The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission is Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7, at the Arizona Game and Fish Department headquarters at 5000 W. Carefree Highway in Phoenix.

Friday’s portion of the meeting begins with an executive session at 8 a.m., followed by the public meeting. Items on Friday’s agenda include:

• A briefing on the current status of FY 2009 budget and FY 2010 projected revenue and expenditures for various department funding sources.
  
  
• Request for the commission to approve the acquisition of Phase IV of Coal Mine Canyon in Santa Cruz County to further secure the watershed.
  
  
• Request for commission approval of the program narrative for U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Funds (Federal FY 2009 / State FY 2010).
  
  
• Hearings on license revocations for violations of Game and Fish codes and civil assessments for the illegal taking and/or possession of wildlife.
  
  
• Selection of new members of the Heritage Public Advisory Committee.
  
  
• An update on implementation of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan land acquisition program and multi-species conservation planning efforts by Pima County.

Saturday’s portion of the meeting begins at 8 a.m. Items on Saturday’s agenda include:

• A presentation on the Northern Arizona Regional Shooting Facility, including the current issues, planning efforts, and pending decisions on the proposed Willard Spring land exchange.
  
  
• A briefing on the Hunter Questionnaire Improvement Report prepared by the department.
  
  
• A briefing on the Mountain Lion and Bear Conservation Strategies Report prepared by the department. This presentation is for information purposes only.
  
  
• A presentation on possible approaches that will allow commissioners to engage with the public at additional venues and by additional means other than commission meetings (this item is a follow-up on the commission’s desire to keep constituents across the state engaged in the aftermath of the decision to hold 2009 meetings in Phoenix to save costs during the current budget situation).

The commission may vote to take action or provide the department with direction on the agenda items. For a complete agenda, visit www.azgfd.gov/commission and click on the commission agenda link.