DNR Conservation Officer

[shaw77]

Hello,

Anyone know when the Conservation Officer position is going to open up?

[MI_CO]

Good luck. They dont have very many in the state and I think they just cut a bunch from the last academy they had right after it finished.

[warrior1978]

I think a whole lot depends on how the state budget negotiations go. Money is very tight. Your best bet is to take the civil service exam and be ready. There have been a steady amount of retirements and at some point, bodies have to be replaced.

As far as layoffs, no COs have been laid off.

[warrior1978]

It was just announced that 7 COEs went out, 2 applicants will need to attend a regional academy and the other 5 were certified/certifiable.

My advice for those interested is to take the civil service exam regardless of if there is a hiring announcement and just wait to be called.

[warrior1978]

Cool video just posted on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6Tp1rUu9sM

While there isn't a civil service posting advertising the position as open, the first step is to take the exam and the exam is being offered:
http://www.michigan.gov/mdcs/1,1607,...2252--,00.html

[7th District]

Cool video just posted on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6Tp1rUu9sM
[/url]

Is some of that footage from your recruit school?

[warrior1978]

Yes and that's the last recruit school the DNRE ran. There have been to waves of new hires since the last recruit school. The first wave were all certified peace officers and the second wave was a mix of certified and non-certified. Those that weren't certified are sponsored through a regional police academy.

[dep1299]

Being a CO would be a great job. The only drawn back I've heard from talking to COs is there is no pension retirement, no binding arbitration for their contracts, no overtime, and they make less than MSP.

[jbone36]

I dont get how CO's can do it. They are experts on fisheries/wildlife laws, orv laws, etc....plus mainstream Mich. laws. That's a lot to learn, retain and implement. Kudos to you.

[7th District]

Being a CO would be a great job. The only drawn back I've heard from talking to COs is there is no pension retirement, no binding arbitration for their contracts, no overtime, and they make less than MSP.

IMHO the loss of the defined pension is the biggest negative. With the demonetization of pensions now a days I think within the next generation even U.S. military members will lose their pensions.

The rest of the items you mention are more then balanced out by the positives (again IMHO). I'm not a big OT hound so I kind of like the idea of setting up my own schedule and using flex time. Working from your home, independently has a lot pluses. Then there's the boat, sled, 4-wheeler, & 4X4.

Also the next time you are making small talk with a CO ask them how many reports they wrote in the previous year. I have yet to have one say more then 10. Considering how much I dislike sitting at a keyboard typing out reports, that is one of the biggest plus of all.

[dep1299]

IMHO the loss of the defined pension is the biggest negative. With the demonetization of pensions now a days I think within the next generation even U.S. military members will lose their pensions.

The rest of the items you mention are more then balanced out by the positives (again IMHO). I'm not a big OT hound so I kind of like the idea of setting up my own schedule and using flex time. Working from your home, independently has a lot pluses. Then there's the boat, sled, 4-wheeler, & 4X4.

Also the next time you are making small talk with a CO ask them how many reports they wrote in the previous year. I have yet to have one say more then 10. Considering how much I dislike sitting at a keyboard typing out reports, that is one of the biggest plus of all.

A good friend of mine is a CO, and yes he has a great job. I asked him what the best part of being a CO is. He said without question is the freedom they have with hardly any supervision (own schedule and flex time). He did say this year he has written only a hand full of reports which is great. I think we all hate the paperwork.

He said the negatives is they make around $4.00 less an hour than a top paid trooper. I think COs top out around $55,000. There is hardly any overtime. Im not a overtime hound, but the few hours for court here and there along with the holiday pay does add up. No shift diff. New COs pay around 4% of their pay into a 401k type retirement, and pay into health care.
Start adding the little things up, and it is a chunk of money.

With no binding arbitration, they get stuck with whatever the state wants to give them, and were subject to furloughs. He said they are trying to form their own union similar to the troopers assocation, but is a difficult task. He said they are having a very difficult time getting the candidates they used to.

Here is good information from their association web sight:

http://mcoa-online.net/node/33