SANTA FE – Shikar Safari Club International has named New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Captain Tim Cimbal the 2017 New Mexico Wildlife Conservation Officer of the Year.

Cimbal received the award at the department’s third annual Governor’s Special Hunt Auction and Awards Banquet on Feb. 18 in Albuquerque. Cimbal, 36, currently is stationed in Albuquerque. He is a 12-year veteran of the department and holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science Policy and Management from State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Shikar Safari Club International annually presents awards to wildlife law enforcement officers in all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces and territories. The club is dedicated to the protection, enhancement and preservation of wildlife, with particular emphasis on endangered and threatened species through the promotion of enforcement of conservation laws and regulations.

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