Arizona Wildlife Federation

 

The Arizona Wildlife Federation is a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to educating, inspiring, and assisting individuals and organizations to value, conserve, enhance, manage, and protect wildlife and wildlife habitat. AWF is the oldest conservation organization in Arizona – 94 years old this year!  AWF is also one of the most effective and hard-working groups in the state, and is the only National Wildlife Federation affiliate in Arizona.  

 

Although primarily an all-volunteer organization, AWF actively partners with a variety of local and national agencies, conservation organizations, and sportsmen in effort to restore and maintain landscapes, improve wildlife habitat, and provide continued access to public lands for Arizona’s outdoor recreationists.  These conservationists believe our wildlife heritage should not be jeopardized by any activity that fails to ensure its long-term health and sustainability. Additionally, working with the Arizona legislature, AWF’s Legislative Liaison and Board developed the Wildlife Caucus, a bi-partisan caucus with the Arizona legislature to educate legislative representatives on hunting, fishing, and conservation issues. 

 

Regional Directors of the AWF are currently involved in a variety of projects and issues such as wind & solar energy development; forest thinning projects and other Land Management Planning processes with the USFS; a shooting range in northern Arizona; the Hwy 89N fence realignment in antelope country north of Flagstaff; Upper Verde River Wild & Scenic designation; Fossil Creek Management Plan; and project work in southern Arizona on important grasslands restoration projects. AWF Regional Directors also maintain active membership as a stakeholder with the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) and attend various meetings and field trips regarding this important forest health program. 

 

AWF is also working in partnership with the Coconino National Forest, AZGFD, Coconino County, and the City of Flagstaff, on the Arizona Watchable Wildlife program in Northern Arizona.  The goal is to encourage urban residents to enjoy wildlife and the outdoors, to achieve direct wildlife habitat improvement and conservation, to engage students and families in outdoor education, to promote local businesses and nature-based tourism, and to protect the natural character of the greater Flagstaff community.  Thirty sites with viewing opportunities have been identified. This is a multi year project reinforcing AWF’s mission to “educate and inspire” individuals regarding the importance of conservation of natural resources.

 

Additionally, AWF is the coordinating organization for Arizona’s Becoming An Outdoor Woman Program. Each year, 200+ women graduate from AWF’s BOW program, which occurs in January, April and September. The workshop introduces women to outdoors skills in an enjoyable, non-threatening environment with expert instructors. A primary goal of BOW is to recruit and retain women to outdoor recreational activities and conservation ethics.

 

Additional current and past projects include:

• participating in wetland habitat restoration
• contributing to wildlife protection activities on the Kaibab National Forest
• cooperating with the Diablo Trust on Anderson Mesa to benefit wildlife
• upgrading 4+ miles of fencing to wildlife standards and removing > 6 tons of trash from Woody Ridge Wildlife Corridor
• working to ensure critical summer range for wildlife
• assisting the AZGFD with water catchments in the 96 Hills area of south central AZ
• participating in/support for the AZGFD Habitat Partnership program
• utilizing special big game tag funds for habitat improvement projects throughout Arizona
• addressing wildlife corridor and land management planning issues through comprehensive legislation
• providing permanent conservation designations to BLM lands throughout Western Maricopa and adjacent countries
• improving water catchment/pipeline work in Northern Arizona

How You Can Help!

Your donation today will help AWF continue to be a leader for wildlife and habitat conservation. Your dollars will help support our efforts at state and federal levels, including work with the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Arizona State Legislature, in addition to on-the ground conservation actions.