 About State Wildlife Action Plans
Arizona's State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP),
previously known as the Comprehensive Wildlife
Conservation Strategy, provides a comprehensive vision for managing Arizona's fish, wildlife and wildlife habitats for a 10-year period, beginning when in was originally developed in 2005. The original plan included input from resource
professionals, federal and state agencies,
sportsmen groups, conservation organizations,
Native American tribes, recreational groups,
local governments and private citizens. The plan is renewed every five years by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
For over a decade, a
coalition of more than 3,000 conservation
organizations known as “Teaming with
Wildlife” worked to keep species
from becoming endangered by increasing state
and federal funding for wildlife conservation. This effort culminated in 2001 when federal
legislation established a State Wildlife
Grant (SWG) program. SWG funds are
used to support the needs of wildlife, their
habitats, and related recreational and educational
activities.
To be eligible for these annual SWG funds, each of the 56 U.S. states and
territories must have an approved SWAP that includes eight
required elements that were established
by state fish and wildlife agencies working
with the International Association of Fish
and Wildlife Agencies and the Teaming With
Wildlife Committee.
Arizona's SWAP is unlike existing recovery
plans and other regulatory documents in
that it builds on and complements existing
plans and wildlife conservation projects
that are already underway. The plan
outlines strategies and conservation actions
aimed at promoting partnerships and coordinating
efforts among all who hold a stake in conserving
Arizona’s wildlife. While the plan addresses the full array of wildlife
and habitats, it focuses on identifying
and managing the wildlife and habitats that are in the greatest need of conservation.
In 2012, a revision of Arizona’s SWAP was approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The plan’s revision guides wildlife conservation for 2012-2022 and considers many of the changes that Arizona and its wildlife have experienced since the original plan was created.
Some of the more significant changes that impact wildlife conservation and were addressed in the revision include the state’s above-average human population growth; increasing demand for renewable energy sources; emergence of new wildlife diseases; and, the growing number of new invasive species.
One of the most notable actions to come from revising the plan is the department’s HabiMap™ Arizona, an innovative new tool that utilizes the latest mapping technology to provide wildlife data to help conservation partners make informed planning decisions that consider wildlife’s needs.
- NEW! Arizona's SWAP plan [PDF, 4.2mb]
- SWAP history presentation, [PDF]
Additonal
SWAP Information
|
