Pennsylvania Game Commission this week announced it is recruiting applicants for its 27th class of Wildlife Conservation Officer trainees.

Applications will be accepted from March 4-April 1, or until 900 applications are received, whichever occurs first.

Applications are available from the Civil Service Commission; the Game Commission Personnel Office at 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797; or any of the six Game Commission region offices or can be filed out online.

Applicants for this position must be in excellent physical condition, have a knowledge of hunting and outdoor activities, and be able to maintain an effective working relationship with associates and the general public.

Applicants must be: a resident of Pennsylvania; have a high school diploma or G.E.D. equivalency; at least 21 years of age as of the date of enrollment at the Training School; possess a valid Pennsylvania driver's license; and pass competitive written and oral examinations administered by the Civil Service Commission.

After being accepted for employment, Wildlife Conservation Officer Trainees are required to complete an intensive 50-week training program conducted at the Game Commission Training School.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is an equal opportunity employer.

In 1930, Ross Leffler, the then-president of the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners, proposed the establishment of a training school for game protectors. When the training school opened its doors in 1932 in Brockway, Jefferson County, it was the first such conservation officer training school in the world and served as a model for other states.

From 1932 until 1935, the Ross Leffler School of Conservation offered in-service training for game protectors. The Commission voted to make the school a permanent facility and enrolled its first class of trainees in 1936, and continued training new classes at this facility until 1986.

In 1987, the training school was moved to the Harrisburg headquarters, which had just opened the doors to its current facility in Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County.

3/11/2005