April 24, 2005
Public Meeting about the Draft Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan
Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy: a Blueprint for Wildlife Management in Arizona
You have another chance as Master Naturalists and citizens, to review and comment on the draft of this significant AZ Game and Fish document.
A series of public meetings will be held at most district offices. The meetings are from 6-8 p.m. on the dates and at the locations listed below:
Monday, April 25, Pinetop regional office
Tuesday, April 26, Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road.
Wednesday, April 27, Phoenix headquarters
Thursday, April 28, Tucson regional office
Monday, May 2, Mesa regional office
Tuesday, May 3, Kingman regional office
Wednesday, May 4, Yuma regional office
Thursday, May 5, Phoenix headquarters
Reading even apart of a document like this can be a hard slog, but it can also be fascinating and highly educational. If you have time, give it a try, okay?. Our game and fish technicians pour their hearts into this. They appreciate it when people like you show an interest in reading it. Go to this AZGFD webpage on the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan (CWCS) to see the document on-line and to learn more about the process of pulling it together and what it includes.
What is it and why is it important?The Arizona Game and Fish Department is developing a "Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy" (CWCS)—a 10-year vision for managing Arizona’s fish, wildlife and natural habitats. This effort will enlist input and partnerships with various agency cooperators, sportsman and recreational groups, conservation organizations, special interest groups, Native American tribes, county and municipal governments, and the general public.
All 50 States, U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia are producing their own CWCS plans, as required by Congress, under the new State Wildlife Grant Program (SWG). Guiding principles for developing State CWCS plans were established by state fish and wildlife agencies working with the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Teaming With Wildlife committee. To continue to be eligible for SWG Program funding, all States and Territories must have their CWCS plans submitted and accepted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by October 1, 2005.
Arizona’s CWCS will address the full array of wildlife, but will focus on identifying and managing the “wildlife and biotic communities of greatest conservation need.”
Posted by The Naturalist at April 24, 2005 10:53 PM