fisher16
09-22-2006, 08:59 PM
Poachers: You can run, but you can't hunt or fish
What began more than 20 years ago as an agreement between three Western states to help prevent poaching and to punish and track habitual wildlife violators is now law in 25 states.
With laws becoming effective in Florida next month (http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060915/COLUMNISTS0603/609150346/1113/SPORTS) and in Tennessee Nov. 1, the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact will join half of the country's states (http://www.stoppoaching.org/laws/wvc_index.shtm) with a shared central database containing the names of wildlife law violators. Simply put, the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact puts wildlife lawbreakers on notice that their activities in one state can affect their privileges in all participating states.
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And any way you look at it, that's a good thing.
In the past, when someone was found guilty of illegal hunting or fishing practices and had his hunting privileges revoked as a result, there was nothing to prevent him from obtaining a license to hunt or fish in another state.
That's no longer the case, thanks to the reciprocating agreements contained in the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact.
In addition to the new associate states, compact members include Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
To date, it is estimated that the IWVC has identified more than 4,000 poachers and other game violators whose hunting and fishing privileges have been revoked in compact-member states.
As more state agencies understand the benefits of jumping onboard as compact associates, expect to see a big push in the Midwest and East in coming years. Legislation is pending or expected in approaching sessions in Alaska, Kentucky, South Carolina, Maine, Ohio, West Virginia and Delaware
What began more than 20 years ago as an agreement between three Western states to help prevent poaching and to punish and track habitual wildlife violators is now law in 25 states.
With laws becoming effective in Florida next month (http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060915/COLUMNISTS0603/609150346/1113/SPORTS) and in Tennessee Nov. 1, the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact will join half of the country's states (http://www.stoppoaching.org/laws/wvc_index.shtm) with a shared central database containing the names of wildlife law violators. Simply put, the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact puts wildlife lawbreakers on notice that their activities in one state can affect their privileges in all participating states.
<!-- BEGIN INLINE UNIT -->
<!-- END INLINE UNIT -->
And any way you look at it, that's a good thing.
In the past, when someone was found guilty of illegal hunting or fishing practices and had his hunting privileges revoked as a result, there was nothing to prevent him from obtaining a license to hunt or fish in another state.
That's no longer the case, thanks to the reciprocating agreements contained in the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact.
In addition to the new associate states, compact members include Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
To date, it is estimated that the IWVC has identified more than 4,000 poachers and other game violators whose hunting and fishing privileges have been revoked in compact-member states.
As more state agencies understand the benefits of jumping onboard as compact associates, expect to see a big push in the Midwest and East in coming years. Legislation is pending or expected in approaching sessions in Alaska, Kentucky, South Carolina, Maine, Ohio, West Virginia and Delaware