For more than two decades now the state wildlife action plan swap has been the guiding document to help direct the departments nongame conservation efforts across the state

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 2 awarded the Arizona Department of Game and Fish a formula grant of $2,653,616 under the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) Program (CFDA 15.634) for the period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. This grant funds the maintenance and continued enhancement of the Arizona Comprehensive Web-based Conservation Strategy (AWCS), a digital platform guided by Arizona's 2022 State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). The AWCS provides online tools, data visualization platforms, and conservation information to engage the public and conservation partners in nongame wildlife conservation efforts. A key component includes the Arizona Conservation Opportunity (COA) Map Viewer, which enables targeted conservation planning and collaborative partnerships to protect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) and their habitats.

The grant also supports implementation of conservation and recovery projects focused on native Arizona fish, invertebrate, amphibian, and reptile species identified as SGCN. Funded activities include documenting current species distributions and population status, enhancing and reestablishing populations into historical habitats, conducting population and habitat surveys and monitoring, and coordinating multi-state conservation strategies for regional SGCN. Additionally, the Arizona Department of Game and Fish sub-awarded funding to the University of Arizona to conduct genetic analyses on Apache Trout samples from the West Fork Little Colorado River to determine hybridization status, with results to inform future management efforts.

The arizona comprehensive web based conservation strategy awcs is guided by the 2022 swap while also offering online tools data and important information for the public and our conservation partners. The awcs increases public engagement with the swap and the departments nongame conservation efforts and offers several online tools and data platforms to be used by our partners and public alike. The grant also funds the implementation of conservation and recovery projects for arizona native fish invertebrate amphibian and reptile species of greatest conservation need. All activities outlined can be tied to threats actions information needs and conservation strategies identified in the swap. The grant will support the following activities.maintenance and continued upgrades to the awcs swap website to improve public and partner engagement with arizonas swap and other department nongame conservation efforts. Data visualization tools allow for better information sharing between the department and our conservation partners both public and private. As part of the awcs website the COA map viewer will become an important tool that will help focus and guide conservation efforts where they are needed most while also building collaboration and partnerships to better conserve our sgcn and their habitats.coordinating with neighbor states to develop strategies across state boundaries will improve conservation efforts for regional sgcn and other species of concern.documenting the current distribution and population status of sgcn species by gathering information on historical and present distributions habitat associations natural history and threats.enhancing existing populations and reestablish populations into historical habitat.conducting surveys monitoring populations and habitats and identifying management potential at specific sites.collecting a limited number of specimens from historical and newly identified locations for genetic analysis research captive propagation etc.identifying essential habitats research needs and other management recommendations.maintaining brood stocks of select sgcn fishes and provide progeny to meet conservation needs.investigating the use of different aquaculture techniques new technology and life history research on native fish to improve survival growth production health and condition of fish in rearing units transport stocking and post stocking performance into the wild.collaborating with partners to develop and implement management plans conservation agreements recovery actions research management recommendations and to evaluate the effectiveness of specific management efforts. Examples include working with universities and subject matter experts to conduct genetics analyses contracting assistance in protecting and improving habitats.