You’ll have a chance to meet the members of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission and provide your input on the department’s activities and priorities when the commission holds its annual “Meet the Commission” event on Saturday, Jan. 17. The public is highly encouraged to attend.

The meeting will be held at the department’s headquarters at 5000 W. Carefree Highway in Phoenix. The chairman’s welcome and commissioner introductions start at 1:30 p.m., followed by a presentation of the “Year in Review” video and then a question-and-answer session.

“Every year, we hold this event to give our customers a chance to get to know the Arizona Game and Fish commissioners who make the decisions that affect them,” says department Ombudsman Marty Fabritz. “Each commissioner will make a statement, and then, the public can ask questions and give comments about what’s important to them.”

Later that evening, the Commission Awards Banquet will be held Saturday evening at the Four Points by Sheraton Phoenix North, 10220 N. Metro Parkway East in Phoenix. Reservation and ticket price information is included in the Commission Award Banquet article in this issue.

On Friday, Jan. 16, the commission will hold its regularly scheduled meeting at the department headquarters, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix. The meeting starts at 8 a.m. with an executive session, followed by the public session. Items on the agenda include:

• A presentation to the commission on the status and recent activities associated with the department’s “Areas of Conservation Priority” and future geographic information system (GIS) mapping efforts.
• A presentation to the commission on potential future mechanisms for incorporating wildlife habitat protection measures into local and state land use planning processes.
• A presentation to the commission on the process required to legally name the hills on the Ben Avery Shooting Facility as a topographical feature.
• Hearings on license revocations for violation of Game and Fish codes and civil assessments for the illegal taking and/or possession of wildlife.
• A vote to elect a commission chair, vice-chair, and chairs of various standing committees for 2009.

For a complete agenda, visit www.azgfd.gov/commission and click on the commission agenda link.