Tag Archives: Public Comments

AZGFD seeks public comment on Notice of Supplemental Proposed Rulemaking

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Commission is seeking to amend the previously published Notice of Proposed Rulemaking within Articles 1, 2, 3, and 6.

The intent of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was to enact amendments developed during the latest Five-year Review Report. After receiving feedback from stakeholders and members of the public, the Commission is removing proposed changes to the use and sale of live baitfish. Amendments to R12-4-314 (Possession, Transportation, or Importation of Aquatic Wildlife) and R12-4-411 (Live Bait Dealers License) are removed from this Notice of Supplemental Proposed Rulemaking.

In addition, the rulemaking clarifies that the use of a pneumatic weapon using bolts or arrows during an archery-only hunting season is limited to persons who possess both a crossbow permit issued under R12-4-216 and a Challenged Access/Mobility Permit (CHAMP) issued under R12-4-217.

The remaining proposed amendments are not affected from the previous comment period. Those amendments are designed to clarify current rule language; protect public health and safety and private property rights; facilitate job growth and economic development; support Fair Chase principles and the tenets of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation; enable the Department to provide better customer service; and reduce regulatory and administrative burdens wherever possible.

Visit www.azgfd.com/about-arizona-game-fish/commission-public-information/rulemaking/, or https://azsos.gov/rules/arizona-administrative-register, to view the Notice of Supplemental Proposed Rulemaking.

Public comments will be accepted through Nov. 6, 2023 by:

Email: rulemaking@azgfd.gov, or msumner@azgfd.gov.
U.S. Mail: Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn.: Celeste Cook, Rules and Policy Manager, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086.
Telephone: Michael Sumner, Regional Supervisor (Yuma), 928-341-4040.

The public can submit comments through the Department’s AZGFD Rulemaking Contact Form, as well. The Commission also will be available to receive public input at its Jan. 19 meeting at Department headquarters in Phoenix.

Kaibab National Forest seeks comments on proposed project to support City of Williams water supply

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WILLIAMS — Members of the public are encouraged to provide feedback on a proposed change to the Dogtown Water Line Project. The project was previously approved by the Kaibab National Forest in August 2020 to replace deteriorating water lines to ensure the City of Williams municipal watershed can provide a reliable and treatable source of water safe for human consumption.

The City of Williams has requested a modification to the water line alignment on National Forest System lands. Following the August 2020 Decision Notice for the Dogtown Water Line Project, the City notified the Kaibab National Forest that they were unable to obtain necessary easements across private lands for a portion of the alignment. The requested alignment change consists of moving a portion of the proposed water line and access road from a private driveway to a 0.4-mile section of forested land south of the Woods Subdivision and through the subdivision. This alternate alignment was presented as a preliminary alignment option in the project description and project map provided during the original 30-day public scoping period initiated on May 31, 2019.

The Dogtown Water Line Project Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA) discloses the impacts of the alternate alignment and is available for review on the Kaibab National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=59517. This website also includes the previously published Final EA and Decision Notice and related project information.

Specific, written comments should be emailed or postmarked by April 12, 2021. Previously submitted comments on the project need not be resubmitted, as they were considered in development of the Supplemental EA.

Comments must be in writing and may be delivered electronically, by mail, or by fax. Hand-delivered comments are not currently being accepted because of COVID-19 safety measures. Electronic comments, including attachments, may be emailed to comments-southwestern-kaibab@usda.gov. Include “Dogtown Water Line Project” in the subject line. Submit comments by mail to Kaibab National Forest, Attn: Marcos Roybal, Environmental Coordinator, 800 South 6th Street, Williams, AZ 86046. Fax comments to (928) 635-8208, and use the subject line “Dogtown Water Line Project.”

Six public forums scheduled for fall hunt recommendations

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department has scheduled six public forums to meet with constituents about developing the 2017 fall hunt recommendations for deer, bighorn sheep, turkey, javelina, bison, bear, mountain lion, and small game animals.

The department annually makes recommendations to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission regarding the management of game species for the annual hunting and trapping regulations, which establish the seasons, dates, bag limits, open areas, and hunt permit-tag allocations based on the framework of the hunt guidelines set by the commission every two years.

The meetings will be conducted from 6 to 8 p.m. at these Game and Fish regional offices:

Wednesday, Feb. 22: Kingman, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road
Tuesday, Feb. 28: Flagstaff, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road
Thursday, March 2: Pinetop, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
Thursday, March 2: Mesa, 7200 E. University Drive
Thursday, March 2: Yuma, 9140 E. 28th St.
Monday, March 6: Tucson, 555 N. Greasewood Road​​​​​​​

Constituents who are interested in specific game management units within those regions will have the opportunity to discuss management direction.

“The meetings allow sportsmen and other members of the public to stay informed and provide input on the hunt recommendations,” said Amber Munig, big game management supervisor. “We will be discussing the direction for the recommendations based on survey data, harvest rates and the hunt guidelines. We won’t be proposing permit numbers at this point, but we will generally discuss where permit numbers might be headed.”

After the public forums have been completed, the final proposed draft hunt recommendations will be made available for public review at several regional open houses and posted on the department’s website at www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines in late March.

The final fall hunt recommendations will be presented to the commission for consideration at its April 8 meeting in Phoenix.

To learn more about the hunt recommendations and hunt guidelines processes, visit www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines.

ADEQ comment period for Hayden Sulfur Dioxide Nonattainment Area State Implementation Plan

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ADEQ welcomes comments on the proposed Hayden Sulfur Dioxide Nonattainment Area State Implementation Plan (SIP) Revision.

The plan demonstrates that the Hayden nonattainment area will attain the 2010 Sulfur Dioxide National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The revision will be submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency for incorporation in Arizona’s SIP as required by the Clean Air Act under Section 110.
View Public Notice/Related Documents here.

Public Comment Period:
Dec. 5, 2016 to Jan. 10, 2017

Public Hearing:
Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 at 2 p.m.
1110 W. Washington St., Rm. 3175
Phoenix, AZ 85007

Comments may be submitted as follows:
Email | Send Email
Mail: (Must be postmarked by Jan. 10, 2017)

FCC Requesting Public Comments on amateur vanity call signs

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ARLB039 Rule Making Petition to FCC Calls for Vanity Call Sign Rule Changes

The FCC is inviting comments on a Petition for Rule Making (RM-11775) from a Nevada radio amateur that seeks changes to the rules governing the Amateur Radio Vanity Call Sign Program. Christopher LaRue, W4ADL, of North Las Vegas, is proposing that any licensee obtaining a vanity call sign be required to keep it for the full license term. LaRue contends in his petition that excessive and frequent vanity call sign filings are hampering the ability of other qualified licensees to obtain vanity call signs in one of the more desirable 1 x 2 or 2 x 1 formats. LaRue said that since the FCC dropped the fee to file for a vanity call sign, some applicants are taking advantage by regularly obtaining new call signs, thereby keeping them out of circulation.

The petition can be found on the web in PDF format at, https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/1004220986407/Petition%20.pdf.

“Some are changing call signs almost monthly, just to keep the newer code-free Extra class operators from obtaining a shorter call sign,” he said in his petition. “I even saw an older operator that said he does it all the time and has not even owned a radio in over 6 years. When I looked him up, he has had 16 different [call signs] in 18 months.”

LaRue said his proposed minor rule change would require any licensee applying for and obtaining an Amateur Radio vanity call sign “be required to keep it for the duration of the license, which is currently 10 years.”

He said this would “alleviate a lot of the stress on the ULS system and manpower requirements” at the FCC. “It will also keep inactive amateurs from changing call signs regularly, thereby tying up call signs for 2 years after dismissal of said call.”

Interested parties may comment using the FCC Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) at, https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/. Comments are due within 30 days of the October 26 posting date.

Got five minutes? You can help shape ADOT’s Long-Range Transportation Plan

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PHOENIX — In transportation, we are constantly looking ahead. What needs will emerge over the next 25 years? What new technologies will influence how our transportation system operates? How will we fund necessary improvements?

One of the ways the Arizona Department of Transportation looks to the future is “What Moves You Arizona,” the Long-Range Transportation Plan we update every five years. And we need your input to do that.

ADOT has developed an interactive online survey that’s easy and engaging. It gives you the opportunity to rank six transportation priorities: preservation, expansion, safety, technology, accessibility, and maintenance and operations. You get a budget and determine how much of it you’d allocate for each priority. Then you decide tradeoff scenarios that further define your priorities.

This survey lets you experience what we face as transportation planners: setting priorities and making difficult choices with limited resources.

Those who’ve participated so far have ranked safety and expansion highly. And when it comes to managing funds, preservation and expansion get the most dollars for transportation investments.

But we want to hear from more of you! The survey is available until Nov. 11 at whatmovesyouarizona.metroquest.com. It only takes a few minutes and can be completed on a computer, smartphone or tablet. A Spanish-language version of the survey is also available via the link.

While ADOT’s Long-Range Transportation Plan isn’t project-specific, it does identify investment priorities based on current and projected transportation funding over the next 25 years.

It’s up to the public, policymakers and communities to tell ADOT what’s important to them throughout the long-range planning process, and to prioritize projects and funding.

Arizona Game and Fish to consider proposed fishing regulation changes

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Fishing_Lees_Ferry_webPHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is proposing changes to Commission Order 40 (fishing regulations) to be considered by the Game and Fish Commission at its August meeting in Pinetop.

The department encourages the public to review the proposed changes (PDF: Click Here) and email comments to: fishregscomments@azgfd.gov.

The public also can provide comments at one of the following public meetings at which AZGFD will present the proposed changes:

  • Tucson: Tuesday, June 28, 6 p.m., Tucson Regional Office, 555 N. Greasewood Rd.
  • Flagstaff: Wednesday, July 6, 7 p.m., Flagstaff Regional Office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Rd.
  • Yuma: Wednesday, July 6, 7 p.m. American Legion, 2575 S. Virginia Dr.
  • Phoenix: Tuesday, July 12, AZGFD headquarters, Quail Room, 6 p.m., 5000 West Carefree Highway
  • Mesa: Monday, July 13, 6 p.m., Mesa Regional Office, 7200 E. University.
  • Pinetop: Wednesday, July 20, 7 p.m., Timber Mesa Fire Station No. 13, 2922 W. White Mountain Blvd, Lakeside.

Chino Valley to host third public hearing for ADOT’s Tentative Five-Year Program

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is preparing to hold its third and final public hearing next week for the 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program. The public comment period began in March and provides ADOT with the opportunity to reach out to the public and communities statewide for their input on the direction of the program over the next five years.

The third public hearing for the Tentative Five-Year Program is scheduled for 9 a.m. on May 15 in Chino Valley. The meeting will be held in the Town of Chino Valley Council Chambers, 202 N. State Route 89. The monthly State Transportation Board meeting will follow the public hearing.

The 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Program lays out proposed projects and improvements to the state highway system over the next five years, with a major focus on preserving existing infrastructure to ensure that it remains in good condition, while providing a reliable transportation network for drivers. It can be a tough balance, as constrained funding simply cannot meet all the transportation needs around the state.

The Five-Year Program is updated annually and designates how much local, state and federal funding is allocated for projects. This includes highways, bridges, transit and aviation.

Limited funding amid growing statewide transportation needs continues to be the biggest challenge over the next five years. Fewer dollars dedicated to transportation is a result of less revenue from traditional sources of transportation funding, like the state gas tax and vehicle license tax, which support the Five-Year Program. The state gas tax is currently 18 cents per gallon and has not been increased for more than 20 years.

These transportation funding challenges have signaled a shift to a strong focus on the preservation of the state highway system, to protect a system valued at $19.7 billion. If ADOT did not invest in preservation, it would cost approximately $200 billion to replace our existing highway infrastructure, should it fall into disrepair. ADOT is committed to moving major expansion projects forward as well, but with less transportation dollars to stretch, fewer expansion projects make it into the Five-Year Program.

The 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Program is available for public review and comment at azdot.gov/fiveyearplan. ADOT has developed a “how to read it” guide and welcomes feedback at fiveyearconstructionprogram@azdot.gov. A phone number is also available for public comments at 1-855-712-8530.

The State Transportation Board will consider all public comments received by May 26. Public hearings have been held in Tucson in March and in Phoenix in April. The third and final public hearing will be held on May 15 in Chino Valley. The board is expected to adopt the final 2016-2020 Five-Year Program at its June 19 meeting in Pinetop-Lakeside.

Below are the details for the May public hearing and the June board meeting:

May 15 at 9 a.m.: Public hearing and board meeting in the Town of Chino Valley Council Chambers, 202 N. State Route 89, Chino Valley, AZ 86323

June 19 at 9 a.m.: Board meeting at the Pinetop-Lakeside Town Hall, 1360 N. Niels Hansen Lane, Lakeside, AZ 85929