ac guy Report post Posted February 5, 2008 Another concerned sportsman put this up on another site. State Legislature Poised to Raid Game & Fish Funds The Senate Appropriations Committee will be meeting today, Feb. 5th,to discuss transferring 25% of the AZ Game & Fish Conservation Developement Fund to the General Fund. The Conservation Development Fund generates its revenue through a surcharge on each hunting and fishing license sold. Implementing this recommendation could affect Arizona's eligibility to participate in the Federal Aid in Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Acts (Federal Aid) grants programs. In order to participate in the Federal Aid programs, states were required to enact assent legislation which prohibited the diversion of license fees paid by hunters and sport fishermen (50 CFR 80.3) (ARS 17-402). For more information, http://www.azantelope.org/Diversion%20Ltr_AZ_sml.pdf Please contact those listed below immediately. Senate Appropriations Committee Members Paula Aboud, paboud@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-5262 Amanda Aguirre, aaquirre@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-4139 Carolyn S. Allen, callen@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-4480 Robert "Bob" Burns, rburns@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-5993 Jake Flake, jflake@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-5219 Jorge Luis Garcia, jgarcia@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-4171 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Diamondbackaz Report post Posted February 5, 2008 This aint the first time. Remember when Rosie poo wanted to raid the boat license funds. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted February 5, 2008 I just got this from AWF. It gives a little more info: Arizona Wildlife Federation Announces ACTION ALERT!!!! ACTION ALERT!!!! ACTION ALERT!!!! WE NEED YOUR HELP TODAY-RIGHT NOW! The Arizona Wildlife Federation has received word that the Senate Appropriations Committee of the Arizona State Legislature is again going to attempt to raid funds designated for the Arizona Game and Fish Department as outlined below: $732,000K from the Conservation Development Fund which will have the "side affect" of making the Game and Fish Dept. ineligible for over $15 Million in Federal funding. $2.9 Million awarded from the La Oso Desert Bighorn Sheep Settlement (Silverbell Mtn herd)which should be going to benefit our Desert Bighorn Sheep populations. $4 Million from Arizona's Watercraft Fund $1 Million from the OHV Fund at a time when much needed changes are about to happen regarding sensible OHV management guidelines. We need your help in averting this funding crisis for the Arizona Game and Fish Dept. Arizona's outdoors enthusiasts have had it with the legislature year after year raiding funding from much needed projects and programs managed by the AZ Game and Fish Dept. Arizona's wildlife and habitat has been under increasing stress factors over the last several years and will be into the foreseeable future due to our rapid, uncontrolled growth and development in every area of the state, climate change factors and the uncountable number of associated negative impacts from all of those things. The Arizona state legislature could not pick a more dangerous time to ignore the long term affects of all this by diverting vital funding that allows the Arizona Game and Fish Department to pursue programs and science that will help them to enact policies and management, which will preserve our wildlife heritage. In the context of our future, Arizona's wildlife and habitat are the most important things to guarantee for the future, as they are the very reason why people want to come here and stay here. The economic benefits of this factor are well proven and of immeasurable value. The legislature, by committing these acts of misappropriation of funds that benefit wildlife, is willfully interrupting and preventing the very programs and actions that will keep that portion of the economy a viable asset. Please email or call all these legislators listed below who serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee to ask them to not rob the Arizona Game and Fish Dept. of the funding we outlined in this Alert. Senate Appropriations Committee Members Paula Aboud, paboud@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-5262 Amanda Aguirre, aaquirre@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-4139 Carolyn S. Allen, callen@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-4480 Robert "Bob" Burns, rburns@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-5993 Jake Flake, jflake@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-5219 Jorge Luis Garcia, jgarcia@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-4171 Albert Hale, ahale@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-4323 Jack W. Harper, jharper@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-4178 John Huppenthal, jhuppenthal@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-5261 Karen Johnson, kjohnson@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-3160 Jim Warnig, jwarnig@azleg.gov , phone: 602-926-4916 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KGAINES Report post Posted February 6, 2008 I sent a nice e-mail to them all, this is the first I have heard of this. Thanks for the heads up and hopefully it is not to late. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
