Commission to hear presentation tomorrow (Feb. 6) on a different approach – Utah’s collaborative public land planning efforts
Phoenix, AZ -(Ammoland.com)- The Arizona Game and Fish Commission continues to have concerns over the prospect of an executive order by President Barack Obama to proclaim 1.7 million acres of land in northern Arizona as the Grand Canyon Watershed National Monument, a unilateral action that could bypass public input and participation.
The commission, in 2012, voted to oppose creation of the monument, pointing out that the vast majority of the lands in question are already public lands currently managed and conserved under multiple-use concepts, primarily by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. Conserving these lands and associated wildlife habitats is already being done very effectively, which has led to the largest unfragmented block of wildlife habitat in Arizona.
The commission expressed concern that the proposed monument was to “preserve” and in some cases lock away these lands rather than conserve them. National monument designation could impose unreasonable restrictions greater than what is actually needed to protect the resource, adversely impacting public access, traditional recreational uses, and the ability of the commission and department to properly manage wildlife and habitat.
The commission also expressed concern that a presidential executive order to create the monument would require no process for public input or participation from communities that would be directly impacted by this proclamation.
Tomorrow (Feb. 6), the commission will hear a presentation on an innovative, collaborative approach to public land use planning in Utah. Fred Ferguson, the chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), will provide an overview of the collaborative efforts that stakeholders from the development, conservation, outdoor recreation, and sportsmen’s communities have undertaken to develop the Daggett County lands proposal agreement, as part of the broader Utah Public Lands Initiative.
The commission meeting will be held on Friday, Feb. 6, beginning at 8 a.m., at the Wickenburg Town Hall Council Chambers, 155 N. Tegner St. in Wickenburg, Ariz. The public is invited to attend. The complete agenda is posted at www.azgfd.gov/inside_azgfd/meeting_agenda.shtml.
The meeting will also be streamed to the different Game and Fish offices, and will be available via webcast at www.azgfd.gov/commissioncam.
Did You Know?
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has trust responsibility for managing more than 800 native wildlife species — the most of any inland state — for current and future generations of Arizona citizens.
About The Arizona Game and Fish Department
The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Director’s Office, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Mail Stop WSFR-4020, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Director’s Office as listed above.
For more information please visit www.AZGFD.gov.