Saewert becomes new DNR Conservation Officer

By Tucker Henderson

Reporter

It’s not everyday that someone becomes a Conservation Officer for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. In fact, it’s known to be a highly sought after position with rigorous training.

That was Landyn Saewert’s experience this summer as he transitioned from his work as AIS (Aquatic Invasive Species) Deputy for Otter Tail County into his new position as the Wadena Station Conservation Officer for the Minnesota DNR, although it was not originally in his plans.

“I went to a week training at Camp Ripley to become a boat and water deputy for Otter Tail and when I was at the training there, I just really enjoyed the other Conservation Officers that were there and they encouraged me to apply,” said Saewert. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but I didn’t ever think it would happen, just with how hard it is to get into, the competition to get into it, so I never really applied.”

Saewert said that the encouragement from the Conservation Officers at the week training at Camp Ripley is what persuaded him to finally apply.

“I was like, ‘ahh, I’ll try it,’ and I put in for it and got lucky,” laughed Saewert.

Saewert’s certifications come from his degree at Central Lakes College in Brainerd for Natural Resources and Law Enforcement. He did his skills training through the Hibbing Community College.

Completing the training to become a Conservation Officer was not an easy task, especially as he was away from home for the majority of the summer and into the fall months.

“It was tough,” said Saewert. “I had 16 weeks that I had spent at Camp Ripley—Monday through Friday—and you’d come home Friday afternoon and then report back Sunday afternoon. So it was tough being away from the family for those three months. And then after all the training at Ripley, I had another 16 weeks of field training, which I completed up in Duluth and then West St. Paul and Windom.

“Just being away from family for the whole summer and then into the fall was tough,” he continued. “Getting the kids back to school and I’m 300 miles away, it was hard on the family life.”

Despite the tough time navigating his training and being at home with his family, Saewert said that the content of the training was really helpful in his new position as the Wadena Station Conservation Officer.

“It was really good training,” he said. “When you’re at training, they always express, ‘it’s like drinking from a fire hose,’ and man were they ever right. Even still, now, getting to learn things, as the seasons change, my job changes. You get done with rifle hunting and you move in to muzzleloading hunting, into trapping, into ice fishing. So as the weather changes, my job changes and what I do.

“You have to keep all the rules and regulations for everything separate,” he continued. “You might be out checking trappers and be in the mindset of checking trappers and then all of a sudden you’re checking fishermen on the ice. You just kinda have to go back and each lake has it’s own set of regulations, like sunfish limits, you have to keep those in mind. You’re checking fishermen and then all of a sudden you might be assisting the county on a domestic or a lost person call or something like that.”

Though Saewert’s job description is continually changing with the seasons and circumstances, there is one guiding goal to a Conservation Officer’s job that doesn’t change: to “enforce statues and regulations related to the environment and outdoor recreation.”

As the Wadena Station Conservation Officer, Saewert’s territory runs from the New York Mills west to near Verndale and from as far north as the Hubbard County line near Menahga and south to Bertha with twisting and turning borders along the way. His patrol area also consists of the Huntersville State Forest east of Menahga.

Saewert is looking forward to his new position as Conservation Officer and says that he will enjoy the variety of the job.

“I think it will be interesting,” he said. “The changing of the seasons will keep me interested. Once you get done with deer season and you’re switching into fishing and summertime comes and you got ATVs, you got water recreating, summer fishing, I think it will be fun. Switching from a snowmobile to an ATV to a boat, I think that’ll be really fun. Just being outside—my office is the outdoors now, so that’s awesome.”