Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced Walter Rabon as the new commissioner for the state Department of Natural Resources. The DNR Board of Commissioners voted to appoint Rabon to replace former commissioner Mark Williams.
Rabon has served as interim commissioner since July 1 after rising through the ranks of the DNR over the past 30 years.
According to a press release from the Governor’s Office, the appointment is effective immediately.
“Walter Rabon has dedicated himself to the mission of protecting hard working Georgians and their ability to enjoy the outdoors safely. I look forward to DNR’s continued success ensuring our state is a good steward of its natural resources,” Kemp said in a statement.
The DNR manages over 60 state parks and historic areas, from Mistletoe State Park at Clarkes Hill to Roosevelt’s Little White House in Warm Springs. The agency has several divisions, conservation of wildlife and coastal areas, history and archeology and law enforcement.
While many may think the law enforcement division is merely that of security guards checking to make sure that anglers have the proper licenses and enough life vests stored on board their boats, Rabon says the division is actually one of the most highly trained law enforcement groups in the nation.
“We are like the Swiss Army Knife of law enforcement, from the woods to the pavement,” Rabon said.
DNR agents are trained to handle any imaginable contact with dangerous wildlife, utilize drone and other technology to spot poachers and search for lost hunters and even are sometimes called out of the woodland parks and into the urban concrete jungles.
Recently, Kemp tapped the agency to take a lead role in assisting the Georgia State Patrol and other Atlanta area law enforcement to crack down on illegal drag racing taking place on the highways.
The DNR was also called in when squatters, vandals and protesters descended upon the police training facility under construction in Atlanta. Within days, the DNR was able to clear the area of any persons with criminal intent.
Rabon says that he is not planning any “sweeping” changes to the agency, adding that he has been a part of building the current team and helping define its mission going all the way back to 1993 when he was hired as a conservation ranger.
“We have a good team in place, the best in the business, I would say, at carrying out our missions,” Rabon said.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
