Despite the fact that approximately one third of the state wildlife agency personnel and funding is invested in law enforcement, scientific law enforcement studies are comparatively few. A regional program of law enforcement research, to be located at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, can coordinate projects, allow publication of results in many forms, avoid duplication of research projects, and answer more questions for less money in a joint effort than can individual states. The success and benefits of this program relies on funding by all states, since all states will benefit from this research. The program will enhance ideas and open communication between researchers and wildlife law enforcement agencies. With this proposed system of jointly funded research, states can save money in the long run, make great interactive advances, and achieve regional leadership in a new, vital essential dimension of modem wildlife resource management.
