Arizona Game and Fish Department
2009-2010 Annual Report

Director’s Message
Arizonans have time and again demonstrated their passion for wildlife.
More than 80 years ago, hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts were the
driving forces in creating the state’s Game and Fish Commission system,
which established the Arizona Game and Fish Commission and Department
and put in place today’s science-based system of wildlife management and
conservation. Twenty years ago, voters overwhelmingly passed the initiative
that created the Heritage Fund, which provides a portion of lottery ticket
sales to the Department for conservation purposes. Game and Fish receives
Larry D. Voyles
no Arizona tax dollars, and this critical funding source has provided benefits
to the state in the form of native species conservation, public access to recreational opportunities, and
economic benefits to local communities.
Arizona’s citizenry is indeed passionate about wildlife. It is also a diverse citizenry with differing
values, desires and opinions on how wildlife and habitat should be managed and conserved. Those
differences sometimes escalate into conflict between interests that quite frankly have more in
common than they realize. Disagreement is going to occur; however, we must all work to ensure that
conflict does not become a drain on finite resources that could be better used toward on-the-ground
conservation efforts. As our state continues to grow, our diverse individuals and groups must look to
the values they share to find common ground for the betterment of wildlife.
Fortunately, there are many instances of groups doing just that by coming together to achieve
conservation success. You’ll read about a number of Department accomplishments in this annual
report. Many of those successes would not have been possible without collaborative conservation with
other partners. We are working on a number of fronts with federal land managers, state and local
entities, nongovernmental organizations and private landowners on projects that address wildlife
conservation, habitat, and access to recreational opportunities. Successfully taking advantage of these
opportunities can be a win-win for our state by conserving resources for the public while sustaining
wildlife-related recreation, a significant economic driver in our state.
It’s important to also look at where we’re heading. Among my goals for the future are a revamped
Department planning process that integrates a number of current initiatives and is linked to budget
and priorities; development of GIS-based conservation tools that will inform and influence the impact
of development on wildlife and habitat; development of a wildlife recreation action plan to recruit and
retain hunters, anglers, wildlife viewers and other outdoor recreationists; and continuing to effectively
manage and protect the Department’s funding sources which have enabled this agency to forge an
entrepreneurial model that has provided a foundation of fiscal responsibility and success during these
tough economic times. We look forward to working together with all of you over the coming year
and beyond.

Larry D. Voyles
Director

Accomplishments
Heritage Fund celebrates 20 years of
conserving Arizona’s wildlife
If you voted in Arizona in 1990, chances
are you voted in favor of the initiative that
created the Heritage Fund. Arizonans showed
their overwhelming support for wildlife by
passing the measure by a 2-to-1 ratio. For the
past 20 years the Heritage Fund has made a
difference not just to wildlife conservation
efforts, but also to the state’s economy,
public access, environmental education and
outdoor recreation. Just some of the notable
accomplishments of the Arizona Game and
Fish Department’s Heritage dollars over the
past two decades include: contributing to local
economies through the awarding of more than
640 grants totaling nearly $13 million dollars
across all of Arizona’s counties; supporting the
award-winning and nationally-recognized Bald
Eagle Nestwatch Program, which has been key
in helping the state’s bald eagle population grow
more than 600 percent over the past 30 years;
securing public recreational access to more
than 2 million acres in the state; reintroducing

black-footed ferrets, California condors and
black-tailed prairie dogs, which had disappeared
from the state; recovering threatened Apache
trout to allow fishing opportunities for this
native species; and, supporting representation
of Arizona’s interests with regard to wildlife
conservation, land use and water policy
decisions. The Heritage Fund comes from a
portion of Arizona Lottery ticket sales.

Hunters and anglers make huge economic
contribution to Arizona
Many people may not realize it, but hunting
and fishing make a significant economic
contribution to our state. Annual expenditures
by more than 160,000 hunters and 420,000
anglers (residents and nonresidents) toward
equipment and trip expenses are about $1.1
billion a year, benefitting retailers and local
communities through jobs and tax revenues.
Wildlife conservation benefits, too. The
purchase of hunting and fishing licenses helps
fund wildlife management and recreational
opportunities, as does the purchase of certain
hunting and fishing gear, which provides

The Heritage Fund
has been a key
source of support for
successfully increasing
Arizona’s bald eagle
population.

will increase Game and Fish’s field law
enforcement capacity by more than 10 percent.
The Department will continue to look for
opportunities over the next few budget cycles
to fund and deploy an additional five officers in
this classification, pending funding availability.

Future for endangered black-footed ferrets
shines thanks to recovery efforts

New OHV law
enforcement officers
are helping better
manage growing
off-highway vehicle
use in Arizona.

federal funding through an excise tax that is
redistributed to the states through the Wildlife
and Sport Fish Restoration programs. These
programs are a unique partnership between
the federal government, state agencies, private
industry, and hunters and anglers.

New OHV officers deployed in the field
Game and Fish has been in the process of
hiring, training or deploying new officers
dedicated to enforcement of the new offhighway vehicle (OHV) laws, as authorized
by OHV legislation enacted in 2008. The
Department currently has two of these officers
in the field, two scheduled to finish training
and be assigned in January 2011, and three
scheduled to start law enforcement academy
in January 2011. Because these positions are
dedicated primarily to law enforcement rather
than the full array of responsibilities of a
wildlife manager, the Department worked with
the Arizona Department of Administration
to establish a new position classification—
recreational law enforcement officer—that
offers flexibility to hire an officer dedicated to
OHV, watercraft, or wildlife recreation law
enforcement, or any combination of the three.
Further actions are currently in process for
the recruitment of two more of these wildlife
recreation officers. Overall, the additions

The future for Arizona’s endangered blackfooted ferrets looks promising with two new
exciting developments: the best-ever population
survey results, and the opening of a new
breeding facility for the species at the Phoenix
Zoo. Fourteen years after they were first
reintroduced to the state, black-footed ferret
surveys conducted in the fall by the Arizona
Game and Fish Department showed a record
96 animals in the Aubrey Valley population
located outside of Seligman, Arizona. Because
not all ferrets were captured and included in
the fall survey count, the number of animals
identified during the survey is a minimum
population estimate, and the actual population
could be larger. Not only is the number of
ferrets identified a record high for Arizona’s
population, but it also exceeds the state’s
objective that needs to be met in order for the
species to be “downlisted” from endangered
to threatened on the endangered species list.
“Downlisting” means that the species has
recovered to a point where its classification on
the Endangered Species List has improved. All
states with black-footed ferret populations are
given state-specific recovery guidelines that
lead to a larger national recovery effort. The
national recovery guidelines must be met before
“downlisting” the species can be considered.

Game and Fish gets grant to improve
access to public lands
The Department was awarded a $600,000 grant
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to
improve outdoor recreational access to public
lands. Game and Fish will use the funding
to help ensure private landowners allow
recreational access to their private land holdings
or allow the public access through their private
landholdings to otherwise inaccessible public

The Outdoor Expo
offered a variety of
hands-on outdoor
recreation activities
to visitors of all ages.

lands. The Department has used a portion of
Heritage Funding from the Arizona Lottery
during the past 20 years to aggressively provide
outdoor recreationists ready access to public
lands. Lately, the Game and Fish Access
Program has secured access to nearly 2 million
acres per year that would otherwise not be
available to the public. With this new funding,
the expectations are for that number to climb
to 3 million acres per year. The Department’s
public access program is one of 17 such
programs across the nation that will receive
grants totaling $11.76 million through the
Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive
Program. The Voluntary Public Access and
Habitat Incentive Program incentivizes owners
and operators of privately held farm, ranch and
forest land to voluntarily give hunters, anglers,
hikers, campers, bird watchers and other
outdoor recreational enthusiasts access to land
for their enjoyment.

Outdoor Expo draws 32,000 people
The Arizona Game and Fish Department
Outdoor Expo drew 32,000 people over the
March 27-28, 2010 weekend at the Ben Avery
Shooting Facility in Phoenix. The event offered
the public an opportunity to learn about
wildlife-related and outdoor recreation activities,
including wildlife viewing, fishing, hunting,

archery, shooting sports, camping, boating,
off-highway vehicle recreation, and the mission
of the Department. People were also able to
visit with more than 150 exhibitors, including
sportsmen’s and conservation organizations,
government agencies and commercial vendors
of outdoor products and services. The 2011
Expo will be held March 26-27, 2011 at the Ben
Avery Shooting Facility.

Number of breeding bald eagles in
Arizona grows
The state’s bald eagle population continues to
flourish. For the 2010 breeding season, three
new active breeding areas were identified,
bringing the total number of occupied breeding
areas in the state to 52. The total number of
breeding adult bald eagles also grew to 104,
which is the highest on record. This past year,
under the careful watch of the Arizona Game
and Fish Department and a coalition of 22
other partners that make up the Southwestern
Bald Eagle Management Committee, 44 eaglets
also reached the critical point of taking their
first flight, an important milestone for a young
bird’s chances of survival. Bald eagle numbers
over the past 30 years have grown more than
600 percent in the state. Cooperative on-theground management efforts include: monitoring
and survey flights; recreational area closures

Game and Fish
has completed
a variety of due
diligence activities
on the site of the
Northern Arizona
Shooting Range,
including a sound
study.

during the breeding season; banding and
visual identification; contaminants analysis;
and a nestwatch program to protect breeding
activities. The bald eagle program is supported
by the Heritage Fund, a voter-passed initiative
that provides funding for wildlife conservation
through Arizona Lottery revenue.

Site acquired for long-awaited Northern
Arizona Shooting Range
In a historic moment in the effort to establish
a public shooting range in the Flagstaff area,
the Arizona Game and Fish Commission and
Department finalized the purchase of the
160-acre Foster Ranch property in Coconino
County for the future site of the Northern
Arizona Shooting Range. The property was
selected after evaluation of nearly 50 possible
sites that met objectives shaped in part by
a public survey. An open house about the
planning and development of the range was
held on Sept. 23, 2010 to give the public a
chance to see some conceptual designs, ask
questions, and provide input on the designs.

The Department receives no Arizona tax
revenues, and the property was purchased and
will be developed through the sale of licenses to
hunters and anglers. A $3 surcharge is imposed
on hunting and fishing licenses to acquire,
construct, renovate, or improve Game and
Fish facilities. The fund for the development
of the Northern Arizona Shooting Range was
established beginning in 2001. The Department
has been in the process of a variety of due
diligence activities, including such items as a
sound study, environmental compliance, and
coordination with other agencies. Factors such
as funding, process time for environmental
compliances, resources, and weather will dictate
a phased-in development approach of the range
over the next three years and beyond. Flagstaff
is one of Arizona’s largest communities without
a designated place for recreational shooting.
Providing a safe, controlled range will reduce
use impacts to surrounding areas, provide a
venue for law enforcement training, and provide
a positive economic benefit to the
local communities.

New Wildlife Recreation and Shooting
Range branches help serve constituents
The Department reorganized its Information
and Education Division by creating two
additional branches to better serve constituents
across a broad spectrum of outdoor recreational
interests. Staffing for these branches came
primarily from reallocating current resources
within the agency. The Shooting Ranges Branch
will focus on the development, operation
and maintenance of commission-owned and
supported shooting ranges in Arizona. The
Wildlife Recreation Branch will focus on
engaging the public to become involved in
outdoor recreational activities such as hunting,
fishing, shooting sports, archery, wildlife
viewing, and other activities related to wildlife
or the outdoors.

Commission adopts fishing
regulation changes
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission
approved several changes to the 2011-2012
Arizona Fishing Regulations as proposed
by Department biologists. The commission
removed the slot limit at Roosevelt Lake, in
part because most anglers now practice catchand-release, but also because this popular lake
in the Tonto Basin is experiencing tremendous
productivity; this change went into effect
during the fall of 2010. After two years of
intensive studies at Roosevelt, biologists
determined that the bass population is healthy,
reproduction is good, size classes are well
balanced, bass grow-outs are superb, and less
than seven percent of anglers catch and keep
bass. Starting Jan. 1, 2011, several other changes
will occur. Becker Lake will become a blue
ribbon trout fishery (catch-and-release-only
year round with artificial lure and fly only with
a single barbless hook). The maximum size
limit at Lees Ferry will increases from 12 to 14
inches to allow greater harvest of the smaller
trout and provide more angler opportunity.
Ash Creek along with Marijillda Creek and
its tributaries (Mt. Graham) will be closed to
fishing until a fishable population of native Gila
trout is established. Snake Creek in the White

Mountains will be open to angling. Bag and
possession limits of catfish, trout and sunfish at
Redondo Pond (Yuma Lakes) will be reduced.
About 13 miles of Bonita Creek in Graham
County will be closed to fishing as part of an
effort to re-establish native fish populations in
this remote creek that receives minimal angling
pressure. And, the daily bag and possession
limit for largemouth bass at Pena Blanca Lake
will be changed to “no harvest” until Dec. 31,
2012 (the lake was completely drained this past
year and is on the comeback trail).

Mentored small game camps help
introduce the public to hunting
The Department once again hosted small
game hunting camps across Arizona as part
of its ongoing hunter and angler recruitment
program. Game and Fish teams up with a
number of sportsmen’s organizations and
others to conduct these camps, which focus
on everything from quail and squirrels to
ducks and geese. A list of camps and contact
information is posted at www.azgfd.gov/hunting
(see the “Mentored Hunting & Juniors-only
Events” information).

Don’t move a mussel – now it’s the law
The Department instituted new regulations
in 2010 to help prevent the spread of invasive
quagga mussels to other Arizona waters. The
regulations, called “Director’s Orders,” were
authorized by the Aquatic Invasive Species
Interdiction Act passed in 2009 by the Arizona
Legislature. They require boaters to drain,
clean and dry their boats when leaving the

The protected size
limit (slot limit)
has been removed
at Roosevelt Lake.

5) mitigating the impacts. The wind guidelines
include recommendations on: (1) preliminary
screening of proposed wind energy projects;
(2) preconstruction study design and methods;
(3) assessing direct, indirect, and cumulative
impacts to bats and birds in accordance with
state and federal laws; (4) developing avoidance
and minimization measures; (5) establishing
appropriate mitigation; and (6) postconstruction operations monitoring, analysis,
and reporting methods. By considering wildlife
in the early planning stages, it is hoped that
renewable energy developers can design projects
that impact wildlife in the smallest way possible.
The Department
offers wind and solar
power guidelines
with voluntary
recommendations
aimed at helping
alternative energy
developers consider
wildlife conservation
in their project
planning.

vicinity of a water known to contain quagga
mussels. There are also requirements for waiting
a certain period of time before launching
your watercraft in another water. Boaters who
don’t follow the procedures outlined in the
newly-created regulations can be cited by law
enforcement officers. Quagga mussels were first
discovered in Arizona waters in Lake Mead in
January of 2007 and are now found in lakes
Mead, Mohave, Havasu, Pleasant, and the
Lower Colorado River below Havasu to the
international boundary with Mexico. They
can colonize rapidly on hard surfaces and can
damage boat motors and clog water intake
structures for power and water treatment plants.

New solar and wind power guidelines aim
to help Arizona’s wildlife
The Department made available its newlydeveloped wind and solar power guidelines
aimed at helping alternative energy developers
consider wildlife conservation in their project
planning. The voluntary recommendations will
assist energy developers in identifying potential
impacts to wildlife and habitats from their
proposed project development, and potential
alternatives to avoid, minimize, and/or mitigate
for those impacts. The solar guidelines are
organized around five of the key development
stages: (1) wildlife protection regulations; (2)
Arizona Game and Fish Department regulations
and review; (3) gathering preliminary
information and conducting site screening; (4)
identifying potential impacts to wildlife; and

Hunting and fishing licenses are available
online again
They’re back: Arizona hunting and fishing
licenses are available for purchase online once
again. It’s simple and convenient: just visit the
Arizona Game and Fish Department’s website
at www.azgfd.gov to decide what license or
license package suits you or your family best,
and make the online purchase using your Visa
or MasterCard from the convenience of your
own home or office. There is a $1.50 Internet
fee for buying your license online – the fee
actually pays for the service. Be sure to have a
printer handy; you must physically print out the
license you purchase online (color or black and
white will work). There are lots of hunting and
fishing license options available, including some
exceptional deals on Family Licenses. Be sure
to shop online at “Buy a License” for the license
package that works best for you.

No CWD detected in Arizona deer and
elk testing
The Department reported no detection of
chronic wasting disease (CWD) this past year in
any of the 1,624 testable samples from hunterharvested or road-killed deer and elk during
Arizona’s 2009-2010 hunting season. Arizona
Game and Fish has tested approximately
14,500 deer and elk samples since beginning its
surveillance program in 1998. None have tested
positive for the disease. Although CWD has
not yet been found in Arizona, it is present in
three neighboring states: Utah, Colorado, and

New Mexico. Each year, hunters are encouraged
to submit deer and elk heads for testing,
particularly in Units 1, 12B, 27, and 28, as those
units border CWD-positive areas in other states.

All-day early dove season returns
to Arizona
For the first time in two decades, all-day dove
hunting returned to Arizona for the early dove
season, Sept. 1-15, 2010. The early season halfday dove hunting restrictions were eliminated
by the Game and Fish Commission in response
to some changes the state is experiencing, such
as hunting areas being pushed further out from
the urban centers and less hunting pressure and
harvest on doves as compared to the 1980s. In
addition, biologists reported dove reproduction
was above average this past year due to favorable
winter and spring rains.

Collaboration results in enhancements
to Yuma fishing area
The Arizona Game and Fish Department and
the Bureau of Land Management celebrated
the opening of the Redondo Pond Fishing Pier
in August 2010. Formed in an old gravel pit,
the pond itself has existed for several years with
limited access for fishing and recreation. The
project, which took about a year-and-a-half
to complete, included creating a parking area,
providing disability access, and construction
of the fishing pier. The completion of this
partnership project now provides enhanced
access to stocked fishing opportunities at three
locations around Yuma, at Redondo, Fortuna
Pond, and the West Wetlands Park pond.

Conservation
Arizonans asked to remember Arizona’s
wildlife at tax time
The Department reminded Arizonans that
they can “make a mark for wildlife” at tax
time by making a donation to the Arizona
Wildlife Fund on their state income tax form.
The fund is a voluntary program that allows
Arizona taxpayers to make a donation to help
imperiled and endangered wildlife and other
nongame species. Nongame wildlife are those

animals that are neither hunted nor fished in
a traditional sense. The Department does not
receive general tax dollars, so donations to the
Arizona Wildlife Fund provide an important
funding source for wildlife conservation. The
cumulative effect of even small donations has
tremendous impact on conserving the state’s
wildlife resources, which provide a variety of
low-cost recreational opportunities for residents
to enjoy as well as economic benefits to
local communities.

All-day dove hunting
during the early dove
season in September
returned to Arizona
for the first time in
two decades.

Study begins on potential impacts of wind
energy development to pronghorn
The Department initiated a two-year research
project to evaluate potential impacts of
wind energy development and operations on
preferred areas of use and movement patterns
of pronghorn antelope near the Dry Lake wind
energy facilities in north-central Arizona. Using
a helicopter and net gun, Department personnel
captured 15 pronghorn from selected herds in
early November 2010. Each animal was fitted
with a global positioning system (GPS) collar,
and then immediately released to rejoin its herd.
The GPS collars will provide location data for
each pronghorn six times daily, giving wildlife
biologists detailed tracking information. The
collars will operate for approximately two years
before automatically dropping off the animal
and being retrieved. Part of the project cost will

Arizonans can assist
wildlife by making
a donation to the
Arizona Wildlife
Fund at tax time.

The August release of
Chiricahua leopard
frogs into the Tonto
National Forest
marked the release of
the 10,000th frog of
this rare species into
the wild.

be paid by the Department through a Federal
Aid in Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration
Program grant. Because of their interest in
maintaining a viable pronghorn population in
the Dry Lake area and in mitigating potential
impacts to other pronghorn habitats with any
future developments, the energy companies
affiliated with the development are also helping
fund the research.

Recovery program releases the 10,000th
threatened Chiricahua leopard frog into
Arizona’s wilderness
A team of biologists from the Arizona Game
and Fish Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the Phoenix
Zoo’s Conservation Center released more than
1,700 threatened Chiricahua leopard frogs into
the Tonto National Forest in August 2010,
marking the release of the 10,000th frog of
this rare species released into the wild after
being reared at the Phoenix Zoo’s Conservation
Center. The frogs, including adults and
tadpoles, were released at multiple sites in the
forest near Payson. The frogs were raised from
eggs collected near Young. Additionally, 100
frogs that were bred and reared at the zoo were
released near Camp Verde in the Coconino
National Forest. Thanks in part to Game and
Fish’s Heritage Fund, great strides are being

made in re-establishing Chiricahua leopard
frogs to their native habitat in Arizona through
this partnership effort.

Sportsmen raise more than $369,000 for
wildlife conservation in Arizona
The 2010 Arizona Big Game Super Raffle
raised more than $369,000 to benefit Arizona’s
wildlife. Twelve winners were selected at the
July drawing. Raffle prizes included ten special
big game tags (one for each big game species),
one Swarovski optics package, and a guided
New Mexico elk hunt. Every dollar raised
for each species is returned to the Arizona
Game and Fish Department for the specific
management of that species. Decisions on
funding specific projects are coordinated
through a cooperative process of the Arizona
Habitat Partnership Committee. Input
from 12 statewide habitat partners and the
organizations (state, local and conservation
groups) collectively determine which projects
will provide the most benefit to each species
represented. Funding from the raffle allows for
a multitude of wildlife conservation projects.
For 2010, more than 60 projects were approved,
including water developments, grassland
restoration, game surveys, and monitoring of
wildlife movements to map connectivity issues.

Sipe Wildlife Area named as a premier
spot to experience elk
The Department’s Sipe White Mountain
Wildlife Area was named by the Rocky
Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) as one of
the top places in the country to view and learn
about elk, other wildlife and their habitats.
Of its list of 25 educational destinations for
families to experience elk, Sipe is the only site
in Arizona named by the national conservation
organization. Although elk are present at Sipe
year-round, September and October provide
the most spectacular viewing opportunities.
Sipe lies in the shadow of Escudilla Mountain
in eastern Arizona, a few miles southeast of
the towns of Eagar and Springerville. Since
it acquired the property, the Arizona Game
and Fish Department has steadily enhanced
habitat values for wildlife on the property and
attractions for visitors. A small visitor center
and a series of hiking trails, complete with
interpretive signage and wildlife viewing points,
offer the public opportunities to learn more
about Arizona’s unique wildlife resources. The
Department also conducts several educational
wildlife-viewing programs at Sipe for the public
throughout the summer and early fall.

Endangered fish find a new home at the
Rio Salado Audubon Center
Two endangered species of native fish became
the newest residents to the outdoor ponds at
the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon
Center in Phoenix. Nearly 500 desert pupfish
and 550 Gila topminnows were released Aug.
31, 2010, into the center’s ponds as part of a
Safe Harbor program that allows non-federal
landowners to actively participate in the
recovery of these endangered fish by providing
sites to establish populations of the species in
areas where they no longer exist. The Audubon
Center is the tenth participant enrolled in the
program. The release was carried out through
a cooperative effort between the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, Arizona Game and
Fish, Audubon Arizona, Phoenix Zoo, City of
Phoenix, and the Desert Botanical Garden. The
outdoor ponds at the Audubon Center were

constructed using a grant from the Heritage
Fund, a voter-passed initiative that was started
in 1990 to further wildlife conservation efforts
in the state through Arizona Lottery ticket sales.

Arizona offers
many opportunities
to experience elk.

2010 survey results released for desert
bighorn sheep on the Kofa NWR
A survey of the desert bighorn sheep population
on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Kofa
National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern
Arizona resulted in a population estimate of
402 sheep. The survey estimate is down from
the 2009 survey estimate of 410 sheep, but
it is still slightly above the lowest recorded
estimated level of the 2006 survey of 390.
Due to standardized survey methodology
and scientific margin of accuracy, biologists’
analysis of the past five surveys indicates no
significant decline or improvement to the herd’s
population. Wildlife management agencies

A collaborative Safe
Harbor program
allows non-federal
landowners to
participate in
recovery efforts for
endangered native
fish species.

remain concerned about the low population
levels on the refuge compared to the estimated
812 animals of the 2000 survey. Once a very
robust population, the size of the herd on the
refuge has dropped significantly since 2000.
Wildlife experts attribute the decline to a
variety of potential factors including drought,
predation, water availability, disease and human
disturbance. Due to the significance of this
sheep population, the Service and the Arizona
Game and Fish Department are conducting an
ongoing, joint study to collect data on
these and other suspected causes of the
population’s decline.

More California condors released to
Arizona’s wilderness
Four endangered California condors were
released to the wild in the Vermilion Cliffs
National Monument in northern Arizona in
September 2010. This was the 16th public
release of condors in Arizona since the multipartner recovery program began in 1996.
Condors are hatched and reared in captivity at
The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds
of Prey in Idaho, Oregon Zoo, Los Angeles
Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park and
transported to Arizona for release to the
wild. Currently, 73 condors are flying free in
the Grand Canyon region. The world’s total
population of California condors is 384, with
186 of them gracing the skies of Arizona,
Utah, California and Mexico. Condors were
reduced to just 22 individuals in the 1980s
when a program was started to save the species
from extinction.

Education
Game and Fish offers online OHV
education course
To better meet the needs of busy off-highway
vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts, the Arizona Game
and Fish Department created a new online
OHV education course. The course was built
after analyzing the most valuable OHV topics
from across the country and integrating them
with Arizona laws and regulations. It offers an
overview of ATV, dirt bike, and recreational off-

highway vehicle (ROV) operation. Students will
develop a better understanding of being “rider
active,” safety measures for operation, how to
make ethical decisions when operating, and the
importance of staying on roads and trails to
minimize impact to natural resources. The new
online course has been specifically developed
for students of all ages and skill levels and is a
self-paced program so students can learn at their
own speed. Once completed, students can
take a final exam for $30 and receive a
completion certificate.

New wildlife conservation curriculum
offers free standards-based learning for
high schoolers
The struggle to conserve America’s wildlife is
an amazing tale of national and natural history.
It is a story of what can be accomplished when
people work together towards a common
goal. Now, a new curriculum developed by
the Department as part of its Focus Wild
program is available to help teachers convey
this important lesson to students. “America’s
Wildlife: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow”
is intended for high school science and social
studies classrooms and consists of five interactive
lessons set to state and national standards. It is
available free of charge to educators. To help
introduce the curriculum, Game and Fish
hosted teacher workshops throughout the state
in September and October 2010. Game and
Fish’s Focus Wild program is supported by the
Heritage Fund, a voter-passed initiative that was
started in 1990 to further wildlife conservation
efforts in the state. Funding comes from
Arizona Lottery ticket sales.

Arizona adds master instructors to
further hunter education program
Hunter education in Arizona has been
enhanced, thanks to a change aimed at
increasing class availability for the public
and facilitating better communication with
volunteer hunter education instructors. The
Department appointed 11 volunteer regional
coordinators to serve as “master instructors”
in response to input gathered through more
than a year of discussions with current hunter

education instructors. Targeted at providing
Arizona’s communities with better access
to hunter education courses, the master
instructors—all long-time, experienced senior
hunter education instructors—will facilitate,
enhance and improve communication channels
between the Department and its existing
volunteer instructors by coordinating courses
offered at the community level. They will also
help establish objectives for courses and assist in
achieving them.

Public outreach events
Game and Fish employees and volunteers staffed
informational booths or provided educational
presentations throughout the state on a variety
of wildlife and outdoor recreational topics.
Just some of the events the Department either
conducted or participated in include the
Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor
Expo, International Sportsmen’s Exposition,
National Public Lands Day, High Country
Hummingbird event, Tres Rios Birding
and Nature Festival, Tri-State Boating Fair,
Free Fishing Day events, Yuma Birding and
Nature Festival, Wings Over Willcox, Verde

Valley Birding and Nature Festival, Payson
Wildlife Fair, Bighorn Sheep workshops, Urban
Watchable Wildlife Bat workshops, and Elkviewing workshops. This is in addition to the
numerous small game camps, shooting sports
events, fishing clinics and other events that the
Department either hosts or participates in.

Issues
Wild horse and burro management
The Department submitted comments and
recommendations to the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) regarding the BLM’s
Wild Horse and Burro Strategy Development
Document, titled “Working Toward Sustainable
Management of America’s Wild Horses and
Burros.” The BLM document identifies draft
goals, objectives, and possible management
strategies under consideration to implement
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s Wild
Horse and Burro Initiative. Game and Fish,
as the state agency responsible for managing
resident wildlife populations in Arizona,
encourages the evaluation of wild horse and
burro management in order to improve the

Game and Fish
staff and volunteers
participated in
numerous public
outreach events.

Game and Fish
believes wild
horse and burro
management
proposals must take
into consideration the
needs of wildlife and
habitat.

management efficiency and effectiveness across
the landscape. However, the Department
also believes that the original crafters of
the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burro
Act of 1971 (Act) wisely balanced measures
to protect free-roaming horses and burros
with measures to protect wildlife, habitats,
rangeland resources, and private interests. The
Department believes that any new strategy
developed for the management of wild horses
and burros must require that the BLM and
Department of Interior meet their fiduciary
and statutory obligations to appropriately
identify and mitigate for impacts to wildlife
and wildlife habitat under the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),
the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and
other statutes, regulations, and legislation, as
applicable. The Department’s comments can
be viewed at www.azgfd.gov/inside_azgfd/
WildHorseBurro.shtml. The Department is
committed to helping the BLM develop a wild
horse and burro management strategy that best
meets the intent of the Act and the needs of
wildlife resources throughout the West.

Lead and wildlife
Lead and its effects on wildlife have received
increasing attention at the national and state
scale. Arizona Game and Fish has been involved
in lead and wildlife issues since the 1980s and
continues to be actively engaged through the

Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
(AFWA) and the Western Association of Fish
and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA). In keeping
with the Game and Fish Commission’s direction
for the Department to continue expanding
its dialogue with the public on ingested lead
and wildlife, the Department conducted focus
groups to help improve its understanding of the
viewpoints and opinions of key constituencies.
In another development, several advocacy
groups petitioned the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) in August 2010 to
ban lead ammunition and fishing tackle under
the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
The EPA denied the portion of the petition
dealing with lead ammunition, saying the
agency does not have the legal authority to
regulate ammunition under TSCA, but it
continued reviewing the portion of the petition
pertaining to fishing tackle. As part of EPA’s
solicitation of comments, Game and Fish
submitted comments requesting that EPA reject
the petition due to the fact that, biologically,
there is currently no scientific evidence that
lead fishing tackle poses a significant risk to
Arizona’s wildlife populations, and that state
or local-level approaches, where and when
there is scientific evidence to support them,
make the most sense to address lead-wildlife
concerns. The Department’s comments can be
viewed at www.azgfd.gov/lead. EPA in October
denied the portion of the petition pertaining
to lead fishing tackle. Game and Fish has seen
success in voluntary, cooperative programs such
as the voluntary lead ammunition reduction
program to assist California condors in northern
Arizona. The Department is committed to
voluntary approaches through informational
outreach, voluntary lead alternative programs,
and surgically targeted responses, for addressing
wildlife conservation and management needs.

Largemouth bass disease detected at
Saguaro Lake
Arizona may have a new microscopic aquatic
invader – largemouth bass virus, which can
kill fish but is not harmful to people. Fish

samples from Saguaro Lake in October 2010
showed preliminary results for the largemouth
bass virus, but due to testing timelines for this
disease, the Department was still awaiting a full
report from federal laboratories at the time of
this writing. Confirmation of the detection will
be sought with another, independent laboratory.
If confirmed, Saguaro would be the first water
in Arizona to test positive for the presence of
the virus. Although not previously detected in
Arizona, at least 18 other states have found
the fish disease in bodies of water dating back
to 1991.

Mexican wolf conservation
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission voted
in December 2010 to support Congressional
actions to delist the Mexican wolf from
protection under the Endangered Species
Act. In taking the action, the commission
reaffirmed its strong commitment to Mexican
wolf conservation, but recognized that progress
on the program had been stalled since 2001
due to the current federal process that guides
Mexican wolf conservation and is susceptible
to ligation and gridlock. Through its action
at this meeting, the commission anticipates
that the Arizona Game and Fish Department
would become even more heavily involved in
planning the future of the species and the dayto-day activities in a more affordable, efficient
and effective manner. Partnerships have been,
and will continue to be, essential to continuing
Mexican wolf conservation, and the commission
invites all stakeholders to the table who are
willing to participate in seeking solutions that
will lead to effective, productive conservation.
Earlier in the year (June 2010), the commission
approved the Department’s participation
in a new Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) that, if approved by all the signatory
cooperators, would help re-establish a
framework for interagency cooperation to make
progress on the Mexican wolf reintroduction
effort.

Miscellaneous
Commission appointment recommendation
board established
The Arizona Legislature passed, and Governor
Brewer signed, a new law (ARS 17-202) in
2010 establishing an Arizona Game and Fish
Commission Appointment Recommendation
Board. The law stipulates that the board shall
assist the governor by interviewing, evaluating
and recommending candidates for appointment
to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission,
and that it shall recommend at least two, but
no more than five, candidates to the governor.
The governor must select and appoint a
commissioner from the list submitted by the
board. The board met in November 2010 and
ultimately forwarded a list of three candidates
(chosen from an initial slate of 73 applicants) for
Governor Brewer’s consideration. At the time
of this writing, the governor had nominated
Robert E. Mansell for the 2011 appointment to
the commission.

AZGFD helps bolster statewide watercraft
law enforcement
The Department distributed grants to a number
of Arizona counties to help them maintain
watercraft law enforcement efforts during
budget reductions resulting from the economic
downturn of the last few years. Through an
Intergovernmental Game and Fish granted out
$950,000 to the counties in fiscal year 2010
and anticipates distributing about $500,000
in fiscal year 2011 to help our county partners
maintain watercraft officer positions and a level
of on-the-water enforcement presence. This
cooperation across agencies has maintained
critical enforcement presence on various
Arizona waters.

Financial Statement
Fiscal Year Revenues by Fund

2008–09

2009–10

Game and Fish Fund ............................................... $27,632,527.....27,132,427.
Watercraft Licensing Fund.......................................... 5,487,923......5,236,761.
Game, Nongame Fund.................................................... 232,857.........205,572.
Federal Assistance (Includes Matching Funds).......... 31,052,942....32,440,397.
Heritage Fund............................................................ 6,295,957*.....10,123,753.
Off-highway Vehicle Fund............................................ 1,285,779...... 1,471,886.
Capital Improvement/Conservation Dev. Funds................ 1,644,707...... 1,527,693.
Wildlife Conservation Fund.......................................... 6,245,815......5,635,240.
Indirect Cost Fund....................................................... 2,302,226......2,302,987.
Other Funds (See Detail Below)................................... 2,965,363...... 3,271,876.
Total Revenue All Sources....................................... $85,146,096..$89,348,521

Other Funds Detail
GF Land and Water Conservation/
Recreation Development.................................... $592...................349.
Wildlife Theft Prevention Fund......................... 136,604............ 144,528.
Waterfowl Conservation Fund.............................74,278.............. 69,769.
Wildlife Endowment Fund.................................167,794.............. 19,213
Federal Economic Recovery Fund................................0.............107,134.
Trust/Donation Fund..................................... 2,215,063.........2,705,651.
Firearms Safety and Ranges Fund........................3,519..................... 73.
W/L Habitat and Restoration fund.........................3,017...................377.
Game & Fish Kaibab Coop................................182,552..............43,659.
Publications Revolving Fund.............................181,943............ 181,054.
Total Other Funds.......................................$2,965,363...... $3,271,806
Fiscal Year Expenditures by Fund

2008–09

2009–10

Game and Fish Fund ............................................... $28,892,431.... 31,505,473.
Watercraft Licensing Fund.......................................... 2,429,607......3,462,907.
Game, Nongame Fund.................................................... 292,642......... 311,435.
Federal Assistance (Includes Matching Funds).......... 30,404,832....33,028,877.
Heritage Fund............................................................. 5,474,767*......9,738,955.
Off-highway Vehicle Fund............................................... 734,547...... 1,152,890.
Capital Improvement/Conservation Dev. Funds............... 691,172......2,778,750.
Wildlife Conservation Fund.......................................... 6,012,389...... 5,912,414.
Indirect Cost Fund....................................................... 2,093,312......2,435,212.
Other Funds (See Detail Below)................................... 3,936,997......2,792,595.
Total Expenditures All Sources................................$80,962,695 .$93,119,508

Other Funds Detail		
GF Land and Water Conservation/
Recreation Development...............................$
0........... $
0
Wildlife Theft Prevention Fund..........................162,742............ 119,890.
Waterfowl Conservation Fund.............................96,019..............80,753.
Wildlife Endowment Fund............................................0....................... 0
Federal Economic Recovery Fund................................0..............86,572
Trust/Donation Fund..................................... 3,279,876......... 2,182,672.
Firearms Safety and Ranges Fund................... 325,523....................... 0.
Game & Fish Kaibab Coop................................... 3,003............ 129,774.
Publications Revolving Fund.............................. 69,834............192,934.
Total Other Funds.......................................$3,936,997...... $2,792,595
*Accounting correction involving real property escrow refund.

Calendar Year Sales in Numbers by Group

2008

2009

Licenses (see detail below).............................................451,790......... 457,605
Resident Trout Stamps..................................................... 79,399...........80,429
Nonresident Trout Stamps..................................................... 258................ 297
Tags............................................................................... 154,562.........154,443
Misc Permits/Licenses....................................................... 2,980.............3,270
Special Use Licenses/Stamps.......................................... 64,678........... 61,311
Two Pole Stamp............................................................... 60,064...........60,755
Resident Additional Day Stamps......................................... 1,854............. 1,852
Nonresident Additional Day Stamps................................... 1,902.............2,025
Arizona Waterfowl Stamps..................................................6,159.............5,681
Migratory Bird Stamps......................................................47,972........... 44,313
Kaibab 12A Archery Deer Stamps...................................... 2,631.............2,343
Restricted Non-permit Tags.......................................................4.................... 1
Supplemental Hunt Tags...........................................................12.................. 46
Companion Hunt Tags............................................................. 98.................. 71
Totals ............................................................................ 874,363.........874,442
Lifetime License/Stamp Sales

2008

2009

Lifetime License Sales Fish..................................................... 53.................. 85
Lifetime License Sales Hunt.................................................... 96.................. 86
Lifetime License Sales Combo...............................................115.................. 99
Lifetime License Sales Trout Stamps.......................................41.................. 56
Wildlife Benefactor Combo License............................................ -.................... 1
Totals ................................................................................... 305................327
Calendar Year License Sales by Category

2008

2009

Resident General Fish.....................................................155,214.........158,262
Nonresident General Fish....................................................1,097................ 914
Family/Primary Fish........................................................... 3,590............. 4,191
Family/Spouse Fish.............................................................1,727.............2,028
Family/Child Fish.................................................................1,582............. 1,829
Resident Super Fish/Trout/Urban License........................ 10,995........... 12,772
Nonresident Super Fish/Trout/Urban License..................... 1,335............. 1,722
Resident General Hunt...................................................... 56,331...........56,269
Nonresident General Hunt................................................ 20,466........... 19,443
Computer Family/Primary Hunt............................................. 540................566
Computer Family/Secondary (Spouse) Hunt.......................... 277................ 261
Computer Family/Youth & Child/10-13 Hunt....................... 1,384............. 1,732
Resident Hunt/Fish........................................................... 73,646...........72,945
Nonresident Hunt/Fish.......................................................... 632................662
Computer Family/Primary Hunt/Fish...................................2,127.............2,364
Computer Family/Secondary Hunt/Fish............................... 1,162............. 1,307
Computer Family/Youth & Child/10-13 Hunt/Fish............... 1,566............. 1,597
Computer Super Hunt w/Stamps........................................... 207................ 177
Computer Super Hunt/Fish w/Stamps................................. 1,143................ 851
Nonresident 3-Day Hunt......................................................7,258............. 6,924
Urban Fishing....................................................................28,274........... 30,618
Nonresident Colorado River Fish........................................ 1,544............. 1,430
Nonresident 5-Day Fish.......................................................9,148.............9,062
Resident Youth Hunt/Fish..................................................23,212...........23,602
Nonresident 4-Month Fish...................................................7,927.............8,244
Resident/Nonresident 1-Day Fish......................................32,751........... 32,819
Resident Youth Group 2-Day Fish.............................................72.................. 73
Resident General Fish Nov/Dec.......................................... 3,878.............3,028
Nonresident General Fish Nov/Dec ........................................184................ 163
Computer Family/Primary Half Fish Nov/Dec ...........................12.................. 13
Computer Family/Spouse Half Fish Nov/Dec .............................1.................... 2
Urban Fishing Nov/Dec ...................................................... 2,508............. 1,735
Totals ............................................................................ 451,790.........457,605
Calendar Year License and Tag Sales

2008

2009

Licenses................................................................... $16,948,437... $17,149,131
Stamps.........................................................................2,159,937...... 2,100,230
Tags.............................................................................8,063,170......7,928,344
Total Value................................................................$27,171,544...$27,177,705

Jennifer L. Martin

Robert R. Woodhouse

Norman W. Freeman

Jack F. Husted

John W. Harris

The Game and Fish Commission
Under the provisions of the Arizona Revised Statutes 17-231, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission
establishes policy for the management, preservation and harvest of wildlife. The commission makes
rules and regulations for managing, conserving and protecting wildlife and fisheries resources, and
safe and regulated watercraft and off-highway vehicle operations for the benefit of the citizens of
Arizona. In support of the commission’s obligations, the director, as chief administrative officer,
provides general supervision and control of all department functions and activities.
The commission is composed of five members appointed by the governor pursuant to ARS 38-211.
The commission appoints the director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and the director
serves as secretary to the commission. No more than one commissioner may be from any one county.
No more than three may be from the same political party. Each commissioner serves a five-year term,
staggered. Commissioners customarily serve as chair during their last year.

Our Mission
To conserve, enhance and restore Arizona’s diverse wildlife resources and habitats through aggressive
protection and management programs, and to provide wildlife resources and safe watercraft and offhighway vehicle recreation for the enjoyment, appreciation and use by present and future generations.

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, (602) 942-3000, or with the U.S. 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 Director’s Office as listed above.

Arizona Game and Fish Department
5000 W. Carefree Highway
Phoenix, AZ 85086
(602) 942-3000
www.azgfd.gov

REGIONAL OFFICES
Region I — Jon Cooley, Supervisor
2878 E. White Mountain Blvd., Pinetop 85935
(928) 367-4281

larry D. Voyles Director
gary r. hovatter Deputy Director
robert D. Broscheid Deputy Director

Region II — Ron Sieg, Supervisor
3500 S. Lake Mary Road, Flagstaff 86001
(928) 774-5045

ASSISTANT DIRECTORS
Mike Senn Wildlife Management
Leonard Ordway Field Operations
JOHN BULLINGTON Special Services
ty Gray Information & Education

Region III — Bob Posey, Supervisor
5325 N. Stockton Hill Road, Kingman 86409
(928) 692-7700
Region IV — pat barber, Supervisor
9140 E. 28th St., Yuma 85365
(928) 342-0091
Region V — raul vega, Supervisor
555 N. Greasewood Road, Tucson 85745
(520) 628-5376
Region VI — Rod Lucas, Supervisor
7200 E. University Drive, Mesa 85207
(480) 981-9400