Quote:
Originally Posted by MathGeek
There are some challenges here. One challenge is deciding what you really want the group to be. Is the focus of the group conservation of natural resources for future generations or is the focus of the group an approach to fisheries management that emphasizes sound scientific management and prefers a libertarian outlook that places a fairly high scientific bar before the liberty of recreational anglers is restricted with additional regulations?
Will the group focus on sound science and restoration (reefs, etc.) which would make for a valid non-profit (tax exempt status), or will there be a political and policy focus where the group would probably not qualify for tax exempt status?
To take the approach of including both you need to organize something like the NRA. The regular NRA (National Rifle Association) focuses on education and training in civil rights and marksmanship. The political and policy arm is the NRA-ILA (Institute for Legislative Action) that is a recognized political group and is allowed to lobby because it does not enjoy tax exempt status.
Once a group exists, there will invariably be internal disagreements over how the group approaches (allocates resources) to address the various interests. Where are the reefs deployed? What scientific issues get studied? What is the group's policy position on various management agendas on the fed and state level? How well is the group organized and governed to survive and succeed in spite of these internal disagreements?
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I can only speak for myself. I am a member of CCA to help ensure our coast and fisheries is protected and maintained in a manner that will ensure it is viable and productive into the future so that generations are able to enjoy it the way I do. I also would like to see the organization work to protect our rights as Anglers to be able to access these same waterways our tax and organization dollars preserve. I expect best practices and scientific methods to be utilized to determine the methods that should be utilized to obtain these results. That is my understanding to be the CCA's mission.
That is not what I feel the CCA is currently doing. I feel the organization as it currently is being managed is being used to push certain individuals personal agenda. I also feel that the upper levels of the CCA have been infiltrated by individuals who are using the lobbying power of the organization to other ends. Regardless of if its to the detriment of the membership and OUR intrests.
The strongest weapon that the CCA has in its arsenal is the power of its membership to sway political opinion. That is NOT being utilized (in my opinion) to the benefit of the membership they proportion to represent.
Again.... Just my opinion.