Jim McCarthy is the newest commissioned law enforcement officer for the state Department of Natural Resources.
McCarthy, who served with the Washington State Patrol for 25 years, fills a newly created position that increases DNR’s law enforcement and response capacities on state trust lands. His primary duties will focus on department-managed lands in Pierce, Thurston, Lewis, Clark, Cowlitz and other counties in western Washington.
The department’s law enforcement officers are commissioned peace officers, certified by the State Criminal Justice Training Commission.
Working with other law enforcement agencies and the public, DNR officers enforce state laws and safety regulations on state trust lands. Their duties include:
• Enforcing vehicle speeds and regulations on state trust land roads and trails.
• Investigating and preventing vehicle accidents, wildfires and theft of natural resources, such as timber and other forest products.
• Educating the public about safe and sustainable use of public lands and resources.
• Monitoring the use of the state’s Discover Pass on vehicles visiting agency-managed recreation lands.
The department manages more than 5.6 million acres of state-owned forest, range, commercial, agricultural and aquatic lands. The department also provides wildfire protection for 12.7 million acres of private and state-owned forestlands.
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