The purpose of this Trade Association is to represent the professional, economic and political interests of California Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators and others engaged in the business of nuisance wildlife management and animal damage control.
They call us NWCOs and it sounds like newcoze or glucose. We are the private sector, the small business operators of the nuisance wildlife control industry and the California NWCO Association exists for the purpose of representing our professional, economic and political interests.
We may be known by other names, but we're all NWCOs just the same. Animal Damage Control Specialists, Vertebrate Pest Control Technicians, Nuisance Animal Trappers, Wildlife Removal Operators are just some of the job titles used by members of this large and diverse NWCO family.
Some of us are "generalists". We're the ones who have difficulty saying "no" to any plea for help or to any opportunity to make a few dollars. We trap and remove raccoon, skunks, opossum, fox, squirrels, feral cats and other nuisance animals. We exclude the bats, and control the birds. Others of us are "specialists". We are the ones that only take on certain kinds of work such as removing bee or yellow jacket nests or trapping gophers and moles while turning away or making referrals for work outside our particular area of interest.
The nuisance wildlife control industry is a young and burgeoning field. As we continue to develop and extend our suburban communities to meet a growing wildlife population, incidents of animal and human conflict will surely follow. NWCOs must be prepared to meet this challenge.
The nuisance wildlife control industry is an outgrowth and/or convergence of two related fields - the pest control industry and the rural fur trapping industry. We are similar to our cousins, the fur trappers, in that we deal with some of the same animals, use a lot of the same tools, and tend to work alone or with a few helpers. We're different in that we work mostly in the urban or suburban setting, deal with customers or clients instead of fur buyers, and work at a faster pace often racing around town trying to keep up with the daily demand for our services. We're similar to our cousins, the private pest control operators, in that we are both in the business of controlling pest animals, we operate in the same towns and cities, and we share similar professional, economic and political concerns. NWCOs are different from PCOs in that we tend to deal with different animals and thus work with different tools and equipment. Most of the NWCOs clients are one time or short term business relationships while the PCO's customers tend to be repeat and long term arrangements. In general, NWCOs rely more on traps and physical exclusion materials than they do on pesticides or other chemicals for controlling pests. A NWCO has to be a pretty good handyman as he often is required to do a little carpentry, masonry or sheet metal work to keep the critters out of and off his customer's property. Of course, these are over-simplifications and may not always apply. There is a lot of overlap in what we all do, but viva la difference!
Okay, so now you know a little bit about NWCOs, but what is the California NWCO Association? What does it do? And why should anyone belong to this organization? Well, for openers, here are some pretty good reasons to join and become actively involved.
Members of this Association can chart the course for the NWCO industry in California instead of having regulation imposed by outsiders less familiar with or unsympathetic to our needs and concerns. The terms defining licensure and certification of NWCOs and the irrelevant and sometimes unfair State laws, regulations and policies affecting our livelihood are all major issues to be addressed by the California NWCO Associations. Working together on these and other issues of common concern, we can make the difference.
As a members of the California NWCO Association we will create many opportunities to meet other members who do the same kind of work we do and have many of the same problems and concerns. Instead of being on the fringe in some other group where members seem to have a different agenda, we will be right there in the mainstream talking to and learning from others in the NWCO family.
The Association's meetings and other events will be the place to make important and long lasting business contacts with other NWCOs who can make customer referrals or call on us when they need a little help. How many California NWCOs do you know right now? Do you know where they work or what they're doing? Do you know what they charge for their services or what kind of work they would like to either accept or refer out? Here's your chance to find out.
We are all responsible for our own professional development, but this Association is here to help us. Are you tired of having to attend the same training seminars over and over again just to get those needed continuing education credits? Do you ever wish they would offer something more relevant to your needs? Something fresh and challenging? We are going to design and deliver competency-based training seminars and workshops aimed at making us smarter and better NWCOs. These Association-sponsored training sessions will both allow us to learn what we need to know and to teach what we're willing to share.
As a member of the California NWCO Association, we will maintain our own website where we will be able to share information electronically. If we need technical help with our computers we'll have it right here from our own Webmaster and/or from other members more computer literate than we may be at the present time.
As the California NWCO Association grows, we will work with the National NWCO Association to develop a members' benefits program tailored to meet our needs for lower liability insurance, health care and workers compensation premium rates. We must identify our own business needs and then develop group plans to serve those needs. As individuals, we may not qualify for or be able to afford certain kinds of services or products, but as a member of a large group we may be able to bring these things into reach.
As a member of the California NWCO Association we proudly subscribe to a Professional Code of Ethics providing us with inspiration and guidance in the way we perform our work or conduct our businesses. This is what we stand for, as NWCOs, and we affirm our adherence to these principles for all to see.
As a member of the California NWCO Association we have the right to wear and otherwise display our logo identifying ourselves as professional nuisance wildlife control operators who pursue the highest standard for "competence", "integrity", and "service".
As a member of this State Association, we will be represented on the Board of the National NWCO Association where our voice will be heard on the larger issues transcending our State borders.
You can join CNWCOA by sending a check and completed membership form. A text version of the California NWCO Association membership form is available for downloading and printing. (Load the page and then use either the "Save As" or "Print" options under the "File" pull-down menu.)
