Tag Archives: Doug Ducey

Governor Ducey nominates Jeffrey Buchanan to Arizona Game and Fish Commission

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department was informed today that Governor Doug Ducey has nominated Lieutenant General (retired) Jeffrey (“Jeff”) Buchanan to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission.

LTG Buchanan earned a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Ecology and is passionate about wildlife and natural resources conservation. He and his wife Laura (who also has a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Ecology) are members of various conservation organizations ranging from the Arizona Elk Society to the National Wildlife Federation.

LTG Buchanan retired from a distinguished 37-year U.S. Army career in 2019, having commanded at every level from Platoon to Theater Army. His assignments included tours in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, 25th Infantry Division, 101st Airborne Division, the 10th Mountain Division, and I Corps. He served four combat tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.

From 2016-2019, he served as USNORTHCOM’s Joint Forces Land Component Commander and led the operational-level military response in support of FEMA for five major hurricanes (Matthew, Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Florence) and in support of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency for Southwest border security.

Upon retirement, he and his wife moved home to Patagonia, Ariz., where he consults from his home office. In addition to serving as a Senior Fellow for National Defense University, LTG Buchanan serves as a Senior Mentor for the Department of the Army. He currently serves on three not-for-profit boards.

In addition to his Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Ecology, he also earned a Master of Arts in Leadership Development from the U.S. Military Academy.

Pending confirmation by the Arizona Senate, LTG Buchanan would replace commission member Leland (“Bill) Brake, whose term is expiring.

Governor Ducey Calls On Department Of Defense To Promptly Address Groundwater Contamination In Arizona

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PHOENIX  — Governor Doug Ducey is calling on the U.S. Department of Defense to take prompt action to address Pentagon-related groundwater contamination near Arizona’s military installations.

In an April 27 letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Governor Ducey requested DOD to identify and treat water in Arizona contaminated in the areas surrounding four DOD installations and to prevent additional human exposure to PFAS from other DOD facilities in Arizona.

The four installations with known PFAS impacts to groundwater—Luke Air Force Base, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Morris Air National Guard Base and the former Williams Air Force Base—are located in the two most populous metropolitan areas in Arizona, and each is surrounded by businesses and residential communities where thousands of Arizonans live, work and rely on clean groundwater for drinking.

The water is contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

“Ensuring that all Arizonans have the cleanest possible drinking water from public water systems today and for our future is critical for our health and well-being and a top priority of our state,” said Governor Ducey. “The situation in Arizona deserves attention. Arizona, through the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, is acting to contain the spread of PFAS now, and I ask you to make a similar commitment on behalf of DOD for prompt remedial actions to address the DOD-related PFAS contamination of groundwater throughout Arizona and protect the health and safety of Arizonans.”

  • The drinking water supply for 4,000 people within the Valley Utilities Water Company service area near Luke Air Force Base in Glendale has been impacted by PFAS and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has identified 10 additional public water systems serving groundwater to 45,000 people within a 4-mile radius of Luke Air Force Base that are at risk | View details >
  • In Tucson, the City has had to shut-off 18 production wells impacted by PFAS. ADEQ is currently conducting an accelerated investigation and designing an early response action north of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to protect Tucson Water’s central wellfield, which serves as a primary drinking water source for Tucson | View Details >
  • Areas surrounding former Williams Air Force Base and other installations across the state are either still being assessed or need to be assessed for PFAS impacts. What is known related to Williams Air Force Base is that approximately 12 percent of Mesa’s water supply is sourced from groundwater in the area.

To prevent additional human exposure to PFAS, Governor Ducey requested the following of DOD:

  1. Share PFAS data related to Arizona installations to help determine the extent of PFAS impacts.
  2. Develop a preliminary conceptual site model for each DOD facility based on available groundwater, geological and facility data.
  3. Estimate a preliminary time range for when DOD-related PFAS plumes may reach public drinking water systems.
  4. Conduct accelerated remedial investigations with the primary purpose of designing early response actions to stop the PFAS plumes.
  5. Design and install early response actions to protect public drinking water systems at risk from DOD-related PFAS.

PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals with fire-retardant properties that have been manufactured and used by a variety of industries since 1940. PFAS can migrate into soil, water and air during manufacture and use of products containing PFAS and do not break down, so they remain in the environment and can impact groundwater and drinking water sources. Because of their widespread use and persistence, PFAS can build up in people and animals with repeated exposure over time. Most industries have been phasing out the use of PFAS since the early 2000s. There is a growing body of scientific evidence linking PFAS exposure to adverse health effects. A significant PFAS human exposure pathway is drinking municipal or well water with PFAS levels higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lifetime Health Advisory Level.

View Governor Ducey’s Letter to the Secretary of Defense HERE >

To learn more about PFAS, please visit: PFAS Resources >

Governor Doug Ducey closes businesses

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PHOENIX – Governor Doug Ducey announced today that he is signing an executive order to close restaurants in counties with confirmed cases of COVID-19. Bars, movie theaters and gyms are also closed.

Other measures include delaying expiration dates on driver’s licenses so elderly will not have to renew them and using the National Guard to assist in stocking store shelves.

The Governor’s full post on Facebook reads:

“I’m announcing new steps to combat the spread of #COVID19. These actions are based on the facts and on data, and come after careful consultation with public health experts from every county in Arizona, our hospitals, local elected officials, and private sector partners.

“They reflect guidance from the CDC and the latest recommendations from the Arizona Department of Health Services while going even further to bolster our efforts with additional manpower and resources.

“To ensure Arizonans have continued access to food, I’m activating the National Guard to assist grocery stores & food banks in the face of heightened demand. This will ensure grocery stores have the manpower needed to keep shelves stocked @AZNationalGuard

“I’m issuing an Executive Order that halts all elective surgeries in the state to free up medical resources and maintain the capacity for hospitals and providers to continue offering vital services. This will reserve critical protective equipment for the fight against COVID-19.

“I’m issuing an Executive Order that requires restaurants in counties w/ confirmed cases of COVID-19 to provide dine-out options only, and closes bars, movie theaters and gyms. Restaurants will be allowed to deliver alcoholic beverages w/ food purchase

“I’m issuing an Executive Order to delay expiration dates on Arizona driver licenses, ensuring residents over the age of 65 do not need to visit Motor Vehicle Division offices to renew their driver licenses during the public health emergency.

“This is an all-in effort. We remain focused in the state of Arizona on proactively limiting the spread of COVID-19 and will continue to protect public health.

“Visit azhealth.gov/COVID19 for more.”

Governor Ducey’s response to recent national monument designations by President Obama

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PHOENIX — In response to President Obama designating two national monuments this week in Utah and Nevada, Governor Doug Ducey issued the following statement requesting that the president respect Arizona by not designating the proposed Grand Canyon Watershed National Monument:

“Western public land agreements have established a legacy of multi-use that have provided a recreational, environmental, conservation and economic balance that has served our state and nation well.

“In the early 1990s Republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Congressman Morris Udall worked appropriately through congressional action to create a massive footprint of designated wilderness in our state. Arizona also already hosts the most national monuments of any state in the nation. Those monuments more than suffice for enough acreage set aside for elevated public lands management. That work is now complete.

“Our state needs no further designations. Designations done by decree have already negatively impacted our state’s ability to manage wildlife, held in trust for the people of Arizona and our nation. Proof of this fact is seen in the decline of desert sheep in the Sonoran Desert Monument, where access closures impeded our ability to maintain water catchments to grow these herds. Forest management also suffers in special designation areas, and my fear with the proposed designation is a catastrophic fire that would damage this area for more than a century.

“I have long joined Senators McCain and Flake, the majority of our congressional delegation, more than 20 sportsmen/women organizations, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, and thousands of Arizona citizens in steadfast opposition to this unneeded and poorly thought-out presidential decree that will permanently damage the recreational, environmental, conservation and economic balance that is so important to our state.

“I request that the president respect the wishes of our state’s leadership and the Congress of the United States, which is where the real authority for public lands designations resides. The intent of the Antiquities Act gives the president limited authority to set aside the smallest amount of land possible to protect the artifact; this proposed designation of 1.9 million acres of land would be a clear violation of that intent.

“If designated by the president in his waning hours, Arizona will take every step necessary—legally and legislatively—to stop it. My hope is that the president respects our wishes.”

Governor Ducey proclaims June 20 American Eagle Day

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eagle-03PHOENIX — Governor Doug Ducey has proclaimed June 20 American Eagle Day in Arizona, part of a national effort to recognize the United States’ symbol of freedom and power, the bald eagle. Since its inception in 1995, 47 states have signed proclamations to celebrate the day.

More than 230 years after the newly-formed United States of America adopted the bald eagle over the wild turkey as its national symbol, the bald eagle is once again thriving nationally.

The bald eagle population numbered an estimated 250,000 birds when Europeans first settled the continent. However, populations began to decline in the 1800s when the birds were shot for feathers and trophies; their habitat was reduced to build houses and farms; and, their food sources were used to support the booming European settlements. In the 1900s, the species was affected by the use of DDT, and populations declined further.

“Arizona implements a nationally-recognized bald eagle management program that has successfully taken the state from only 11 breeding pairs when the species was federally listed as endangered in 1978 to 65 pairs today,” said Edward “Pat” Madden, incoming chairman of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. “The bald eagle’s success is entirely due to the long-term commitments made by the 26 partners of the Southwestern Bald Eagle Management Committee (SWBEMC), a group that includes the Game and Fish Department, federal, state, Native American, and private organizations.”

Although the bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list nationally in 2007, the population in Arizona still requires management due to its small size and isolated nature. Management efforts include closing high-use recreation areas during bald eagle breeding season; the Arizona Bald Eagle Nestwatch Program that monitors nests near high recreational use areas; banding and visual identification to monitor the health of the population; nest survey flights; a monofilament (fishing line) recovery program to remove fishing line from the shores of Arizona’s waterways to keep eagles from being entangled; and, a winter population count.

Also found in Arizona, golden eagles are large, impressive raptors, but little historic information existed about their population and habits in Arizona. Growing conservation concerns have increased the demand for a better understanding of the current status of the species and its conservation needs. Game and Fish kicked off a multi-year population assessment in 2011 and has identified more than 250 breeding areas through helicopter surveys. In addition, the Southwestern Golden Eagle Management Committee was created to provide management support for the species.

Game and Fish’s eagle management efforts are supported in part by the Heritage Fund, an initiative passed by voters more than 20 years ago to provide for wildlife education and conservation through Arizona lottery ticket sales.

Governor Doug Ducey Issues a Proclamation to Commemorate Prisoners of War Remembrance Day

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PHOENIX — In honor of Prisoners of War Remembrance Day – held annually on April 9 – Governor Doug Ducey issued a proclamation today calling upon all Arizonans to pay respect and gratitude to all of the men and women of our nation’s armed forces who have suffered captivity in foreign countries during active service.

“Today, we pause to recognize the brave members of our armed forces who, throughout history, have been taken captive by an enemy nation while fighting to protect us at home.

We are eternally indebted to these men and women. Day after day, American heroes put on the uniform and answer the call to service – selflessly relinquishing their personal freedom to preserve ours. To those who have not returned home, they are in our thoughts, prayers and hearts. We forever honor them, and we continue to pray for their safe return.

I ask that all Arizonans join me in paying respect to our nation’s Prisoners of War, their families and all who serve and sacrifice in the name of our national and personal security. God Bless them all.”

Doug Ducey Lurches Left

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Doug_Ducey_-_Arizona_State_TreasurerSonoran Alliance March 28, 2014 by arizonaprogressgazette The Conservative’s Corner

It has been said that you can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends. That’s why so many people say it is unfair to judge someone by what a family member does. On the other hand, it is also why so many people look long and hard at the advisers and staff members that elected officials hire.

When Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema hired an illegal alien who was fortunate enough to be granted deferred action through President Obama’s DACA program, she was making a point. When House Speaker John Boehner hired an advisor who led John McCain’s push for amnesty, it too sent a message.

Perhaps that is why Arizona politicos pay so much attention to the various hires made by the candidates running for Governor, and who is supporting whom at this early stage?

East Valley News Net