five months have been very difficult for many people employed by Saskatchewan Environment. I know Conservation Officers, who I have worked with for many years, now working as Highway Transport officers, to Revenue Officers or who are choosing to leave the CO ranks to pursue other ventures. The cuts…well I really do not make much sense of it at all. I do not really know or see where we are saving money. Don't get me wrong here, I am a taxpayer as well and I know societies priorities are education, health care, agriculture, highways and infrastructure. 

In the end, the cuts did not go over very well with the public as the department decided to re-open field offices such as Leader, Pinehouse and Cumberland House. We had a huge amount of support from the public and lobbying from various groups in Saskatchewan and we are all very appreciative of the support that the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, and others too numerous to mention. 
We currently have a new ADM named Alan Parkinson and a new executive director - Merv Swanson, who are working hard to ensure that the impact to these staff and to the field offices is not that harsh. As I write this, I still do not know what we are going to be doing in the near future. I hear rumors that the duties of the typical Conservation Officer are going to change drastically and that perhaps fish and wildlife enforcement will not be as much of a priority anymore. 

Is it possible that the field presence of an officer may be a thing of the past with the exception of a team of officers who are rumored to be traveling throughout the province working at resource abuse hotspots in order to stop that type of activity?  The emphasis is now focused on large-scale violators or high risk to public health or the environment as a whole. I guess I can't figure out why officers are not able to continue to multi-task function. If an officer gets up in the morning and goes to work in the field…where they belong, can we not monitor landfills, attend spills, monitor fisheries habitat work and do fish and wildlife enforcement? Officers know what is going on in their district and can prioritize what needs to be done. 

Nobody seems to like enforcement, but it is an important part of the job that has to be done. If it is left alone, there are those who will take advantage of it and we will all pay for it in the end. Officers belong in the field, but our budgets do not allow us to be where we should be. 
Speaking of the cuts, in this issue, you will read an interesting feature regarding the changes to the Conservation Officer ranks. Three very familiar and important faces in Saskatchewan: Lorne Scott, Allan Appleby, and Darrell Crabbe have all agreed to discuss the cuts to the officer ranks. Alan Parkinson, our new Associate Deputy Minister, will answer on behalf of the department. I would like to welcome Alan to our department and I hope that the department and the staff at the SGW can continue to work together in the future. 

Enjoy and have a safe fall!!

Lindsey Leko, Editor