Nebraskaland

52 Nebraskaland • April 2026 THE NEW CONSERVATION OFFICER In 1942, McCook junior college s c i e n c e te a c h e r Pa u l T. G i l b e r t replaced Acting Secretary W.H. Lytle as head of the Commission. Under Gilbert and William R. Cunningham, who filled the newly created role o f "s u p e r v i s o rs o f c o n s e r v a t i o n o f f i c e r s, " c o n s e r v a t i o n o f f i c e r s evolved to become much more than game wardens. In 1946, Gilbert's officers made more than 200 public appearances, including speaking to civic groups, school classrooms and sportsmen clubs to educate the public on conservation. H i re d a s a d e p u t y w a rd e n i n 1932, Roy Owen was a legend and o f te n c re d i te d w i t h t h e c o m i n g transformation of the conservation officer's role. A world-class storyteller and public relations genius, Owen also had a special talent for outdoor education. He was an accomplished trap shooter and was devoted to teaching gun safety to children. "Good public relations are worth a thousand arrests," Owen often said, highlighting the importance of building relationships and trust with the public. He believed education was key to getting Nebraskans to comply with the law. During Gilbert's tenure, the number of officers grew, and the division saw several upgrades in equipment. Although expenditures by the game department were under constant scrutiny, Gilbert moved forward with the purchase of a 22-foot boat to patrol the new Lake McConaughy. A single-engine Cub Cruiser was also purchased to help catch violators who were using remote areas for concealment, and after World War II, surplus walkie-talkie sets were available for the Commission to obtain. As e d i to r, G i l b e r t u t i l ize d t h e pages of Outdoor Nebraska to justify expenses that some in the public decried as "luxury." I n A p r i l 1 9 5 6 , G i l b e r t d i e d u n e x p e c te d l y a n d w a s re p l a c e d b y M e l v i n O. S t e e n . A f o r m e r Missouri fish and game division chief, Steen promised to further develop Nebraska's wildlife resources and believed the state was full of possibilities, reported The Tecumseh Chieftain on June 7. S t e e n p r o v e d t o b e a s h a r p administrator and was relentless in his belief that Nebraskans deserved a top-notch fish and game department and more recreation opportunities. As a result, the legislature increased the cost of hunting and fishing permits three times, and with the expanded budget, Steen grew the number of conservation officers from 29 to 50. Under Steen's administration, the expectations of conservation officers also grew considerably. When officers weren't patrolling Nebraska's fields, waters, woods and roads, or making public appearances, they assisted with other emergencies as needed, such as flood patrols or storm damage clean-up. Nebraska's conservation officers wo u l d c o n t i n u e to evo l ve f ro m O 'C o n n e l l , G i l b e r t a n d S t e e n's modernist vision through the turn

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