Olympia, WA - The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the appointment of Scott Essman and Doug Price as its newest commissioned law enforcement officers. At a brief ceremony conducted this afternoon by Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark, Essman and Price promised to uphold the state and U.S. constitutions. Officers Essman and Price join the DNR Law Enforcement Service to support our ongoing mission to protect Washington State trust lands and their resources from theft and misuse, and to educate and protect the public using those lands - Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark. Essman served with the Washington State Patrol for 25 years. His primary duties will focus on DNR-managed lands in Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania, Wahkiakum, and portions of Pacific and Lewis counties in southwestern Washington. His patrol area includes more than 450,000 acres of state trust lands, conservation areas, and other forestlands. Essman replaces an officer who left DNR to pursue other opportunities.
Price, who recently served as Police Chief of the City of Forks, is a 25-year veteran of the Washington State Patrol. His primary duties will focus on DNR-managed lands in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Mason counties. Within his patrol area are more than 430,000 acres of state trust lands, conservation areas, and other forestlands. Price fills a newly created position to increase DNR’s law enforcement and response capacities on the Olympic Peninsula. DNR law enforcement officers are commissioned Peace Officers, certified by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. Law enforcement program DNR law enforcement officers work with landowners, the public and other law enforcement agencies to enforce state laws on state trust lands. Their duties include: - Monitoring the use of the state’s Discover Pass on vehicles visiting DNR-managed recreation lands
- Enforcing vehicle speeds and regulations on state trust land roads and trails
- Investigating and preventing vehicle accidents, wildfires and theft of natural resources, such as timber and other forest products
- Educating the public about safe and sustainable use of public lands and resources
Caring for your natural resources . . . now and forever DNR manages more than 5.6 million acres of state-owned forest, range, commercial, agricultural, and aquatic lands. The department also provides wildfire protection for 12.7 million acres of private and state-owned forestlands and administers Forest Practices rules.
| 