Do You Hunt Or Fish In Arizona? Be Heard.

Provided by Arizona Game and Fish Department on June 5, 2013

If you weren’t able to attend one of the public meetings the past two weeks to provide input on hunting and fishing license structure and fee concepts, you still have the opportunity to do so.

Comment can be submitted by e-mail to LicenseSimplification@azgfd.gov or by U.S. mail to Arizona Game and Fish Department, License Simplification Comment, Attn: Ben Alteneder, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086.

The input will assist the Arizona Game and Fish Commission and Department in establishing a future hunting and fishing license structure and fees, as authorized by the recent passage of Senate Bill 1223.

You can view a webcast of one of the public meeting presentations (the May 20 Phoenix meeting) from a link at www.azgfd.gov/LicenseSimplification. That page also has links to the powerpoint presentation and handout. It’s important to remember that these are just concepts, not recommendations at this point, and are meant to serve as a starting point for discussion.

One public meeting remains this week, on Thursday, June 6, in Ajo at Ajo Ambulance, Inc., 1850 N. Ajo Gila Bend Hwy. Public meetings have previously been held in Pinetop, Phoenix, Mesa, Tucson, Flagstaff, Yuma, Kingman, Page, Globe, Lake Havasu City, Sierra Vista, Payson, Safford, Wickenburg, Eagar and Prescott.

The meetings and solicitation of comments during this time period are the first phase of the public input process. The Arizona Game and Fish Commission will review the comments and take them into consideration in developing a draft license structure and fees. The commission will consider the draft structure/fees during its meeting in Payson, Ariz., on Saturday, June 15, at the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino, Highway 87, Mile Marker 251 (seeagenda). The public is invited to either attend the meeting, view it from one of the Game and Fish offices, or view the webcast at www.azgfd.gov/commissioncam. Those wishing to address the commission may submit Speaker Cards (Blue Cards) at the meeting or from a Game and Fish office. The ability to speak to the commission for those viewing the webcast is not available.

The commission may vote to approve or modify the draft structure and fees at the Payson meeting before they are presented to the public for comments in June-July. The commission will review and take into consideration that second round of comments before approving a final license structure and fees, anticipated in August. The goal is to have a new structure and fees implemented by Jan. 1, 2014.

SB 1223 allows the Arizona Game and Fish Commission to set future hunting and fishing license structure and fees directly through a streamlined, customer-focused process. It gives the Game and Fish Department the ability to operate more like a business and react to changing market conditions and customer needs in a timely manner. The bill was signed by Gov. Brewer on May 7 and is supported by 24 sportsmen’s organizations.

For more information, visit www.azgfd.gov/licensesimplification.