(1) Wildlife resources are managed in trust by the respective states for the benefit of all residents and visitors.

(2) The protection of their respective wildlife resources can be materially affected by the degree of compliance with state statute or rule relating to the management of those resources.

(3) The preservation, protection, management, and restoration of wildlife contributes immeasurably to the aesthetic, recreational, and economic aspects of these natural resources.

(4) Wildlife resources are valuable without regard to political boundaries; therefore, all persons should be required to comply with wildlife preservation, protection, management, and restoration statutes, rules, and other law of all party states as a condition precedent to the continuance or issuance of any license to hunt, fish, trap, or possess wildlife.

(5) Violation of wildlife laws interferes with the management of wildlife resources and may endanger the safety of persons and property.

(6) The mobility of many wildlife law violators necessitates the maintenance of channels of communications among the various states.

(7) A person who is cited for a wildlife violation in a state other than the person's home state:

(8) The purpose of the enforcement practices described in subdivision (7) of this subsection is to ensure compliance with the terms of a wildlife citation by the person who, if permitted to continue on the person's way after receiving the citation, could return to the person's home state and disregard the person's duty under the terms of the citation.

(9) A person receiving a wildlife citation in the person's home state is permitted to accept the citation from the officer at the scene of the violation and to continue immediately on the person's way after agreeing or being instructed to comply with the terms of the citation.

(10) The practice described in subdivision (7) of this subsection causes unnecessary inconvenience and, at times, a hardship for the person who is unable at the time to post collateral, furnish a bond, stand trial, or pay the fine, and thus is compelled to remain in custody until some alternative arrangement can be made.

(11) The enforcement practices described in subdivision (7) of this subsection consume an undue amount of law enforcement time.

(1) Promote compliance with the statutes, rules, and other applicable law relating to management of wildlife resources in their respective states.

(2) Recognize the suspension of wildlife license privileges or rights of any person whose license privileges or rights have been suspended by a party state and treat this suspension as if it had occurred in the person's home state.

(3) Allow violators to accept a wildlife citation, except as provided in subsection (b) of Article III of this Compact, and be released without delay whether or not the person is a resident in the state in which the citation was issued, provided that the violator's home state is party to this Compact.

(4) Report to the appropriate party state any conviction that would subject a person to suspension and that is recorded against any person whose home state was not the issuing state.

(5) Allow the home state to recognize and treat a conviction that would subject a person to suspension and that is recorded for their residents and which occurred in another party state as if the conviction had occurred in the home state.

(6) Extend cooperation to its fullest extent among the party states for obtaining compliance with the terms of a wildlife citation issued in one party state to a resident of another party state.

(7) Maximize effective use of law enforcement personnel and information.

(8) Assist court systems in the efficient disposition of wildlife violations.

(1) Provide a means through which the party states may participate in a reciprocal program to effectuate policies enumerated in subsection (b) of this article in a uniform and orderly manner.

(2) Provide for the fair and impartial treatment of wildlife violators operating within party states in recognition of the person's right of due process and the sovereign status of a party state.

(1) "Citation" means any summons, complaint, ticket, penalty assessment, or other official document issued by a wildlife officer or other peace officer for a wildlife violation containing an order which requires the person to respond.

(2) "Collateral" means any cash or other security deposited to secure an appearance for trial in connection with the issuance by a wildlife officer or other peace officer of a citation for a wildlife violation.

(3) "Compliance" with respect to a citation means the act of answering the citation through appearance at a court, a tribunal, or payment of fines, costs, and surcharges, if any, or both such appearance and payment.

(4) "Conviction" means a conviction, including any court conviction, of any offense related to the preservation, protection, management, or restoration of wildlife which is prohibited by state statute, rule, or other relevant law, or a forfeiture of bail, bond, or other security deposited to secure the appearance by a person charged with having committed any such offense, or payment of a penalty assessment, or a plea of nolo contendere, or the imposition of a deferred or suspended sentence by the court.

(5) "Court" means a court of law.

(6) "Home state" means the state of primary residence of a person.

(7) "Issuing state" means the party state which issues a wildlife citation to the violator.

(8) "License" means any license, permit, or other public document that conveys to the person to whom it was issued the privilege of pursuing, possessing, or taking any wildlife regulated by statute, rule, or other relevant law of a party state.

(9) "Licensing authority" means the department within each party state authorized by law to issue or approve licenses or permits to hunt, fish, trap, or possess wildlife.

(10) "Party state" means any state which enacts legislation to become a member of this wildlife compact.

(11) "Personal recognizance" means an agreement by a person made at the time of issuance of the wildlife citation that the person will comply with the terms of that citation.

(12) "State" means any state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, provinces of Canada, or other countries.

(13) "Suspension" means any revocation, denial, or withdrawal of any or all license privileges or rights, including the privilege or right to apply for, purchase, or exercise the benefits conferred by any license.

(14) "Terms of the citation" means those conditions and options expressly stated upon the citation.

(15) "Wildlife" means all species of animals, including but not necessarily limited to mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, mollusks, and crustaceans, which are defined as "wildlife" and are protected or otherwise regulated by statute, rule, or other relevant law in a party state. "Wildlife" also means food fish and shellfish as defined by statute, rule, or other relevant law in a party state. Species included in the definition of "wildlife" vary from state to state and determination of whether a species is "wildlife" for the purposes of this Compact shall be based on state law.

(16) "Wildlife law" means any statute, law, regulation, ordinance, or administrative rule developed and enacted to manage wildlife resources and the use thereof.

(17) "Wildlife officer" means any individual authorized by a party state to issue a citation for a wildlife violation.

(18) "Wildlife violation" means any cited violation of a statute, rule, or other relevant law developed and enacted to manage wildlife resources and the use thereof.

(1) If not prohibited by local law or the rules of the Department of Fish and Wildlife; and

(2) If the violator provides adequate proof of the violator's identification to the wildlife officer.

(2) The act or resolution shall include statements that in substance are as follows:

(3) The effective date of entry shall be specified by the applying state, but shall not be less than 60 days after notice has been given by the Chairperson of the Board of Compact Administrators or by the Secretariat of the Board of Compact Administrators to each party state that has received the resolution from the applying state.