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Chris Groth named as Conservation Officer of the Year by WTA

Professionalism and a reputation for fairness were cited as reasons why Conservation Warden Chris Groth was selected “Warden of the Year – 2006” by the Wisconsin Trappers Association.

This statewide honor was presented to Warden Groth in a brief ceremony at DNR’s northeast regional headquarters in Green Bay.

Bryce Larson, Director of WTA District 8, made the presentation on behalf of the statewide Wisconsin Trappers Association. “Our members value the strong warden support and enforcement efforts of our 2006 award winner Chris Groth. Chris is an outstanding example of a highly qualified professional and a great asset to the trapping community.” Joining Larson in the presentation was WTA’s Brown County Director Rick Winans and WTA’s District 8 Trapper Education Coordinator Chris Bezio. The award was presented at a meeting of the DNR’s Green Bay Warden Team on Monday, November 13.

Chris Groth is on the Green Bay warden team and works from the DNR’s Northeast Regional Headquarters in the Village of Howard. His beat includes warden responsibilities in rural, urban and suburban areas in Brown County. Groth has been a conservation warden since 1986 and has served in duty stations at Two Rivers and Green Bay.

For many years Chris has participated in annual trapper rendezvous and worked with the Association’s Fur School. “Chris is an individual whose presence makes a difference,” said Larson. “He is a warden with a reputation for giving anybody a fair shake. And he promotes trapping and works closely with us to assure ethical trapping.”

“Chris has developed some great relationships with a wide variety of groups and individuals in this area of the state and has used those relationships to successfully promote our conservation heritage,” says Byron Goetsch, Regional Conservation Warden for the Northeast Region. “Trapping is certainly an important part of our heritage and we appreciate the Wisconsin Trappers Association’s efforts to recognize Chris for a job well done.”

The WTA created the “Warden of the Year” award in 1994 and the first recognition and presentation was made in 1995. Annually Conservation Wardens are nominated from all eleven WTA districts. Only one statewide award is given each year.

The Wisconsin Trappers Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the trapping heritage and promoting trapper education. Its members work to protect Wisconsin’s heritage and continue the traditions of the trapping community, to educate the public about the benefits of responsible and regulated trapping activity, to maintain a conservation ethic and participate in wildlife and habitat management programs, and to provide a comprehensive trapping education programs for this and future generations of trappers. The WTA was organized in 1963.