Ontario Conservation Officers

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Ontario Conservation Officers" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The topic of this article may not meet Misplaced Pages's notability guidelines for companies and organizations. Please help to demonstrate the notability of the topic by citing reliable secondary sources that are independent of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention. If notability cannot be shown, the article is likely to be merged, redirected, or deleted.
Find sources: "Ontario Conservation Officers" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

This article is in list format but may read better as prose. You can help by converting this article, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (April 2024)

(Learn how and when to remove this message)

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Conservation Officers
Agency overview
Patch of Ontario Conservation Officers
Formed	1892
Preceding agency	Ontario Board of Game and Fish
Headquarters	300 Water Street Peterborough, Ontario
Parent agency	Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
Website	https://www.ontario.ca/page/conservation-officer-powers-and-authorities
Map
${{{map_alt}}}$

Ontario Conservation Officers are the enforcement arm of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry in Ontario, Canada. Conservation officers enforce provincial and federal laws related to natural resources, including fishing and hunting, and preventing forest fires.

Conservation officers (CO's) patrol the lakes, trails and back roads of Ontario to protect natural resources, and ensure public safety. They are professional, armed peace officers trained to police standards.

Conservation officers also spent time educating the public on conservation and safety, providing information on the regulations that protect species at risk, how to recognize and help prevent the spread of invasive species, prevention of forest fires, boating safety and how to prepare fish for transport, changes to fishing and hunting regulations and how to report known or suspected resource abuse to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry TIPS violation reporting line at 1-877-847-7667.

Conservation officers enforce Ontario’s natural resources laws. They investigate and prosecute offenders under many federal and provincial statutes, relating to: fire, fish and wildlife, invasive species, forestry, aggregates (sand and gravel), public lands, public safety (e.g. recreational vehicle use, forest fire prevention) and Law enforcement.

Conservation officers are empowered to: stop and/or inspect a vehicle, boat or aircraft, inspect firearms, ammunition, fish or game, inspect buildings or other places, search with a warrant, and in circumstances requiring immediate action, without one, seize items related to an offence, ask questions relevant to the inspection and arrest anyone who has committed, is committing or is about to commit an offence under many of the acts they are authorized to enforce.