U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Dr. Edgard O. Espinoza, deputy director and chief scientist at the U.S.F.W.S.'s Countrywide Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, and Game Warden Bruce Lemmert, with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, have received the Countrywide Fish and Wildlife Foundation's 2002 Guy Bradley Award.
The award, which recognizes Espinoza and Lemmert for their contributions to the protection of the Nation's wildlife resources, was presented to the 2 men by Foundation Director John Berry at the yearly North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Dallas, Texas, on April 3, 2002.
"As the accomplishments of the award recipients show, protecting wildlife draws on endeavors that range from cutting-edge scientific research to old-fashioned detective work," said Service Director Steve Williams. "Both Dr. Espinoza and Officer Lemmert have helped safeguard wildlife resources and preserve Earth's living legacy for future generations."
"This award is given in the spirit of Guy Bradley, who sacrificed his life while performing his duties to protect the Nation's wildlife. The individuals selected this year are working towards making a difference by carrying on the work of Guy Bradley," said John Berry, Executive Director of the Countrywide Fish and Wildlife Foundation. "The Foundation commends their leadership in supporting and enforcing our country's rich and abundant natural heritage."
Espinoza was acknowledged for expanding the role and analytical capabilities of wildlife forensic science. His efforts helped make it possible for wildlife law enforcement officers to work crime scenes "after the fact" by examining and comparing collected evidence. In the past, successful investigations of wildlife crimes all too often depended on catching the violator in the act.
Espinoza, who earned a Ph.D. in forensic science at the University of California at Berkeley in 1988, joined the staff of the Service's Forensics Lab in Ashland, Oregon, in 1989 as a senior forensic specialist. Since 1995, he has served as the Laboratory's deputy director and as chief of its forensic science branch.
As the Laboratory's chief scientist, Espinoza oversees all casework and research conducted at the facility in addition to pursuing his own research. Last year, the Laboratory's forensic specialists examined in excess of 5,000 pieces of evidence in support of Federal, State, and international investigations of wildlife crime.
Espinoza's own research work and Lab studies conducted under his direction helped establish wildlife forensics as a distinct scientific discipline while providing many of the analytical techniques needed to help solve wildlife crimes. Under his guidance, the Lab has achieved breakthroughs in such fields as morphology, analytical chemistry, wildlife genetics, and standard police forensic science.
"Dr. Espinoza is the scientific soul of our Laboratory," said Lab Director Ken Goddard. "He has been responsible, either through his own research or through encouraging the work of others, for virtually every major discovery we've made."
Espinoza's scientific contributions include identifying a method for distinguishing ivory from such long extinct mammals as mammoths and mastodons from modern elephant ivory, a material subject to widespread illegal trade. His co-discovery with lab colleague Dr. Mark Kirms that most species have unique hemoglobin set the stage for the development of a procedure for identifying the source species of blood from samples too small to be seen by the unaided eye.
Over the past 13 years, Espinoza published or presented in excess of 50 scientific papers documenting his research on problems that ranged from characterizing soils to identifying toxic metals in traditional Asian medicinals. His work received "best paper" recognizes at 4 Countrywide or international forensic science symposiums.
"Dr. Espinoza and his colleagues at the Countrywide Fish and Wildlife Forensics Lab provide the scientific evidence that allows Federal and State officers and their international counterparts to document wildlife crimes and uphold wildlife protection laws," said Williams. "We're proud that Dr. Espinoza has won this prestigious award and join the Foundation in applauding the contributions that forensic scientists and other law enforcement professionals make to wildlife conservation."
Bruce Lemmert joined the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) in February 1989 at age 40. Prior to coming to the Department for his 2nd career, he worked in Co. government in Franklin County, Virginia, and was a Hunter Education Coordinator in
Franklin County. Previously, Lemmert had earned a degree in Wildlife Management from Virginia Tech.
In 1993, Lemmert's peers elected him to the presidency of The Virginia Game Warden Association. He was acknowledged for his leadership qualities and other abilities in spite of his relatively short time in the job. In 1996, Bruce was selected as VDGIF's Game Warden of the Year. Also in 1996, Bruce Lemmert was selected Officer of The Year by the North American Wildlife Enforcement Officer's Association. This organization has in excess of 6,000 members comprised of wildlife enforcement officers from both state and Countrywide agencies from the U.S. and Canada. Bruce served 2 four-year terms as a Director on the Association's board, representing the southeastern states. Lemmert has also just completed 2 two-year terms as President of the Virginia Chapter of the Wildlife Society.
Lemmert's initiative for community involvement, the Wildlife Recognition and Reward Program, started in collaboration with the Loudoun Co. Chapter of the Izaak Walton League, recognizes those Loudoun Co. residents and law enforcement officers who assisted in either wildlife management or law enforcement during the past twelve months. The 12-year-old plan has been acknowledged as a model of its kind both by state and Countrywide organizations.
The Guy Bradley Award, named after the 1st wildlife law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty, is a Countrywide honor presented each year by the Countrywide Fish and Wildlife Foundation to recognize individuals for outstanding lifetime contributions to wildlife law enforcement. U.S.F.W.S. special agents or forensic scientists have previously won this award ten times since it was created in1988.
The U.S.F.W.S. is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses nearly 540 National wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 Countrywide fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid plan that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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