Environment DEC
From the June 2004 issue
ECO Larry Johnson Named Conservation Officer of the Year
Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Larry Johnson of Fulton County has been named the 2003 New York State's Wildlife Conservation Officer of the Year by the Shikar-Safari Club International. ECO Johnson was selected by a statewide committee of New York State Environmental Conservation Police Officers and Investigators to receive this recognition.
ECO Johnson is a 24-year veteran of the Division of Law Enforcement, serving his entire career in DEC's Region 5. In addition to patrolling Fulton County, he is a Division of Law Enforcement K-9 handler, having received his certification from the New York State Police Academy in 1984. DEC's K-9 program was the first in the nation for fish and wildlife law enforcement and many other states were interested in the program and the possibility of starting their own. ECO Johnson served as a liaison, traveling to Vermont, Massachusetts and Quebec, giving demonstrations and lectures to thousands on training and the workings of the division's K-9 program. ECO Johnson and his K-9s have been featured in Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine, BuckMasters Magazine, Whitetails Unlimited Magazine and books written about hunting in the Adirondacks.
ECO Johnson and his K-9s have handled many cases, from routine venison detection and firearm detection and tracking, to tracking and locating a burglar and searching for missing persons, lost hunters and lost hikers. Since 1989, ECO Johnson has also equipped every DEC K-9 vehicle with all the specialized equipment needed and required. He was administrator and administrative counselor at DEC's first-ever K-9 Academy in 1992.
Shikar-Safari was formed in 1952 by an international group of hunters to promote the ethical and conservation-minded hunting of big game animals, primarily in Asia and Africa. The group makes annual awards to an officer of the year in all 50 states. It has awarded DEC staff the Wildlife Officer of the Year Award since the 1960s.
Larry and his wife, Mary, reside in the Town of Caroga Lake. Larry has two grown sons who have pursued careers in law enforcement. His oldest son, Jason, is a Deputy Sheriff for Kennebec County, Maine and his youngest son, Eric, is a police officer for New York City Department of Environmental Protection Police.
