Arizona Game and Fish Commission is Meeting Mar. 9
OutdoorHub 03.07.12
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission is meeting starting at 8 a.m. March 9 at the department headquarters on 5000 W. Carefree Highway in Phoenix.
Members of the public can attend in person, view the meeting through a webcast at www.azgfd.gov or view the proceedings via video teleconference at any of the Game and Fish Department’s six regional offices across the state.
Members of the public attending in person or via teleconference at department regional offices may submit speaker cards (blue cards) if they wish to address the commission.
The commission is slated to:
- Be briefed on proposed state and federal legislation;
- Discuss a new standing commission constituent/stakeholder committee regarding its function and the general outline and plan for how committee processes will be implemented;
- Be briefed on shooting sports activities across Arizona;
- Consider an agreement with the Northern Arizona Shooting Foundation for the management and operation of the commission-owned public shooting facility near Flagstaff in Coconino County;
- Consider draft commission policies on hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing;
- Receive an update on the guidelines for the 2012-2013 and the 2013-2014 hunting seasons adopted by the commission in August 2011;
- Consider a request from Coconino County for commission support for the acquisition of open space at Ft. Tuthill under the Arizona Preserve Initiative Process;
- Conduct hearings on license revocations for violations of Game and Fish Codes and civil assessments for the illegal taking and/or possession of wildlife;
- Consider a request to approve a notice of final rulemaking and economic impact statement amending rules within Articles 1 and 3 to implement House Bill 2543 and Senate Bill 1334 (handling of wildlife and management unit boundaries);
- Discuss and vote on the selection of new members for the Heritage Public Advisory Committee.
Members of the public can provide input to the commission on any of the topics on the agenda by submitting blue slips, and during the “call to the public” can also address topics not on the agenda. However, if a topic is not on the agenda, the public open meeting law prohibits the commission from addressing issues not noticed on the agenda.
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission consists of five members (serving staggered five-year terms) 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.
The commission is the policy-setting board overseeing the Arizona Game and Fish Department. 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.
For a complete meeting agenda or to learn more about the Game and Fish Commission, visit www.azgfd.gov/commission.
