It's been an amazing year for the Natural Resource Violation Hotline in Wisconsin! The headline read: "DNR Unveils New and Improved Call Center: Becomes First Natural Resources Agency in the Country to Provide Online Chat, Bilingual Service Representatives, and Expanded Hours" In April of 2007, we moved the Hotline staff into the customer service call center and began the challenging process of cross-training the seventeen members of the combined staff to handle general questions, law enforcement violation hotline calls, trouble–shoot licensing questions and the registrations of boats, ATVs and snowmobiles, answer the State chemical spill reporting line, and reply to emails. Changes were implemented slowly over the next several months – for instance, the hours of the call center expanded almost immediately, but the new hours were not announced to the public until November 2, 2007. Between that day and midnight of November 7, the call center received 3,784 phone and online chat requests for information, including contacts made to Hispanic and Hmong speaking customer service agents. General enforcement throughout the State has been improved by freeing Conservation Wardens from fielding general questions they received on their home phones 'after hours', And because the Call Center staff shares an open office space that encourages education by osmosis, general questions received from the public now have the added perk of including a law enforcement component in the answer. Here's the most amazing part of this story: by reallocating existing customer service and law enforcement violation hotline staff and bringing previously outsourced tasks in–house, no additional funding was required to provide the new services. The collection and exchange of information, education of the public, encouragement and promotion of close cooperation between organizations, creative funding ideas and ongoing training – are all objectives we hold in common with IANRC. So in the spirit of solidarity, we proudly and passionately invite you to join us in Madison, Wisconsin for the 2008 IANRC Conference, on June 15, 16 and 17. In the words of our call center motto:" We're here for you!"

I'm the very new kid on the block as the Regional Director for Canada. In fact the appointment is less than twelve hour old as I write this. It's hard to believe that Darryl Kublik has moved onto greener pastures, but after over twenty years in the Alberta Fish & Wildlife and Report A Poacher game he's done a lot to protect our natural resources. I'm sure if we look close enough we'll see him in the bow section of a Bass Pro Shop somewhere soon.

By way of introduction I have been a Conservation Officer in British Columbia for twenty three years and did some time in both our federal and provincial park systems before that. I have a degree in Conservation Law Enforcement. I've been a life long hunter and angler. I've been the British Columbia representative to IANRC for two years and I look forward to working with INARC and promoting it to the other Canadian jurisdictions.

When I was asked to take over from Darryl and before I could accept the appointment, I needed to clear it with our Deputy Chief of Operations. He asked me what value our membership in IANRC was bringing to our organization. It took me awhile to sort through the e-mails I had on file and information I had brought back from the last two conferences I had attended. Before long I had written a couple of pages on what I had learned, who I had met and most importantly what I had brought back to try to put in place here n BC. Shortly I got his response, "Please accept the appointment. This is a very worthwhile endeavor".

I hope that for the next newsletter I can add some more Canadian Provinces and Territories to our roll call and I also hope I can track Darryl down and get some advice on just how I'm to go about that!

The past year has been a banner year for Maine's Operation Game Thief program. In 2003, our calls were at an all time low at 142 for the entire year. In October of 2007, we implemented a new report online and dispatch center. Along with the aid of the "Wall of Shame" for advertising our program and the effects of poaching, we have received over 400 tips in the past 4 months. Many of these tips have resulted in numerous prosecutions of fish and wildlife poachers. Our program has improved tremendously due to Maine's involvement with the IANRC.

I want to welcome Pennsylvania and their program as the newest members of the IANRC. I am confident that they will greatly benefit from their decision to join, and will get many ideas to improve their existing program.

Currently, Wdn. Scott Thrasher and I are on a recruitment campaign to non-member northeast states, encouraging their involvement with the IANRC. As I discussed at last years conference in Kentucky, I had hoped to speak at the Northeast Chief's meeting on behalf of the IANRC. However, due to Maine state budget shortfalls, out-of-state travel was prohibited. This has not stopped us from continuing our recruitment efforts by other means. We have sent a letter to all of the Northeast Chief's encouraging membership, to be followed up with this year's conference information and a phone call.

I am looking forward to seeing familiar faces in Wisconsin, and hope to see new faces as well. I am confident that we will come back to Maine with fresh ideas and new contacts.

In closing, I was saddened to hear of the passing of NY TIP Coordinator Tim Noga. He was extremely energetic and an immense supporter of the IANRC. His enthusiasm did not go unnoticed.

See you in Wisconsin!

Here in Kansas we have had the same kind of winter much of the rest of the country has endured. Temps in the 70's one day followed by single digit temps the next day. Two major ice storms plus the usual snow and the result has been roads that are a quagmire and all but impassible. As a result, our hunting activity and total number of OGT calls is down slightly, but the quality of the calls is better and the percentage of calls resulting in a chargeable case is up. Even with the slight dip in calls, we are still way ahead of where we were before I started attending the IANRC meetings and getting ideas from other program coordinators. I would strongly encourage everyone to attend this year's conference in Wisconsin. I need your ideas!

The rest of the story from around the Midwest:

Minnesota TIP has also completed our second Wall of Shame. Enclosed in a 26 foot trailer with concession sides and over 40 mounted poached mounts and stories, will enable us to go to outdoor events and county fairs. We now will have an indoor and outdoor display.

Minnesota TIP received a record 508 calls in November of 2007 on our TIP hotline, the previous record was 401 calls in 1985. 1566 calls were referred to Conservation Officers in 2007 from the TIP.

The IANRC conference is a great place to share ideas and obtain new information to promote your Turn In Poachers program. I have always encouraged the Southeastern States to attend the annual conference and this year will be no different.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will host the conference in Madison, Wisconsin this summer. We had several Southeastern States attend the conference last year in Kentucky. I will be contacting all the Southeastern States and encouraging them to attend this year's conference. I can promise you that everyone has something to contribute and you will learn something new.

As we have for the past four years, all the Regional Directors will be making an effort to get as many member states to attend the upcoming conference, and we have the means to assist one or two agencies that cannot attend due to travel financial constraints. So please, if you want to attend allow us to assist. The Newsletter explains how we can do this so please contact your Regional Director.

Last year in Kentucky we learned a lot about promoting your program, a turn in poachers database, beating down negativity, internet covert usage to catch poachers, the Wildlife Violator Compact, and the hottest topic for the past four years is the "Wall of Shame" trailers. Some states have several trailers in use and some are trying to duplicate what others are doing. This conference is a great place to gain new ideas and take something back home that you know how it works. Sharing information about catching poachers and the administration of your program.

It is always good to listen to each of the state reports. Sometimes it is that simple task that someone is doing that makes the biggest difference in your program. You will definitely come home with some new ideas.

I will see you in Wisconsin.

Greetings from the western states and from Colorado more specifically where in places we are having a tough winter and actually feeding some deer. The Western States Regional Director was vacated during this past year and President Ann Bauer and Executive Secretary Candy Henderson twisted my arm and asked if I would accept an appointment as the Western Regional Director. I advised them I would accept the position. Then Candy advises me on a Tuesday that she needs this report to go out by Friday. Maybe I need to rethink this…? Just kidding!! I look forward to the challenges that this position brings and used to working under short time frames. Our legislative session is just starting and there are several bills being introduced that are of interest to the Colorado Division of Wildlife. I am working late into the evening with the Chief and our Legislative Liaison on strategies for these bills. I also wanted to finish this report before heading home.

My goal is to visit with each of the western states prior to the conference in June and personally invite them to Wisconsin. I am also interested in how their programs are going and if I can steal some ideas from them. I look forward to fulfilling my role as the Western Regional Director and hope everyone can make it to Wisconsin.

The Association's investment of $25,000 into a brokerage account has been successful. From September 2006 to December 31, 2007 the Association earned $1,979.00. That's really not that bad since the market has been so volatile lately.

We are pleased to have Bob Thompson (CO) and Steve Wayslik (Canada) as new Regional Directors and thank them for their contributions to the Association.

I plan to reorganize the Association's by-laws in accordance with the instruction we received from Gona & Associates during last year's conference. Please look for this information via email sometime during the month of May.

Information concerning membership, the Wisconsin conference, and a new contact list will be posted on the web site soon.

I look forward to seeing you all in Wisconsin!