Bellefontaine Rotary Club members learned more about the work of Ohio’s Natural Resources Officers during Monday afternoon’s meeting.
Lieutenant Mike Roeger, a Natural Resources Officer with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Watercraft, spoke to the group about his work and the responsibilities of NROs across the state and locally at Indian Lake.
Roeger said he has worked for ODNR for 18 years after previously serving four years in the U.S. Navy.
He has worked throughout west-central Ohio, with Logan County consistently included in his area of responsibility.
Roeger explained that the Division of Parks and Watercraft was created in 2016 when the Division of Parks and Recreation merged with the Division of Watercraft.
Today, the division manages 76 state parks, 59 campgrounds and 64 lakes across 59 counties.
Its responsibilities include boating safety and education, watercraft registration and inspections, boat accident investigations, marinas, boat ramps, docks, trails, campgrounds and other recreational facilities.
Indian Lake is one of the division’s larger and busier properties.
Roeger said the lake covers approximately 5,800 acres and includes 488 campsites, more than 500 seasonal docks, about 4,500 private docks and five public boat ramps.
The lake also offers trails, fishing and hunting areas, shelter houses, a dog park, disc golf, and winter recreation.
Indian Lake recorded about 43,000 overnight stays in 2025 and is typically one of the top revenue-producing state parks in Ohio.
With the size and popularity of the state’s parks and waterways, the Division of Parks and Watercraft has its own law enforcement section made up of Natural Resources Officers.
Roeger described NROs as fully commissioned peace officers who have jurisdiction over lands administered by ODNR, state waters and adjacent roadways.
“Simply put, we are the Police Department for ODNR,” Roeger explained, noting that NROs often work in non-traditional locations and situations.
Locally, NROs are responsible for a seven-county area that includes Logan, Champaign, Union, Franklin, Delaware, Morrow and Knox counties, with officers primarily covering Logan, Champaign and Union counties.
Their responsibilities extend beyond state parks and waterways.
NROs also work in state forests, natural areas and preserves and have jurisdiction over watercraft-related incidents throughout Ohio.
Roeger said marine patrol is a major part of the job.
Officers receive specialized training in boat handling, watercraft laws, crash investigations and search and rescue.
NROs also train in water survival, ATV and UTV operation, active-threat situations, side-scan sonar and underwater drones.
Training continues well beyond the initial six-to-eight-week DNR academy.
Officers receive additional training in boating education, river canoe operations and swiftwater rescue.
The division also has specialized investigators and a K9 program.
Roeger said the K9 teams are trained for narcotics detection, article detection, missing-person searches, handler protection and cadaver recovery.
According to Roeger, there are approximately 129 NROs, eight investigators and five K9 handlers across Ohio.
Locally, there are three officers, with one officer recently transferred and another currently going through the field training process.
Roeger said the broad range of responsibilities requires officers to be adaptable and capable of working independently, often in remote outdoor locations.
His presentation gave Rotary members a closer look at the work being done by Natural Resources Officers to protect Ohio’s natural resources, enforce laws, and help keep visitors safe at places such as Indian Lake.
