US Forest Service Law Enforcement & Investigations Washington D.C.
Law enforcement is an integral part of the overall management of the National Forest System. Law enforcement personnel, line officers, and appropriate staff ensure that prevention, investigation, enforcement, and program management requirements are fully integrated into all National Forest System resource management programs.
Law enforcement personnel operate as full partners within the Forest Service organization in carrying out the agency's mission, especially in upholding federal laws and regulations that protect natural resources, agency employees, and the public. Accomplishment of the Forest Service law enforcement mission is a product of trust, cooperation, and collaboration between law enforcement personnel and other agency employees.
Our Vision
The Law Enforcement and Investigations organization is an integral part of the Forest Service, recognized as leaders in public and employee safety, natural resource protection, and as a professional cooperator with other law enforcement agencies. The law enforcement organization is a diverse workforce committed to integrity, responsibility, and accountability.
A Our Mission
To serve people, protect natural resources and property within the authority and jurisdiction of the Forest Service.
Our Objectives
Protect the public, employees, natural resources, and other property under the jurisdiction of the Forest Service,
Investigate and enforce applicable laws and regulations which effect the National Forest System, and
Prevent criminal violations through informing and educating visitors and users of applicable laws and regulations.
Uniformed Law Enforcement Officers (LEO) enforce Federal laws and regulations governing National Forest Lands and resources. As part of that mission LEO'S carry firearms, defensive equipment, make arrests, execute search warrants, complete reports and testify in court.
They establish a regular and recurring presence on a vast amount of public lands, roads, and recreation sites. The regulations Law Enforcement Officers enforce include 36 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 242 & 261. Part 242 of 36 CFR refers specifically to subsistence hunting and fishing regulations and is only applicable to federal land in Alaska. Part 261 of 36 CFR refers to regulations that apply to all National Forest lands nation wide. The primary focus of their jobs is the protection of natural resources, protection of Forest Service employees and the protection of visitors. What follows is a list of the some of the different aspects of our job.
Work closely and maintain liaison with local, state and other federal law enforcement officials.
Protection of archeological resources.
Conduct informational and educational programs.
Timber theft investigations.
Vehicle accident investigations.
Provide emergency medical aid.
Enforcement of state motor vehicle laws on forest roads.
Enforcement of fish and wildlife regulations.
Wildfire investigation.
Investigation of controlled substance distribution & manufacture.
Service of search and arrest warrants.
Work cooperatively with the state and local law enforcement agencies on search and rescue missions
Assist special agents with internal investigations of criminal activity.
http://www.fs.fed.us/lei/
Special Agents are criminal investigators who plan and conduct investigations concerning possible violations of criminal and administrative provisions of the Forest Service and other statues under the United States Code. Special agents are normally plain clothes officers who carry concealed firearms, and other defensive equipment, make arrests, carry out complex criminal investigations, present cases for prosecution to U.S. Attorneys, and prepare investigative reports.
National Forest lands are divided administratively into regions, each region has a Special Agent in Charge that oversees the law enforcement program. All other positions in the law enforcement organization through upward reporting report to the Special Agent in Charge or SAC. The typical organization below the SAC is one position to supervise the investigative division and one patrol commander to supervise the enforcement organization. Depending upon the the number of employees in each region, each regional organization is supported by administrative personnel possibly including a budget analyst, administrative assistant, and investigative assistant. The administrative assistant handles personnel issues, budget, travel, filing, and data input of incident reports. Each region is divided into zones and special agents are stationed in each zone according to work load . All field agents are required to travel a great deal and usually maintain a case load of ten to fifteen ongoing criminal investigations at one time.
Some examples of of criminal cases are:
Illegal outfitter and guiding
Theft of government property
Timber theft
Investigations of wildland fire origins
Manufacture & distribution of controlled substances
Assault of federal employees or volunteers
Criminal investigators occasionally conduct internal and civil claim investigations.
Forest Rules
These regulations have been made by the Secretary of Agriculture to assure the enjoyment of recreation in the National Forests. They are common sense rules meant to control actions that cause damage to natural resources and facilities, as well as actions that cause unreasonable disturbances for National Forest visitors.
The Secretary of Agriculture's regulations (36 CFR 261) provide in part for regulating the occupancy and use of developed recreation sites. A violation of these regulations is subject to a penalty of not more than $5,000 or 6 months imprisonment, or both.
Definitions
The following definitions, which appear in 36 CFR 261.2, apply to all regulations quoted in this publication.
"Campfire" means a fire, not within any building, mobile home, or living accommodation mounted on a motor vehicle, which is used for cooking, personal warmth, lighting, ceremonial, or esthetic purposes. "Fire" includes campfire.
"Camping" means the temporary use of National Forest System lands for the purpose of overnight occupancy without a permanently fixed structure.
"Camping equipment" means the personal property used in or suitable for camping, and includes any vehicle used for transportation and all equipment in possession of a person camping. Food and beverages are not considered camping equipment.
"Damaging" means to injure, mutilate, deface, destroy, cut, chop, girdle, dig, excavate, kill, or in anyway harm or disturb.
"Developed recreation site" means an area which has been improved or developed for recreation.
"Forest development road" means a road wholly or partly within or adjacent to and serving a part of the National Forest System and which has been included in the Forest Development Road System Plan.
"Forest development trail" means a trail wholly or partly within or adjacent to and serving a part of the National Forest System and which has been included in the Forest Development Trail System Plan.
"Forest Officer" means an employee of the Forest Service.
"Person" means natural person, corporation, company, partnership, trust, firm, or association of persons.
"Permission" means oral authorization by a Forest Officer.
"Permit" means authorization in writing by a Forest Officer.
"State Law" means the law of any State in whose exterior boundaries an act or omission occurs regardless of whether State law is otherwise applicable.
"Stove fire" means a campfire built inside an enclosed stove or grill, a portable brazier, or a pressurized liquid or gas stove, including a space-heating device.