HARRISBURG, Pa. (April 28) – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is pleased to announce several awards presented to Waterways Conservation Officers in recognition of outstanding achievements in law enforcement in 2022.  Awards were presented during the PFBC Board of Commissioners quarterly business meeting on April 24, 2023.

The PFBC Bureau of Law Enforcement 2022 Officer of the Year Award was presented to Waterways Conservation Officer (WCO) Erin Czech, whose district includes the eastern section of the City of Philadelphia in the Southeast Region.  In 2022, WCO Czech’s exemplary law enforcement efforts included a combination of 83 citations and field acknowledgements, three boating accident investigations, 13 environmental incident investigations, and one Boating Under the Influence (BUI) arrest.  Czech is credited with conducting a successful Striped Bass enforcement detail that spanned across southern Philadelphia and Delaware counties.  In 2022, WCO Czech served as the primary point of contact for the nationally coordinated Operation Dry Water enhanced BUI enforcement efforts in Delaware, Philadelphia, and Bucks Counties.  Czech is a 1996 graduate of the PFBC’s H.R. Stackhouse School of Fishery Conservation and Watercraft Safety.

The Gerald L. Greiner Environmental Protection Award was also presented to WCO Erin Czech.  This award is presented annually to the WCO who best exemplifies the ideals of ‘Resource First’ – the protection, conservation, and enhancement of the Commonwealth’s aquatic resources.  In 2022, Czech partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, City of Philadelphia, and county Conservation Districts, to investigate 13 environmental incidents related to the disturbance of waterways.  These incidents included watermain breaks and resulting sediment pollution, fuel releases, and other construction-related incidents.  WCO Czech is credited with leading effective education efforts within her district to inform private property owners, businesses, and municipalities about environmental concerns and encouraging proactive measures to avoid harm to aquatic resources.

The Top Gun Award was presented to WCO Kyle Robinson.  This award is presented annually to a WCO who displays outstanding effort in the detection and apprehension of impaired boaters.  Robinson, whose district includes Mifflin and northern Huntingdon counties in the Southcentral Region, facilitated eight arrests for Boating Under the Influence, conducted 787 boat boardings, and issued 341 warnings and 80 citations for boat law violations at Raystown Lake and the Juniata River.  Robinson is a 2019 graduate of the PFBC’s H.R. Stackhouse School of Fishery Conservation and Watercraft Safety.

(All photos courtesy PFBC.  Pictured Left to Right in all photos; PFBC Executive Director Tim Schaeffer, Col. Clyde Warner, Award Recipient, PFBC President Robert B.J. Small)

Full Photo Gallery: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10qaBwcFR2MpxRQhnYoFXUHOKG2nDNHzJ