Arizona Game and Fish offers public forums to discuss planned recommendations for the 2009-10 fall hunting regulations.
PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department is bringing a new format to the fall hunt recommendation process by offering six public forums across the state to allow constituents an opportunity to provide input to regional biologists before the hunt recommendations are presented to the commission for the 2009-10 hunting seasons.
Each region will be providing details about the populations within their jurisdiction. This means that if you have interest in a particular unit, you will need to attend the public meeting in that region to discuss management direction.
“This new process of including our customers before finalizing the hunt recommendations, will address the concerns of hunters earlier in the process, when we still have the ability to make changes if they are warranted,” said Brian Wakeling, chief of game management. “This collaboration should also reduce some of the questions during the commission meeting, improving the efficiencies of those public meetings.”
Constituents interested in attending a public forum where department biologists will be on hand to share the preliminary details of the recommendations may go to any of the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s regional offices.
Public forum dates, times and locations are:
- Tuesday, March 3, 6-8 p.m. – Pinetop regional office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
- Tuesday, March 3, 6-8 p.m. – Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road
- Tuesday, March 3, 6-8 p.m. – Yuma regional office, 9140 E. 28th St.
- Tuesday, March 3, 6-8 p.m. – Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road
- Tuesday, March 3, 7-9 p.m. – Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive
- Thursday, March 5, 6:30-8:30 p.m. – Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road
After the public forums the final draft of the hunt recommendations to be presented to the commission will be made available for public review at six regional open houses. No formal presentation will be made. However, a knowledgeable staff person will be available to discuss regional hunt recommendations.
Open house dates, times and locations are:
- Tuesday, April 7, 3-6 p.m. – Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road
- Tuesday, April 14, 4-6 p.m. – Pinetop regional office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
- Tuesday, April 14, 4-6 p.m. – Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road
- Tuesday, April 14, 3-5 p.m. – Yuma regional office, 9140 E. 28th St.
- Tuesday, April 14, 5-7 p.m. – Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road
- Tuesday, April 14, 3-5 p.m. – Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive
A PDF version of the 2009-10 hunt recommendations will be available for review at the Game and Fish Department’s Web site beginning Saturday, April 11 at www.azgfd.gov/h_f/hunt_guidelines.shtml.
Each year, the department makes recommendations to the commission regarding the management of game species for the annual hunting and trapping regulations, which establish the seasons, dates, bag limits, open areas, and hunt permit-tag allocations based on the framework of the hunt guidelines set by the commission every two years. The next guidelines will be set in the summer of 2010 for hunting seasons 2010-11 and 2011-12.
The final recommendations are scheduled to be presented to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission for consideration during its April 17-18 meeting in Phoenix at the department headquarters at 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix (1.5 miles west of I-17). The agenda will be posted at www.azgfd.gov/commission under commission agenda.
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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 Deputy Director, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Deputy Director as listed above.