Daily Archives: February 17, 2021

Game and Fish Commission to meet February 19

Posted on by
PHOENIX — The next meeting of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission will be Friday, Feb. 19, in the Willcox City Council chambers, 300 W. Rex Allen Drive, in Willcox, Ariz. The meeting begins at 8 a.m.

A complete agenda and more information on viewing the meeting, or speaking to the commission, can be found here or at https://www.azgfd.com/agency/commission/meetingagenda/.

Note: New commission member Clay Hernandez, who was confirmed February 2 by the Arizona Senate, will be seated for his first commission meeting.

February 25 is last day to update credit card information for elk, pronghorn draw

Posted on by
PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) reminds hunters who applied for 2021 elk and pronghorn hunt permit-tags that 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Thursday, Feb. 25, is the deadline to update credit card or debit card account information.
The same deadline applies for purchasing PointGuard, which ensures that if a successful applicant is unable to participate in a hunt for any reason, the accumulated bonus points that were expended to draw that hunt permit-tag will be reinstated. The cost is $5 for each species.
Applicants are encouraged to keep their credit card and debit card account information current. If payment is declined at the time of the draw, the application will not be drawn. The department no longer calls applicants to obtain payment on drawn applications where credit cards or debit cards have failed. Also, if a credit card or debit card has been used to pay for more than one application, the applicant is responsible for notifying their financial institution that multiple charges could be simultaneously processed from AZGFD.
No action is needed if the credit card or debit card used at the time of application is still in good standing. Otherwise, applicants who have been issued a new credit card or debit card, a new expiration date, or had a change to their card’s number should visit draw.azgfd.gov/. Scroll down the page, select “Update Credit Card” and follow the prompts. Note: It is important to update payment information for each species for which an online application has been submitted.
Meanwhile, applicants can purchase PointGuard through 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Thursday, Feb. 25. While a free AZGFD portal account is not needed to purchase PointGuard, draw results will be posted to portal accounts. It’s quick and easy to create a portal account — just visit accounts.azgfd.com/Account/Register and complete the required fields.
AZGFD will post an announcement on its website and social media channels when draw results are available. All hunt permit-tags will be mailed by April 2.  

Information sought in illegal killing of multiple mule deer north of Congress

Posted on by

WICKENBURG – The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s (AZGFD) Operation Game Thief program is offering a reward of up to $1,500 for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for the illegal killing of several mule deer near Congress, Ariz. With the generosity of several sportsmen’s groups, including the Arizona Mule Deer Organization, Christian Hunters of America and the Arizona Mule Deer Foundation, these organizations are offering an additional combined reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest.

Between October 18-29, 2020, AZGFD officers found the remains of several fresh deer, including bucks and does near the intersection of Date Creek Road and OX Ranch Road northwest of Congress. Officers determined that the deer had been skinned out and the meat taken. There were no open deer hunts in the area during this time. Evidence found at the scene suggests this was not a one-time event and that the suspect(s) frequented the area and spent considerable time there.

AZGFD Wildlife Manager Brian Dietz states, “The location is near a well- traveled area along Date Creek Road. Anyone out scouting, recreating or just passing through may have witnessed something that could help us resolve this case. Poachers are not hunters; they are criminals stealing from the residents of Arizona.”

Anyone who may have information is encouraged to call the Operation Game Thief Hotline toll-free at 1-800-352-0700. Caller identities will remain confidential and callers can report anonymously if needed. You can also report online at https://www.azgfd.com/ogt/. Callers should reference OGT #20-003449 when reporting information on this case.

Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits schedule capacity building workshops throughout 20201

Posted on by

PHOENIX — The Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits has scheduled training workshops in 2021 for nonprofit organizations to build capacity and measure social return on investment and social impact and for business professionals to learn how to be effective in service on nonprofit boards of directors.

“One of our most-important contributions is to leverage the expertise, knowledge and experiences of the state’s diverse professional networks to benefit the nonprofit community’s growth and well being,” said Michael Barry, Director of Capacity Building at the Alliance.

In addition to capacity-building trainings that include Business on Board, Social Return on Investment and Nonprofit Lifecycles, the Alliance provides monthly sector updates and has scheduled complementary events this year in Phoenix, Flagstaff and Tucson as well as the annual statewide conference in August. More information can be found at www.arizonanonrprofits.org.

Also, the Alliance will be scheduling webinars under the following themes: “Marketing Your Mission” in February; “Advocating for your Organization” in March; and “Volunteerism” in April. More information will be available on the website.

The three main capacity building opportunities are:

• Business on Board.

Whether you are thinking about committing to board service or already serve on a board, this workshop will give you the tools you need to be effective in your role. Business On Board (BOB) is designed to teach professionals and community members what they need to know before joining a nonprofit board or to give a much-needed refresher to current board members and other organization leaders.

Expert speakers provide attendees with critical knowledge about nonprofit board service, including nonprofit overview, fiduciary role, legal role and fundraising role. Dates for the Zoom-based trainings are May 6, Sept. 23 and Nov. 4. Cost is $59 for Alliance members and $89 for nonmembers. Scholarships are available courtesy of Vitalyst Health Foundation. Register: https://arizonanonprofits.org/page/BusinessOnBoard.

• Social Return on Investment.

As donors and funders become increasingly focused on evaluating their investments based on outcomes, not just inputs and outputs, it is critically important that nonprofits understand how to effectively calculate and communicate the social return on investment (SROI) of their programs to bring their storytelling to life and their fundraising and grant writing to another level.

This hands-on, half-day session takes a closer look at what Social Return on Investment (SROI) is, why it is important to communicate, and how to begin formulating your own unique SROI message.

The session will be conducted by Dr. Anthony Evans, Staff Director and Senior Research Fellow at L. William Seidman Research Institute. Dates are April 29 and Sept. 16. Cost is $39 for Alliance members and $69 for nonmembers. Scholarships are available. Register: https://arizonanonprofits.org/page/SROI.

• Nonprofit Lifecycles.

Based on the award-winning book, Nonprofit Lifecycles: Stage-based Wisdom for Nonprofit Capacity, the workshop is ideal for executives and board members of nonprofits small and large, seasoned, or just-starting out.

In addition to learning about your organization’s capacity using the four “table legs” and developing your own Capacity Improvement Plan, you will work on a case study that reinforces the morning’s educational content, and receive a do-it-yourself diagnostic tool for assessing each organization’s own capacity.

Workshop dates are March 24, May 11 and Sept. 29. Cost is $69 for Alliance members and $99 for nonmembers. Scholarships are available. Register: https://arizonanonprofits.org/page/Lifecycles.

For more information about the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, go to www.arizonanonprofits.org.

Buying or selling a used vehicle? Be prepared and be safe

Posted on by

PHOENIX – Are you in the market for a new-to-you car? Thinking of selling your vehicle in a private-party sale?

Whether you’re a prospective buyer or a seller – or both – the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division wants consumers to know steps they can take to protect themselves when selling or purchasing a used vehicle.

First, go to AZMVDNow.gov and activate your AZ MVD Now account. Everything needed to complete a typical private-party sale of a vehicle can be completed at AZMVDNow.gov, even the transfer of a vehicle title via the convenient eTitle Transfer. Every person with an Arizona-issued driver license or vehicle registered in Arizona already has an account and more than 1.5 million accounts have been activated since AZMVDNow.gov launched last spring.

If you’re a buyer, you’ll want to ensure that there are no surprises in the vehicle’s history. An unscrupulous seller might tamper with the odometer, sell a stolen vehicle, attempt to cover up water or collision damage that wasn’t properly repaired or not disclose a lien. ADOT offers a number of tools customers can use to gather information about a vehicle they’re interested in purchasing.

While buyers do most of their leg-work prior to purchase, the work for sellers in a private-party transaction comes after a price has been agreed upon. After receiving payment, a seller should sign-in to their account at AZMVDNow.gov and complete a “sold notice.” There is no cost to complete a sold notice and it can protect the seller if the car sold is involved in a crash or crime, is ticketed, or becomes abandoned, which carries a fine.

Transferring the title comes next and some titles can be transferred at AZMVDNow.gov via eTitle Transfer, saving a trip to an MVD office. A seller should be aware that if their vehicle was titled and owned in another state prior to moving to Arizona, it’s probable that the Arizona MVD will not have a copy of the vehicle title because it didn’t issue the title. In this case, the seller can sign the back of the title and have the signature notarized.

Before giving the car to the buyer, remove the license plate. The seller might be eligible to receive credit for registration fees previously paid on the vehicle, too.

Buying and selling a vehicle is a big purchase. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Take your time and consult this car-buying checklist to protect yourself.