Governor’s Executive Budget Proposal Includes Funding for Key Arizona Game and Fish Department Conservation Initiative

Arizona Game and Fish Department sent this bulletin at 01/16/2026 03:13 PM MST

Jan. 16, 2026

Governor’s Executive Budget Proposal Includes Funding for Key Arizona Game and Fish Department Conservation Initiative

Will fund repairs and improvements to Arizona’s fish hatcheries

Today Governor Hobbs released her FY2027 Executive Budget, which funds critical programs and efforts that support necessary infrastructure improvements.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) initiatives funded in the budget proposal include:

$11.55 million to upgrade and modernize fish hatcheries. These improvements will allow department personnel to repair and improve existing facilities while producing more fish that can be stocked into lakes and community fishing ponds across the state.

“The Arizona Game and Fish Department is grateful the Governor recognizes the importance of this investment. Not only are fish hatcheries economic drivers for rural communities, they provide resources that Arizonans can enjoy as they head outdoors,” says AZGFD Director Tom Finley. “The proposed improvements to our state hatcheries will ensure we can provide ample angling opportunities for the next generation while continuing to support wildlife conservation efforts.”

The Arizona Game and Fish Department receives no general fund tax dollars. The majority of funding to manage more than 800 native wildlife species comes from Arizona's hunters and anglers.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department receives Federal assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and thus prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age and sex pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. To request an accommodation or informational material in an alternative format or to file a discrimination complaint please contact the Director’s Office at (602) 942-3000 or by mail at 5000 West Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086. Discrimination complaints can also be filed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Diversity and Inclusive Workforce, Attention: Public Civil Rights and Disability Coordinator, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041.

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