The Nevada Chapter (NC) of The Wildlife Society surveyed its membership in 1985 to determine their characteristics and opinions to provide information for pursuit of long-range goals and activities. Forty-nine of the 77 members (64%) responded. Members indicated their educational and employment backgrounds, likes and dislikes about TWS publications and organizational units, thoughts about fund-raising, preferred means of maintaining professional standards, and the kinds of public involvement they were willing to support. A majority indicated support for existing activities, programs, and policies, including the NC awards program, fund-raising methods, continuing wildlife education, professional certification, university accreditation, and public affairs involvement. However, rates of individual participation in the latter were relatively law. The membership included no retirees. A majority indicated support for changes, including new requirements for maintenance of professional certification, a requirement for professional wildlife biologists to commit in writing to a code of ethics and establishment of a professional conduct review board, and a new program to support professionals whose employers try to require them to violate the code of ethics. There was support for raising NC dues if a need were demonstrated.
|