Keep Up the Good Work, Erick!!!

(I received this from my Uncle Richard about my cousin Erick.)
-
I just received this and with just a little bit of pride thought I'd share it with you....-Rich Elliott
-
NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 08:017 Feb. 29, 2008-Game Warden Named California Officer of the Year by National Wild Turkey Federation

-
California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Warden Erick Elliott wasnamed the National Wild Turkey Federation’s (NWTF) California Officerof the Year.
-
“Without the tremendous level of support for wild turkey conservation from wildlife officers such as Erick Elliott, restoration efforts andwildlife management strategies never would have succeeded,” said NWTFCEO Rob Keck. “We wanted to ensure that they receive the thanks andrecognition they so rightly deserve.”
-
Elliot was recognized at the NWTF’s annual convention and sports show,Feb. 21-24 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga. The NWTFinitiated the State Wildlife Law Enforcement Officer of the Year awardin 2000 to highlight the contributions from wildlife officers across thecounty.
-
Elliott’s supervisor, Lt. Mike Ference, described Elliott as aself-motivated, positive, dependable and professional warden who issued15 citations for turkey hunting law violations during the 51-day 2007hunting season alone and has assisted with public safety evacuationsduring wild fires, multiple DUI arrests, felon with firearm cases and amarijuana sales case.
-
Elliott, an 11-year veteran of DFG enforcement, is a second generationwarden. “I’ve wanted to be a game warden since I was a boy and mydad was a warden,” said Elliott, a Julian resident, husband, andfather of four. “It’s incomprehensible for me to receive an awardfor doing something that I love so much. It’s like giving my3-year-old son a treat for playing outside.”
-
Elliott is also passing down his vast knowledge of the outdoors andwildlife conservation as a training officer, firearms instructor andhunter education instructor. One of Elliott’s highlights for 2007 wasintroducing his 11-year-old daughter to turkey hunting and witnessingher first gobbler harvest.
-
The National Wild Turkey Federation is a grassroots, nonprofitorganization with more than 550,000 members in 50 states, Canada, Mexicoand 14 other foreign countries. It supports scientific wildlifemanagement on public, private and corporate lands as well as wild turkeyhunting as a traditional North American sport.