|
|
| Frequently Asked Questions |
| • Why does IWA not allow people with game law violations to be members? |
Paragraph 2 of Article 5, Section A of the IWA Bylaws state that members may not have current convictions of game law violations. Another part of Article 5 states that members must be currently eligible to legally hunt in Idaho.
Taken together, those statements mean that no person currently serving a period of license revocation is eligible to be a member of IWA. This has no bearing on what happened 5 years ago, 10 years ago or longer. The restriction on membership is limited to current status.
IWA is an organization founded in conservation ethics and respect for the resource. Violations severe enough to merit revocation of hunting privileges are generally not the result of minor oversight, but rather an indication of the person's attitude and choice of action. Anyone who willingly violates the law to this extent shows disregard for the standards that the Idaho Waterfowl Association is based on.
Additionally, if IWA were to allow flagrant violators of game laws as members, it would hurt the organization's credibility as an organization dedicated to conservation and ethics. With reduced credibility would come reduced effectiveness. |
| •
Why can only Idaho residents be members of IWA? Isn't everyone's money good enough? |
Early in the process of organizing IWA, it was decided that for it to be as effective as possible in fulfilling its mission, the Idaho Waterfowl Association must be entirely an Idaho organization.
At times, there will be issues when non-residents are likely to take a differing stance than the majority of Idaho residents. In these times it is essential that IWA be able to represent the majority of Idaho hunters without the majority opinion being skewed by non-resident input.
In addition, it has long been the case that for an organization to have total support from Idaho residents, it must be perceived as being entirely an Idaho organization. When out of state money becomes involved, many Idahoans lose trust in the organization and its ability to carry out its mission is weakened. |
|
|
