Since June 1, backcountry users may have noticed a new uniform in the woods.
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations compliance and enforcement officers will now be known as Natural Resource Officers and can enforce a broader range of natural resource legislation.
Previously, Compliance and Enforcement Officers could only enforce acts that they were specifically designated to uphold. As Natural Resource Officers, they will be able to enforce a broader range of statutes, shorten response time and improve their effectiveness in the field.
A single Natural Resource Officer can now respond to violations that are covered by more than one natural resource act, instead of three or four staff that may have been required previously. The new Natural
Resource Officer designation is a result of the Natural Resource Compliance Act that was introduced in fall 2011 and came into effect on March 15.