Every Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources field warden knows about The Watch.

Russ Wilson, field warden in La Crosse County, won The Watch in 1994.

"When you get hired as a warden, you hear about The Watch," Wilson said. "All the wardens are invited to the presentations, so as young wardens we see those who are winning the award. It's really the elite of the elite. I think every warden dreams of winning it."

Seventy-eight years ago Haskell Noyes began what has become a long-standing tradition.

Noyes (1886-1948) presented game warden Ernest Swift with the first Haskell Noyes Efficiency Award in 1930.

The award is given annually to a field warden who has developed a well-balanced, quality conservation law enforcement program, blending criminal and civil law enforcement and educational endeavors. The award is presented by a private family, but the winner is chosen by warden administrators.

"Everyone in the family knows what we're talking about when we mention that it's time to order the watch for this year's winner. It's not a watch but The Watch," said Emerson Noyes, son of Haskell Noyes and who was a presenter from 1968 to 1995.

He succeeded Haskell Noyes Jr., who presented The Watch from 1948 to 1968. Chris Noyes, son of Emerson Noyes, took over as a presenter in 1996, along with three other family members, Blake Noyes, Haskell Noyes III, and Bob Banks.

"Family, friends, members of the community and other law enforcement officers attend," Chris Noyes said. "We sometimes have 200 people at the banquet."

Haskell Noyes was a successful Milwaukee businessman, conservation leader and he served as chairman of the Wisconsin Conservation Commission, which predated the Natural Resources Board.

He was instrumental in securing land for the Kettle Moraine State Forest and organizing the Milwaukee Chapter of the Izaak Walton League, among other accomplishments.

He received a bachelor's of science degree from Yale University in 1908 and a Law Degree from University of Wisconsin in 1911. He coached the UW men's basketball team for one year while attending the UW Law School. He was an insurance executive from 1914 until his death.

Scott Bowe, a field warden in Chippewa County, was the 2007 winner — he was awarded The Watch in May. The 2008 winner will receive the award — it is funded by the Noyes family, purchased from a jeweler in Illinois — next spring.

"It's very humbling, looking at all the great things previous winners did during their careers. I can think of a long list of wardens who should have received the award before me. Wardens aspire to receive The Watch during their career," Bowe said.

John Buss, field warden in Sauk County, describes The Watch as the most prestigious award a Wisconsin warden can get. Buss won The Watch in 1992.

"The Watch has deep history. Some awards come and go, but this one is cemented in the fabric of the warden force and that's the thing that makes it special," Buss said.

Wilson, the 1994 winner, said The Watch has the power for change, the power to affect the state of Wisconsin's natural resources.

"Absolutely, absolutely," Wilson said. "Haskell Noyes had the foresight over the years and asked the wardens to be the best of the best for their years of service, and it was recognizing the work done to receive the award. The people of Wisconsin are the winners."

Chris Noyes calls his grandfather's brainchild as a motivating tool.

"There is not any question of why he (Haskell Noyes) did it," Chris Noyes said. "He wanted it to be a motivating tool for the other wardens, and ultimately all the citizens of the state would benefit from this award by having a professional, well-equipped, well-trained warden force in Wisconsin.

"That started with the wardens getting uniforms and better professional law enforcement training. It's an honor for us to be able to present The Watch."

And Chris Noyes doesn't anticipate a time when his family takes a pass on presenting The Watch.

"We expect this partnership to continue for a long time to come," Chris Noyes said. "Haskell Noyes was a visionary, ahead of his time; his was a green movement, an environmental movement."

NOYES WATCH WINNERS: 1930 — Ernest Swift; 1931 — Barney Devine; 1932 — Arthur Baie; 1933 — Albert Durham; 1934 — Peter Diedrich; 1935 — Louis Osbesky; 1936 — A.J. Robinson; 1937 — W.P. Elliott; 1938 — Harry M. Hosford; 1939 — I.C. Rheaume; 1940 - T. Fred Minor; 1941 — John D. Worden; 1942 — Richard A. Nixon; 1943 — W.H. Field; 1944 — C.A. Weitz; 1945 — D.W. Waggoner; 1946 — R.B. Merkle; 1947 — Royce Dallman; 1948 — John A. Helsing, Jr.; 1949 — Werner L. Radke; 1950 — Arthur C. Chase; 1951 — Francis A. Stiglbauer; 1952 — Arthur N. Knudtson; 1953 — John F. Adamski; 1954 — Frank L Adamski; 1955 — Harvey W. Mau; 1956 — Carl T. Miersch; 1957 — Edward A. Manthei; 1958 — Albert G. Koppenhaver; 1959 — Ruthven J. Lake; 1960 — Norman L. Hicks; 1961 — Warren M. Holger; 1962 — Willard Laesch; 1963 — Robert J. Ward; 1964 — Charles A. Schlumpf; 1965 — Ernest L. Meress; 1966 — Ortis K. Johnson; 1967 — Robert F. Winnie; 1968 — Owen A. Anderson; 1969 — Glen H. Popple; 1970 — Benjamin A. Little; 1971 — Robert F. Kuhrasch; 1972 — John S. Plenke; 1973 -- Albert J. Kwallek; 1974 -- James Flanigan; 1975 -- Philip Zieman; 1976 -- William Hiebing; 1977 -- Ronald Kubisiak; 1978 -- Howard Bebriyn; 1979 -- James Amundson; 1980 -- Earl D. Piper; 1981 -- Bruce Buenning; 1982 -- George W. Phillips; 1983 -- Dennis G. Jameson; 1984 -- Harold Schmude; 1985 -- John Glennon; 1986 -- Joe Davidowski; 1987 -- Dave Arendt; 1988 -- Dennis Kirschbaum; 1989 -- Bill Schwengel; 1990 -- Jerry Karow; 1991 -- Dick Wallin; 1992 -- John Buss; 1993 -- Dave Goldsworthy; 1994 -- Russ Wilson; 1995 -- Byron Goetsch; 1996 -- Don Mezei; 1997 -- Mike Smith; 1998 -- Mike Bartz; 1999 -- Tom Jodarski; 2000 -- Michael Cross; 2001 -- Dave Zebro; 2002 -- Roy Kubisiak; 2003 -- Judi Nigbor; 2004 -- Dave Algrem; 2005 -- Kyle Drake; 2006 -- Mike Stahl; 2007 -- Scott Bowe.