NAWEOA Accomplishments 1980 - Present
• Maintains a membership base of over 8000 conservation officers throughout North America
• Is governed by a Constitution and a Code of Ethics and is incorporated as a non-profit organization in the United States and Canada.
• Has an elected Board of Directors and Executive Officers from both the United States and Canada.
• Holds an annual training conference that attracts up to 500 field officers from 60 different agencies throughout North America. Conferences are hosted by various states and provinces giving more officers an opportunity to attend in any given year.
• Additional regional training seminar opportunities are sponsored throughout various parts of North America.
• Administers the NAWEOA Fallen Officer Fund that financially aids the families of Conservation Officers killed in the line of duty.
• Provides peer support to officers across the continent in matters surrounding officer safety and benefits, including but not limited to: sidearm and other personal safety equipment, pension issues and layoffs. Support provided in the form of organized letter writing campaigns.
• Has funded and produced the Tips’n Tricks CD manual “a collection of warden wisdom from across the continent.
• Has produced and distributed three Journals of Wildlife Law Enforcement. Each publication aimed at assisting and educating field level officers in various techniques proven successful in fish and wildlife investigations.
• Liaison with other agencies and organizations such as NACLEC, AFWA, WCIC, on such projects as CARA, the Wildlife Violator Compact, baiting regulations, CWD regulations, best management practices for trapping and others.
• Owns and publishes the International Game Warden Magazine – the only magazine in the world written by game wardens for game wardens with over 4500 subscribers worldwide.
• Publishes a bi-annual newsletter to provide a forum for communication within the membership.
• Maintains a website www.naweoa.org which contains useful information for game wardens as well as information for the general public.
• Maintains a library on professional wildlife and fisheries law enforcement papers available to its members.
• Maintains a law library on line for case law and case histories available to its members.
• Provides recognition for members of the profession through an annual award program. Awards include Officer of the Year, Torch Awards from each Region for “up and coming” young officers, Valor Awards and Life Saving Awards. Special recognition awards are also given.
• Sponsors an Annual Officer Exchange Program whereby one officer from the United States and one officer from Canada are chosen each year to visit another jurisdiction in the adjoining country to see firsthand the operation of that country’s fish and wildlife law enforcement.
• Is in the process of establishing an annual survey that will provide statistical information regarding officer assault rates, salary benefits, equipment such as vehicle and sidearm information, pension benefits etc.
• Is one of the major contributors to the North American Game Warden Museum and Educational Center at the International Peace Garden.
THROUGHOUT THE YEARS NAWEOA HAS GROWN TO BECOME A RECOGNIZED SOURCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE GAME WARDEN PROFESSION FOR ALL TYPES OF MEDIA, FROM TV NEWS TO RADIO, MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS. IT HAS BECOME A REPOSITORY FOR INFORMATION REGARDING FISH AND WILDLIFE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE PROFESSION