Arizona Game and Fish Commission to Meet April 13-14
OutdoorHub 04.12.12
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission’s next regularly scheduled meeting is Friday and Saturday, April 13-14, at the Game and Fish Department headquarters, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix (1.5 miles west of I-17).
The public can view the meeting either by: (1) attending in person in Phoenix; (2) via live streaming video at Game and Fish regional offices; or, (3) online at www.azgfd.gov/commissioncam. Members of the public may submit Speaker Cards (Blue Cards) if they wish to speak to the commission at the Phoenix meeting or from any regional Game and Fish office. Public comment is not available for those viewing the webcast online.
The two-day meeting begins at 8 a.m. on Friday, April 13. Items on Friday’s agenda include:
- Updates on state and federal legislative issues.
- Briefings on information/education, shooting sports, wildlife recreation, lands, habitat, nongame and law enforcement activities.
- Presentation on draft commission policies on hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing.
- Briefing on accomplishments of the Arizona Important Bird Areas (IBA) program and other key Audubon projects.
- Request for commission approval on consent agenda items, including:
- Request for renewal of a road closure on state trust lands of Perrin Ranch;
- Approval of the law enforcement boating safety fund allocation formula.
- Hearings on license revocations for violations of Game and Fish codes and civil assessments for the illegal taking and/or possession of wildlife (time certain at 2 p.m.).
- Request for approval of a final notice of exempt rulemaking to amend rules R12-4-801, R12-4-802 and R12-4-803 within Article 8, addressing wildlife areas and department-managed property.
- Briefing on the status of the draft Strategic Plan.
Day two of the meeting begins at 8 a.m., Saturday, April 14. Saturday’s agenda items include:
- Commission consideration of the proposed commission orders for the 2012-13 hunting season for deer, turkey, javelina, bighorn sheep, buffalo, bear, mountain lion, and population management hunts; the 2012-13 and 2013-14 hunting seasons for tree squirrel, cottontail rabbit, predatory and furbearing mammals, other mammals and birds, pheasant, quail, chukar partridge and blue grouse; and the 2012-13 and 2013-14 trapping seasons.
- A presentation on the proposed hunt-permit tag application schedule for fall 2012 hunts.
- A briefing of the online draw process.
For a complete meeting agenda, or to learn more about the Game and Fish Commission, visit www.azgfd.gov/commission.
The commission is the policy-setting board overseeing the Arizona Game and Fish Department. It consists of five members who serve staggered five-year terms, are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. No more than one commissioner may be from any one county. No more than three may be from the same political party. Since its inception in 1929, this organizational structure has served as a buffer for the best interests of science-driven wildlife conservation during eight decades of back-and-forth political change.
