Thread: US Fish and Wildlife Service- Difference?

What's the difference between:

0485 Wildlife Refuge Specialist

and

1801 Refuge Law Enforcement Specialist

From what I've read they attend the same LE training, but the job descriptions make the 1801 seem closer to a pure LE officer like the USFS 1801 series, while the 0485 series seem closer to the NPS 0025 Rangers... nature walks, firefighting and such PLUS LE responsibility.

Is that accurate?

From reading the vacancy announcements, a WR Specialist is more of a conservation-specific job, with a side focus on the refuge's day-to-day operations. I believe that's the series that Refuge Managers belong to. It requires a specific amount of wildlife biology coursework and usually a degree in a related discipline, since the main job is going to be conservation-related. Things like managing the refuge for certain species, improving habitat, etc. It is not always tied to any LE duties: that depends on the refuge. If there are LE duties involved in the position, it's a collateral duty job - i.e. only part-time LE. This is mainly for refuges that have little or no LE coverage.

1801 is a Refuge Officer - full-time LE.