Arizona’s State Wildlife Action Plan
Arizona’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) provides a comprehensive vision for managing Arizona’s fish, wildlife and wildlife habitats for a 10-year period. The plan includes input from resource professionals, federal and state agencies, sportsmen groups, conservation organizations, Native American tribes, recreational groups, local governments and citizens. Arizona’s SWAP outlines strategies and conservation actions aimed at promoting partnerships and coordinating efforts for everyone that has an interest in conserving Arizona’s wildlife. The SWAP focuses on identifying and managing wildlife and habitats that are in the greatest need of conservation.
The plan is reviewed and updated, at a minimum, every ten years to be eligible to participate in the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant (STWG) program. Arizona’s current plan was approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2012.
AZGFD is working on a comprehensive revision to the existing plan. The new SWAP will be called the Arizona Wildlife Conservation Strategy (AWCS). The AWCS will be completed in 2022 and will include an updated list of Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), enhanced spatial data viewer, and an interactive website to explore elements of the strategy.
Everyone in Arizona is integral to the success of the AWCS revision and implementation. AZGFD welcomes your input and perspectives throughout the revision process.
How to Get Involved
A stakeholder survey was posted in early September 2020 to allow our partners and citizens to share their perspectives on the future of Arizona’s wildlife. Over 2,300 responses were captured! Survey results
A series of focus group discussions took place in November 2020. The purpose of the initial focus groups was to provide an overview of the AWCS and to gain a better understanding of stakeholder values and perspectives. Summary of focus group discussions
In January 2021, AZGFD hosted the USFWS Arizona Ecological Services Field Office (ESFO) staff for a focus group discussion with the purpose of developing a joint vision to advance conservation priorities in Arizona. Continued collaboration was a key theme in this discussion.
Summary of ESFO focus group discussion
The next series of stakeholder meetings will take place in Spring 2021 to give AZGFD the opportunity to share revision progress including the elements incorporated from the focus group discussions. Additional input from stakeholders will be encouraged.
Revision news and updates will be available on this page until the new AWCS website is launched. Check back often to stay informed on revision progress. Thank you for your interest and everything you do to support the incredible wildlife diversity that exists in Arizona!
