AZ Legislature Robbing AZGFD

[Red Rabbit]

I received this email today from Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation:

 

Sportsmen Need to Speak Out for Wild Sheep

 

With only two weeks of Committee hearings and three months of the 2007-2008 fiscal year remaining important bills may be grinding to a halt while the Legislature continues its marathon effort to negotiate a budget bill to address the $1.3 billion short fall in revenue. The operative word in the sentence above is" may" as any and all deadlines may or may not be extended. That is why work at the legislature is never done till sine die and why we work till the last minute to affect important policy decisions.

 

Budget Sweeps Efforts are still underway to salvage as much of the La Osa Settlement money as possible from being swept by the Legislature. The Arizona Game & Fish Department (AGFD) received $2.8 million of the $12 million dollar settlement, the proceeds of which were supposed to be used to offset costs of wild sheep recovery programs for the Silver Bell heard which were infected by domestic goats that were allowed to migrate into the Silver Bell Mountains near Tucson.

 

The Silver Bell desert bighorn sheep population is one of the last remaining indigenous herds of bighorn sheep in the state and funds are needed to cover monitoring, medical expenses and other costs related to restoring the herd to its pre-settlement population numbers. The Arizona Game & Fish Commission has already conceded the sweeping of $4.7 million in watercraft license money and an additional $1.3 in off highway vehicle money. It is now important that sportsmen step up to save the LaOsa money.

 

Unlike other state agencies, the Arizona Game & Fish Department, with the exception of Heritage Fund dollars that flow from the Lottery and Indian Gaming Funds secured via the efforts of former Commissioners, is totally funded by sportsmen's dollars. Hunting and fishing license fees, big game permits, water craft license fees, excise tax on hunting and fishing equipment provides the lion's share of revenue for the department. Sportsmen have consistently stepped up to the plate and asked for their fees to be increased when needed by the Department. Time and again the Legislature has swept AGFD money when needed to solve budget shortfalls. It is time for the sportsmen of this state to say "enough is enough" . Don't balance the budget on the sportsmen's dollar. We need to draw the line on La Osa Settlement money and ask the Legislature not to sweep any of those funds and to "repay watercraft license fee and off highway vehicle money" at the earliest possible date.

 

Unfortunately, Arizona's wild sheep and other wildlife populations cannot speak for themselves. We need to speak for them. Please contact your Legislator today and tell them "Not to take the $2.8 million in La Osa Settlement Money. It is not general fund money and should not be used to balance the state's budget". Remember only email your State Senate and House legislators.