BOOKER NAMED BOATING GAME WARDEN OF THE YEAR

Nevada Department of Wildlife Game Warden Richard Booker was named the NDOW Boating Game Warden of the Year in May of 2007.

The Boating Game Warden of the Year is an honor bestowed upon the officer who best exemplifies dependability, consistency, and eagerness to educate boaters all while upholding the boating laws of Nevada.

Officer Booker has worked for the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW). His primary area of responsibility is Lake Mead, one of the Southwest’s busiest and most dangerous recreational reservoirs. Before coming to NDOW, Booker spent 28 years of service as a Park Ranger and was a member of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.

During his time at NDOW, Booker has demonstrated his commitment to law enforcement and boating education time and time again. “His willingness to educate boaters, while still enforcing the state boating laws, has always made him a valuable member of our law enforcement team,” said Lieutenant David Pfiffner, game warden supervisor for Lake Mead.

Working on Lake Mead, one of the harshest working environments for marine officers, doesn’t seem to faze Booker. He approaches each day with the enthusiasm and determination it takes to make the lake a safer place to boat and play. Booker routinely displays a calm demeanor and patience with boaters and is always eager to educate them on Nevada boating laws and regulations, a challenging task when one considers the large number of Lake Mead boaters that come from out of state.

Even though he is willing to give boaters a second chance Booker does not sacrifice safety and ranks near the top of all game wardens for citations written and Type IV PFD’s distributed to boaters who do not have one on board. Booker’s first instinct is to educate boaters.

Search and rescue operations are commonplace for boating enforcement officers, but Booker never takes a report lightly. He gives his best effort on each and every incident, performing serious and sometimes difficult boater assists on a regular basis. Some boater assists are as simple as giving directions to a lost boater, but many more involve towing disabled boats and even pulling boating accident victims out of the water.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. For more information, visit www.ndow.org