Increasing concern with the health of the global environment has resulted in the enactment of numerous laws to regulate solid and hazardous waste and the use of wildlife, plant, land, air, and water resources. Careers as environmental conservation law enforcement officers, marine recreational vehicle officers, fish and wildlife agents, park rangers, park police, and police officers address the needs of protecting our natural assets. The program at Finger Lakes brings the relationship between conservation and law enforcement into focus.

The Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Natural Resource Conservation: Law Enforcement at Finger Lakes Community College integrates conservation law courses and environmental conservation courses such as terrestrial and aquatic ecology, fish and wildlife management, and environmental chemistry with courses in criminal justice. Students also gain field experience in Conservation Field Camp.

The program involves an extensive field study component through which students learn about the natural resources that they wish to protect. Students have the opportunity to use industry-standard research technology such as electro-fishing equipment, water quality probes, GIS computer software, and wildlife tracking radio-telemetry devices.

In addition, the College offers honors courses that provide enhanced educational experiences for students who have demonstrated outstanding academic ability. Enrollment in honors courses is open to qualified students enrolled in this degree program, as well as all other qualified FLCC students. Successful completion of honors courses or an Honors Certificate may increase student transfer options to four-year institutions.

Internships are an important dimension of our program and include opportunities to work along with professionals in agencies such as the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York State Park Police, the National Forest Service, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Internships with various county Sheriff departments, the Nature Conservancy, and Boy Scouts are also available. `Field experiences include classes at Muller Conservation Field Station, the week-long Conservation Field Camp, and day trips to landfills, petroleum storage facilities, and lawn and garden centers to monitor their compliance with environmental laws.

Your participation in the FLCC Conservation Club and our student chapter of The Wildlife Society will bring meaningful experiences to your semesters at Finger Lakes.

Graduates of the program have become environmental conservation officers with federal and state agencies in and out of New York State, park police for public and private organizations, corrections officers, rangers, customs officers, and marine-recreational vehicle officers, to name a few.

Some graduates transfer to programs such as criminal justice and environmental law at four-year colleges and universities like the Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY University at Buffalo, and SUNY Colleges at Brockport and Fredonia.*

* This is a sampling of some of the four-year colleges and universities to which our students have transferred. Please consult your advisor or the Center for Advisement and Personal Development for a complete listing of transfer agreements between Finger Lakes Community College and four-year institutions.

Scholarships are awarded to FLCC students meeting the specific criteria by the New York State Conservation Officers Association and by the College as the Outstanding Conservation Achievement Award. For more details on these scholarships, contact a member of the Conservation Department or the Financial Aid Office.