The Arizona Game and Fish
Department will host a series of public meetings statewide over the next two
weeks to discuss proposed legislation to allow the Arizona Game and Fish
Commission to establish hunting and fishing license structure directly through
a streamlined, customer-focused process.
The public meetings will be held from 6-8 p.m. on the following dates:
Monday, Nov. 5, Tucson, Arizona Game and Fish Department Tucson regional
office, 555 N. Greasewood Road.
Wednesday, Nov. 7, Flagstaff, Arizona Game and Fish Department Flagstaff
regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road.
Thursday, Nov. 8, Pinetop, Arizona Game and Fish Department Pinetop regional
office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd..
Tuesday, Nov. 13, Yuma, Booth Machinery, 6565 E. 30th St.
Wednesday, Nov. 14, Kingman, Arizona Game and Fish Department Kingman regional
office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road.
Thursday, Nov. 15, Prescott, Yavapai County Board of Supervisors office, 1015
Fair St.
Monday, Nov. 19, Phoenix, Arizona Game and Fish Department headquarters, 5000
W. Carefree Highway (also webcast at www.azgfd.gov/webcast).
The proposal would provide the commission more flexibility to change the
license structure and license products to be responsive to customer needs and
changing conditions.
"Potential benefits include establishment of a simpler,
easier-to-understand license structure, better license products offering more
value, and a more streamlined process allowing direct customer input
opportunities," said Assistant Director Ty Gray. "The public meetings
will explain the proposal and offer the opportunity for questions and
feedback."
People who can't attend a meeting can still submit comment via e-mail to LicenseSimplification@azgfd.gov.
Gray explained that under the current process, the commission must seek
legislative approval (passage of a bill) each time it wants to revise the
hunting and fishing license structure, and then the revised structure has to go
through an administrative rulemaking.
"The combination of the two is complex and time consuming, sometimes
taking three years or more for implementation," he said.
While retaining legislative oversight, the proposed legislation would allow the
commission to establish a license structure directly through a rulemaking
process.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department doesn't receive general fund (Arizona tax)
revenues to operate, and like a business, it operates primarily with the
revenue it generates-mostly from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses,
federal excise taxes on certain hunting and fishing equipment, and a few other
sources such as the Heritage Fund (a portion of Arizona Lottery ticket sales).
"For an agency to run like a business, it must have the ability to operate
in the marketplace and respond to customer needs and changing conditions in a
timely manner, as a business would," said Gray. "This proposal would
help us better do that."
For more information, visit www.azgfd.gov/LicenseSimplification.
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