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La Crosse Department of Natural Resources warden supervisor Steve Dewald has received the prestigious Shikar-Safari Club International “Wildlife Officer of the Year Award” for Wisconsin.

The Shikar-Safari Club recognized Dewald’s “selfless work ethic,” his progressive approach to law enforcement and his efforts to promote and acknowledge high ethical standards among hunters.

Notably, Dewald played a key role in preserving public access to large blocks of the federal Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, 261 miles of outstanding fish and wildlife habitat bordering on four states.

Dewald was an active participant and a champion of hunters, fishermen and other wildlife enthusiasts as the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service prepared updated comprehensive conservation and furbearer management plans for the refuge and considered whether it would be necessary to close critical habitat areas to the public.

“Steve Dewald focused on ensuring a balance is struck between providing the public opportunity to enjoy the resource, while still protecting the resource,” said DNR chief warden Randy Stark.

“Steve leads by example in many ways. He is progressive and visionary. He works hard to continuously improve the DNR Bureau of Law Enforcement and adapt the organization to meet new challenges. He has earned the respect of his DNR colleagues, other agencies and the citizens he serves.”

Dewald joined the department in 1980 as a law enforcement patrol officer. Two years later he became a field warden. He was promoted to warden supervisor in 1990.

Dewald has negotiated law enforcement agreements amongst the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard and the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. He also served as Wisconsin liaison and helped craft law enforcement agreements between the states and the U.S. Coast Guard and between the U.S. Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard.

Dewald worked with the Wisconsin Legislature to enact Wisconsin’s double-hull barge bill to protect the Mississippi River from oil spills.

Eleven years ago, in an effort to promote and acknowledge the finest aspects of Wisconsin’s hunting tradition, Dewald worked with outdoor writers Bob Lamb and Jerry Davis of the La Crosse Tribune to create the statewide Hunter Ethics Award. This award is presented annually to a hunter who embodies high ethical standards.

Now Dewald has been honored for his own high standards of public service. He was presented with the Wildlife Officer of the Year Award at a recent meeting of the Natural Resources Board.

Each year Shikar-Safari Club International honors the officer whose efforts during the previous year show outstanding performance and achievement in the area of state wildlife law enforcement.

Founded in 1952 to advance knowledge of wildlife worldwide, the club works to enhance and preserve wildlife and has placed particular emphasis on endangered and threatened species through the promotion of enforcement of conservation laws and regulations.

The conservation organization presents annual awards to wildlife law enforcement officers in all 50 states, 10 Canadian provinces and the territories of both nations.