Third quarter grant applications were presented and voted on at the August 25, 2020 AZSFWC Board meeting. Funding for the grants is available through sales of our special Conserving Wildlife license plate. More information about the license plate and how you can obtain one can be found HERE.
Six grants were approved in the amount of $47,611 and included the following:
$25,000 was awarded to the Altar Valley Conservation Alliance for the continuation of the South Legunita Grassland Restoration Project. Mesquite overgrowth has decreased grassland habitat important to multiple species of wildlife. The project benefits wildlife, ranchers, non-profit partners actively engaged in collaborative conservation, hunters and recreationists who enjoy the healthy, open landscapes of the Altar Valley, and the neighboring Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. Three phases of mechanical clearing of the mesquites have already been completed and this grant funding will allow additional acres of grassland to be restored.
$5,000 was awarded to the AZ Raptor Center for their Education and Outreach program. Raptors in their care that cannot be released back into the wild are utilized in education programs around the state. A typical program covers topics such as how raptors fit into the ecosystem, what raptors eat, and where they live. Funding will support the development of additional educational materials, expanding venues, and building internet and social media presence and providing a means to provide educational opportunities virtually. Additional funding will be provided by private donations and AZ Raptor Center contributions.
$7,096 was awarded to the Valley of the Sun Quail Forever for the Robbins Butte Water for Wildlife project. Funds will provide material to set up 30 permanent water stations along one mile of food plots at Robbins Butte Wildlife Area. These waters will increase the abundance of the 131 species of mammals, amphibians and birds that make this habitat their home.
$4,700 was awarded to the Mohave Sportsman Club for their 2020 Fishing for Smiles event. This annual event introduces 200-300 children ranging in age from 2-15 to the fun of sport fishing. The club provides children with fishing equipment, bait, instruction, and education. Volunteer’s assist those in attendance to learn to cast, bait a hook, reel in their catch, and how to clean the fish they have caught. Additional funding partners include the Elks Club and Kingman Regional Hospital.
$2,315 was awarded to the AZ Council of Trout Unlimited for their Boy Scouts of America Fish Camp. The goal is to educate and inspire youth to become our next generation of conservation leaders and natural resource advocates. The week-long Fish Camp is designed to provide youth a safe, fun and interactive opportunity to learn about conserving, protecting, and restoring our aquatic resources, while learning and enjoying the sport of fishing and fly fishing. Additional funding partners include Kiwanis Club of Phoenix Foundation and the Zane Grey Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
$3,500 was awarded to the AZ Desert Bighorn Sheep Society for their annual Hunter Information Clinic. Anyone can attend the clinic where they will learn about Habitat Projects, Aging, Judging and Scoring a ram in the field, How to Hunt Sheep, Gear and Equipment, Optics, Taxidermy and Photography and Hunter Ethics. Each attendee is also provided with an instructional manual and handouts from presenters and various land management agencies. The Society is providing additional funding.