Receiving the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Guy Bradley Award earlier this year may put him at the top of his peers, but Michael “Matt” Weathers prefers to keep his feet firmly planted in Alabama's fertile soil.

Weathers, who is the Law Enforcement Section Chief for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division, is the first police officer from Alabama to receive this prestigious award, which honors contributions to wildlife law enforcement, in honor of Florida Game Warden Guy Bradley. In 1905, Bradley was the first wildlife law enforcement officer to be killed in the line of duty in wildlife conservation. The award was established in 1988 to recognize police officers who have made significant lifetime contributions to wildlife law enforcement, wildlife forensics and investigative techniques.

Instead of highlighting his own contributions to law enforcement efforts, Weathers wants to shine the spotlight on the enforcement department's staff of about 150 people, including about 130 conservation enforcement officers (CEOs).

“I was honored and surprised to be nominated for this award,” Weathers said. “It was meant to be a surprise, and it certainly was. It's an honor, but it doesn't relate directly to me. It represents the team I'm on and the work of our department as being great enough to win an award. It's not me who wins it; it's the credit of the people I work with every day and the officers who make the programs we're involved in so successful.”

Weathers said the company would not have been considered for the award if not for the program's success and deliberate efforts to change public perception of the CEO and enforcement programs.

“I'm grateful for the team I'm a part of,” he said. “We've really been successful in launching and creating new programs and improving programs that have been around for years. We've been able to reach a lot more of the public than we ever could before.”

The programs that make up the Enforcement Division's day-to-day operations include not only robust enforcement to protect the state's wildlife resources, but also a Hunter Education Unit, a Captive Wildlife Unit, and numerous training programs. These specialized units and programs perform tasks such as operating public shooting ranges and community archery parks, inspecting and licensing wildlife taken in the state, and outreach programs that benefit all Alabamians.

Speaking of public shooting ranges, the Law Enforcement Division will again be hosting Night Vision/Thermal Open Range Nights at two public shooting ranges this year. These events are an opportunity for the public to bring firearms equipped with night vision devices or thermal sights and enjoy some shooting.

“Since the first Open Range Night, there has been a strong demand for this event,” Weathers said of Open Range Night. “We get calls about this event every week. To begin with, there aren't many places to shoot, and very few places to shoot at night. This is a good way to better utilize our ranges and provide something that's in demand for the public. The purpose of Open Range Night is to provide a place for people planning to hunt during the state's special nighttime wild hog and coyote hunting seasons to familiarize themselves with their equipment in a safe environment.”

The Swan Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) public shooting range will host night shooting events from 8 p.m. to midnight on July 13 and October 5 at 18936 Harris Station Road in Tanner. The Cahaba WMA public shooting range will host events at 3956 Coalmont Road in Helena during the same times on July 20 and October 12. WFF firearms instructors will be on-site at the range to ensure the safety of all participants. The event is free, but participants must have a hunting license or Wildlife Heritage License, which allows access to all WFF-operated shooting ranges for the duration of the license.

“Open Range Night is just one example of our overall effort to engage with the public and make them more aware of our conservation officers and the programs the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources offers,” Weathers said. “Our officers are busy and are constantly in contact with the public to make ourselves better known in the community. Considering that only 3-4% of Alabamians hunt and 10% fish, the majority of the population doesn't have the opportunity to interact with our officers or really understand what they do for all Alabamians, whether they hunt or fish or not. Our outreach programs are the best way to make our officers known to everyone.”

Weathers said one of the most successful ways the law enforcement division has interacted across the state is through the department's Rural Outreach Program, which teaches people tracking and wilderness medical care to law enforcement agencies, paramedics and emergency personnel across the state.

“The Regional Operations Team has taught dozens of courses to local law enforcement and rescue squads across the state,” he said. “The tracking skills taught in these courses have already been used many times to find lost children and people with Alzheimer's and dementia. This course is a way for conservation enforcement officers to share the specialized skills they've developed throughout their careers with other emergency responders. It's a great way to demonstrate our usefulness to all Alabamians.”

Weathers said other outreach efforts are done through hunter education programs, offering hunter education classes and certifications, as well as the national archery program in schools and the new Outdoor Alabama Academy program, which includes basic hunting and firearms training. www.outdooralabama.com/Academy For more details:

“The Law Enforcement Division is responsible for protecting our state's natural resources,” Weathers said, “and that doesn't just apply to hunters and anglers. All Alabamians, whether they hunt or fish, are owners of these resources. They have a stake, and we are the agency tasked with protecting these resources, whether they know about us or not. Our outreach program is critical to the survival of our agency.”

Weathers said with the support of Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship, WFF Director Chuck Sykes and ADCNR conservation enforcement officers, it will be easy to succeed.

“I'm fortunate to be involved with this agency at a time when there's so much going on,” he said, “and it's the men and women in our division and section that are creating these successes.”

“Matt is very humble and does what great leaders do – give all the credit to their staff,” Sykes added. “But make no mistake, he is fully deserving of this award and it was a pleasure for me to nominate him.”