HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016 03-04 Retiring Minnesota DNR Officer Called to Serve the Public AMMOLAND 3/4/2016 Retiring Minnesota DNR Officer Called to Serve the Public
Officer Retiring Minnesota DNR
Posted on March 3, 2016 by Justin Stakes
r
A! �.
Brad Johnson
St. Paul, MN -( .c )- For retiring Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
conservation officer (CO) Brad Johnson of Maplewood the most enjoyable or rewarding part of
the job was serving the public.
'I had a lot of calls from the public on animal and bird issues during my tenure,"said
Johnson, who retires March 8. `7f I write a book, it will be titled something like, `The
critters that bit me.' 1 still have the scar from a beaver bite."
http://www.am m ol and.com/2016/03/retiring-m i nnesota-dnr-officer-cal I ed-to-serve-the-publ i cl#axzz4l weM DYI e 1/2
3/4/2016 Retiring Minnesota DNR Officer Called to Serve the Public
Johnson, who grew up in Osseo and Brooklyn Park, started his
VsOlta
law enforcement career as a police officer with the Los Angeles
Police Department in 1987, moved to the Minneapolis Police
Department in 1991 , and became a Minnesota DNR conservation
officer in 1994.
"My goal when becoming a CO was to get out of the city and
into the woods,"Johnson said.
DEPARTMENTOF
NATURAL REPI� ",P
His DNR career led to field stations in Lino Lakes, Silver Bay,
Minnesota Department Ham Lake, and Maplewood.
of Natural Resources
"Silver Bay was my favorite on the North Shore of Lake
Superior, into the Superior National Forest, and Boundary
Waters Canoe Area Wilderness,"he said.
He also served as a K-9 handler with one of the DNR's first German Shepard dogs from 1999-
2006, served on the Waterfowl Task Force, taught falconry at the Conservation Officer
Academy at Camp Ripley, and served as a field training officer for new CO recruits.
'I was the DNR Enforcement Division's unofficial falconry and wildlife rehabilitation
expert."
Reflecting on his time with DNR, Johnson likes to think that he helped protect Minnesota's
natural resources.
"I'll miss the officers and staff that 1 worked with."
In retirement, Johnson said he may work as a seasonal ranger for the National Park Service or
as summer seasonal staff with the Minnesota DNR's Parks and Trails Division.
About Minnesota Department of Natural Resources:
The mission of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) is to work with
citizens to conserve and manage the state's natural resources, to provide outdoor recreation
opportunities, and to provide for commercial uses of natural resources in a way that creates a
sustainable quality of life.
http://www.am m ol and.com/2016/03/retiring-m i nnesota-dnr-officer-cal I ed-to-serve-the-publ i cl#axzz4l weM DYl e 2/2