MADISON, WI (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- New DNR Chief Conservation Warden Casey Krueger spent 22 years with the department around Wisconsin before he took over earlier in January. Spectrum sat down for an interview with him this week. 

SPECTRUM: Here with new DNR Chief Warden Casey Krueger. Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Casey: Sure. I reside from Langlade County. I grew up in Antigo, Wisconsin. I went to high school there obviously and, and after graduating high school I went to UW Stevens Point, got a Bachelor of Science degree in natural resource management, with minors in law enforcement natural science with the sole purpose of chasing my dream to become a conservation warden.

Spectrum: Now that you're in that role. What is that like for you?

Casey: It's interesting because I've talked to folks and I still pass the mirror at home and see myself in the uniform and it's still kind of one of those moments where it's hard to believe that I became a conservation warden. It's just as a kid, it seemed unattainable it seemed like obviously a dream job and I know so many people competed for it or do continue to compete for it, and I just thought, there's probably no way I'd ever get that job and and become a field conservation Warden. Through my tenure there, and kind of worked my way up through the ranks it's really been a privilege very humbling today to wear the uniform and represent the badge.

Spectrum: Now, now you're the chief I mean can you tell me what about this job appealed to you?

Casey: Each time kind of the hierarchy of the warden forces we have field wardens that are stationed in counties throughout the state of Wisconsin normally about one to two wardens on average per county, that's normally where we all come in the door into those positions that's kind of the dream job that we all have us, our love and passion for the outdoors and the natural resources which is why we aspire to that position. And I did that position I was in there for about almost 10 years, and really enjoyed the work, and then new callings came and challenges, and I promoted as a lieutenant. And in our structure our lieutenants oversee work teams. And I did that for about four years up in the park falls area, the Tomahawk area and then I promoted down as captain. And in the state of Wisconsin we have five regions, and a captain for each region and I was south central station two out of Fitchburg. I did that for about the last nine years and very happy in that position I was a lot of challenges daily. I think that's the unique thing about these positions is from field Warden through chief, I have good testimonial that there's challenges at every position and reason to get out of bed and go out and do what we do every day it's, it's pretty neat. So, when our Chief [Todd] Schaller retired, our ex chief, It was an opportunity for me to apply and to see if I had what they were looking for, so to speak, to take this leadership position.

Spectrum: A few weeks in now, as and what's one of these last few weeks been like for you?

Casey: It's been like starting from square one in a way I obviously have about 22 years with Wisconsin DNR actually started out as an LTE in our state park system. So, even having that well rounded background coming up working in three to four different areas of the state geographically still a lot of challenges at this level. You just see the hurdles the obstacles the challenges of folks that are natural resources obviously every year there's more and more people that's more and more pressure on our natural resources and and more and more sporting events that kind of develop. I look back over the Warden history and what recreation used to be back in the 1930s compared to the recreation today it's significantly different with a lot more things to do. So with that comes our efforts and our work to make sure the public safe out there. And we're protecting our citizens Well, the balancing the production of their natural resources as well.

Spectrum: Obviously you, you know, the department pretty well working in it but with this new role that you have. Do you have any goals either short term or long term?

Casey: I think there's two unwavering timeless goals that we have in the workforce and one is our number one goal is to protect our citizenry, and the folks that come from other states obviously to recreate and Wisconsin. That's our primary duty when we go out, day in and day out, whether it's on our lakes and our trail systems in the woods state parks, our number one priority is protecting our public. So that's kind of unwavering, and then dovetailing very closely to that is our protection of the natural resources I kind of alluded to that earlier that the balance, making sure that we have clean air, clean water. It's important to the warden force and the DNR that folks help clean water out of their tap to drink can they step outside they have clean air to breathe, everything's kind of foundational and those two things, whether you hunt, you fish, kayak, canoe, birdwatch, hike, camp, we all depend on those things, even folks that don't necessarily step outside directly in any of those things so the warden force is out there diligently day in and day out protecting those resources so those are kind of two unwavering goals that I want to make sure we continue to carry the mail on and delivering to our citizenry in Wisconsin.

Spectrum: As far as resources, things like clean air, clean water, clean water has been a large topic of discussion especially lately with things like PFAS I mean, is there anything specifically that you are looking at for the department to either change or continue doing?

Casey: Yeah, you know, it's interesting, but it seems like generationally we all have these challenges that that the department has to step up and kind of take on and PFAS has the latest one that kind of hit our radar and we have experts within our programs here at DNR that are on this, the workforce that their role in that is really quite honestly assisting with the education or our folks that are out on our waterways, you have a lot of questions regarding that. So, we work very closely with our waters program here at the Department, and we make sure that information lands in our wardens laps so they can pass that along to our folks that are out there recreating. So it's, it's just another one of those things that the public expects us to be out there watching for taking on and trying to find new ways to protect our waterways out there.

Spectrum: A large portion of your role obviously is working with kind of hunters and anglers and outdoorsman around the state. Is there anything that you would want to tell any outdoorsman across Wisconsin?

Casey: Yeah you know it's interesting because over the years as a field warden. I'd be at the gas station and there'd be family, you know that would point to me and say 'he protects the deer or he you know he protects the fish.' If we're out on the water, I've been out and folks will say oh you're a boat cop. You know, it's interesting and what I found through the years is people relate your position to what their interests are. And one thing I always had in the back of my mind is I thought if I ever got on a platform that I could really educate folks on who we are because I think a lot of folks look at the conservation wardens as fishing game cops and we're so much more than that, about anything you can touch out in our natural resources, getting back to the water you drink the air you breathe, we're a piece of that, we're out there protecting the waterways so folks walk up and they noticed the discoloration in the stream. We're the first responders out there to take water samples and work with our labs program to figure out what's going on to stop the pollution work, as you mentioned, we offer the law enforcement for our state park system, folks out kayaking, we have folks that go hiking and get lost and wardens are often called upon to do search and rescue and so I always thought if I got to a position where I can really help folks understand who we are and what we do because we're, we're an instrument for every citizen in Wisconsin, we really are. We're a resource for folks. No matter what your interests are there's a chance that we touch a piece of that. And when folks come across something have questions, they should feel very at ease contacting our department asked him for assistance, asking for help. We of course do the traditional gun dear enforcement and the fishing enforcement, but going back to how sports have evolved, there's ATVs, UTVs, snowmobiles, hikers, there's boating of all sorts. So I really encourage folks to, if you're not real familiar to read up on what conservation wardens do because we really are a resource that everybody should be utilizing around Wisconsin.

Spectrum: It's very broad and you know what the DNR covers and what you would oversee for you in particular I mean how do you approach that?

Casey: Sure, that's, you know, that goes in back to our day in and day out operations. Wisconsin's only so big, and we have a lot of interest in a lot of activities out there that folks participate in and, and part of our job is making sure that folks are in concert while they're out there recreating. If you like kayaking, but you don't like motorboating how do those sports interact with one another? So a lot of our laws in Wisconsin are set up to really kind of protect and respect those those different sports in their enthusiasts. So, that's the importance of having us out there during those high rec times, recreational times so, we can provide that buffer of safety for folks because people should be able to dunk your kayak in the water, any day of the week in the summer and not have to worry on a weekend that they can't because there's too many motor boats or whatnot so our laws are in place to protect so folks have an equal opportunity out there.

Spectrum: With invasive species being something that it's unknown if someone could enter the state tomorrow that that has a huge impact, that always seemed like a daunting task to keep straight. How you guys approach that in particular?

Casey: From a management level we we rely heavily on our field wardens and what they're seeing out there. And yet, we call it in our department is aquatic invasive species that's on our radar. We all understand what that means if our waterways become infected with those different species, what it means for our native species so we put a lot of time and effort, and educating our public and bold landings, fishing contacts, anything any kind of recreation, there's a lot of people that hike along the river. You know I remember when aquatic invasive first really hit the main stream and we paid attention Holy mackerel this stuff is coming in, even things that you wouldn't normally think about we we get out there and educate folks on. You have people that duck hunt, put decoys out sometimes there's, there's water in the decoys or weeds that hang on to them and it's just important that we leave that stuff there and we're not carrying that to two different water bodies to spread that stuff, but aquatic invasives is something we need to pay attention to have and be diligent with. To your point, in one day things can turn around from a perfectly clean water body to an infected water body. So we continue to work with obviously the lawmakers in Wisconsin on best practices and build those laws accordingly to try to protect our resources.

Spectrum: How do you kind of tie your experience of living in different parts of the state into this job?

Casey: It's given me a really unique perspective. Growing up up north in northern Wisconsin Northeast Wisconsin. You learn that culture and what's important to folks and obviously the resources that you have up there and, and then working down in Columbia County in the southern part of the state. I had my eyes opened up on the tremendous resource that occurs in the south, and you head up to the the Northwest and the bear hunting possibilities and now elk hunting possibilities that exist, that's the really unique thing about Wisconsin is. It's not a huge state by any means but our State offers a whole array of recreational opportunities for folks between our state park system, our lands our state lands out there that people hunt fish, and camp on and all our waterways are also different that no matter what interests you have, there's a place in Wisconsin for you to do that.

Spectrum: How do you become conservation warden?

Casey: I think that's another piece of trying to get that message all the conservation words are just not men. We have women in our force. We have all kinds of diverse backgrounds in our force. So if any of the viewers out there that think 'could I be a warden?' Absolutely. I encourage folks to go online and look at Wisconsin's web page on recruitment and you can look at our DNR law enforcement and our training section has all the qualifications that it takes to be conservation Warden the minimum requirements. We typically hire between 12 and 18 new wardens almost every year. So I would encourage folks if you have interest in the outdoors or interested in the state parks, you have that calling a greater service and want to offer your service up I'd encourage you to look into us ask some questions or some contact numbers on there and we'd like you to be part of our team.