For immediate release Aug. 16, 2004
2005-06 hunting season.

As part of that rule process, the department will conduct pubic meetings starting this week to collect input on the nine alternatives selected.

The meetings all start at 6 p.m. Here are the dates and locations:


Aug. 18, Pinetop, Region I office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
Aug. 20, Flagstaff, Region II office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road.
Aug. 23, Mesa, Region VI office, 7200 E. University Drive.
Aug. 24, Tucson, Region V office, 555 N. Greasewood Road.
Aug. 25, Yuma, Region IV office, 9140 E. 28 St.
Aug. 26, Phoenix, La Quinta Inn, Greenway Road and I-17.
Aug. 27, Kingman, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road.

PUBIC MEETINGS? Hey! That ought to be interesting.
Seriously though, who was the proof reader on that one? Freudian slip maybe? Considering what USO did to us, maybe that's not such a slip after all.
Paul B.

From the AZG&FD. -TONY



For immediate release Aug. 16, 2004



Public meetings set on selected alternatives to 10-percent rule



The Arizona Game and Fish Commission on Aug. 14 analyzed a list of more than 20 ideas to protect resident hunting opportunities. The action came in response to a federal court ruling declaring unconstitutional Arizona's 10-percent cap on nonresident applicants for certain big game species.

The commission has directed the Game and Fish Department to begin drafting rule language and collecting public comment on nine of the 20 alternatives.



Rule making for the changes is now on a fast-track so the department can implement the changes by April of next year, when the commission adopts big game hunt orders for the 2005-06 hunting season.



As part of that rule process, the department will conduct public meetings starting this week to collect input on the nine alternatives selected.



The meetings all start at 6 p.m. Here are the dates and locations:





Aug. 18, Pinetop, Region I office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.

Aug. 20, Flagstaff, Region II office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road.

Aug. 23, Mesa, Region VI office, 7200 E. University Drive.

Aug. 24, Tucson, Region V office, 555 N. Greasewood Road.

Aug. 25, Yuma, Region IV office, 9140 E. 28 St.

Aug. 26, Phoenix, La Quinta Inn, Greenway Road and I-17.

Aug. 27, Kingman, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road.



The alternatives before the public and the commission are:



Award additional bonus points for continuous support. Also referred to as "loyalty points," these points would be awarded to people who have been applying for big game hunts or buying licenses consecutively for a designated period of time, for example, for five years.



Award a conservation bonus point to individuals who participate in wildlife work projects. There are several variations of this proposal and the department has been directed to consolidate and refine a final proposal for public input.



Charge up front for applications over the Internet, using electronic funds transfers instead of credit cards, or do away with the online application process altogether.



Increase license and permit fees, which would require legislation.



Require all big game drawing applicants to purchase a hunting license.



Increase the draw application fees. This would require legislation.



Increase the bonus point pass percentage from 10 percent to 20 percent, which would mean setting aside 20 percent of big game permits for individuals with the most bonus points.



Create a nonresident set-aside based on capped percentages and conduct a separate nonresident draw for these tags.



Create commercial and noncommercial big game tags, with 90 percent of the tags designated as noncommercial, available only to residents, and ten percent as commercial, available equally to residents and nonresidents. Another version of this proposal would change the law to completely eliminate commercialization of wildlife to permit reinstatement of the 10 percent nonresident cap.



The department is also accepting public comment on the alternatives via its Web site, azgfd.com. To access the submission form, look under "What's New."

At the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Game and Fish Commission, Sept. 17-18 in Safford, commission members will be poised to approve the rule making needed to implement some or all of the alternatives and is also expected to give the department direction on pursuing legislation for the same purpose. < !--color-->