A.
Subject to the restrictions prescribed under A.R.S.
§
17-315, a person may claim a reward from the Department when the person provides
information that leads to an arrest through the Operation Game Thief Program.
The person who reports the unlawful activity will then become eligible to
receive a reward as established under subsections (C) and (D), provided funds
are available in the Wildlife Theft Prevention Fund and:
1.
The person who reported the violation provides the
Operation Game Thief control number issued by Department law enforcement
personnel, as established under subsection (B);
2.
The information provided relates to a violation of
any provisions of A.R.S. Title 17, A.A.C. Title 12, Chapter 4, or federal
wildlife laws enforced by and under the jurisdiction of the Department, but not
on Indian Reservations;
3.
The person did not first provide information during
a criminal investigation or judicial proceeding; and
4.
The person who reports the violation is
not:
a.
The person who committed the
violation,
b.
A peace,
c.
A Department employee, or
d.
An immediate family member of a Department
employee.
B.
The Department shall inform the person providing
information regarding a wildlife violation of the procedure for claiming a
reward if the information results in an arrest. The Department shall also
provide the person with the control number assigned to the reported
violation.
C.
Reward payments for information that results in an
arrest for the reported violation are as follows:
1.
For cases that involve antelope, eagles, bear,
bighorn sheep, buffalo, deer, elk, javelina, mountain lion, turkey, or
endangered or threatened wildlife as defined under R12-4-401, $500;
2.
For cases that involve wildlife that are not listed
under subsection (C)(1), a minimum of $50, not to exceed $150;
and
3.
For cases that involve any wildlife, an additional
$1,000 may be made available based on:
a.
The value of the information;
b.
The unusual value of the wildlife;
c.
The number of individual animals
taken;
d.
Whether or not the person who committed the unlawful
act was arrested for commercialization of wildlife; and
e.
Whether or not the person who committed the unlawful
act is a repeat offender.
D.
If more than one person independently provides
information or evidence that leads to an arrest for a violation, the Department
may divide the reward payment among the persons who provided the information if
the total amount of the reward payment does not exceed the maximum amount of a
monetary reward established under subsections (C) or (E);
E.
Notwithstanding subsection (C), the Department may
offer and pay a reward up to the minimum civil damage value of the wildlife
unlawfully taken, wounded or killed, or unlawfully possessed as prescribed
under A.R.S. §
17-314, if the Department believes that an enhanced reward offer is merited due to the
specific circumstances of the case.
A. For the purposes of this Section,
limited-entry permit-tags may be for terrestrial or aquatics species, or
specific areas for terrestrial or aquatic species.
B. The Commission may, by Commission Order,
open a limited-entry season or seasons and prescribe a maximum number of
limited-entry permit-tags to be made available under this Section.
C. The Department may implement limited-entry
permit-tags under the open season or seasons established in subsection (B) if
the Department determines:
1. A season for a
specific terrestrial or aquatic wildlife species, or specific area of the
state, is in high demand;
2.
Issuance of a specific number of limited-entry permit-tags will not adversely
affect management objectives for a species or area;
3. Surrendered hunt permit-tags, already
approved by Commission Order, are available from hunts with high
demand.
D. To implement
a limited-entry season established by Commission Order, the Department shall:
1. Select season dates, within the range of
dates listed in the Commission Order;
2. Select specific areas, within the range of
areas listed in the Commission Order;
3. Select the legal wildlife that may be
taken from the list of legal wildlife identified in the Commission
Order;
4. Determine the number of
limited-entry permit-tags that will be issued from the maximum number
authorized in the Commission Order.
a. The
Department shall not issue more limited-entry permit-tags than the maximum
number prescribed by Commission Order.
b. A limited-entry permit-tag is valid only
for the limited-entry season for which it is issued.
F. A limited-entry
permit-tag application submitted in accordance with this Section does not
invalidate any other application submitted by the person for a hunt
permit-tag.
G. The Department shall
not accept a group application, as defined under
R12-4-104, for a limited-entry
season.
H. To participate in a
limited-entry season, a person shall:
1.
Obtain a limited-entry permit-tag as prescribed under this Section,
and
2. Possess a valid hunting,
fishing or combination license at the time the limited-entry permit-tag is
awarded. If the applicant does not possess a valid license or the license will
expire before the limited-entry season, the applicant shall purchase an
appropriate license. A valid hunting, fishing or combination license is not
required at the time of application.
I. A limited-entry permit-tag is valid only
for the person named on the permit-tag, for the season dates on the permit-tag,
and the species for which the permit-tag is issued.
1. Possession of a limited-entry permit-tag
shall not invalidate any other hunt permit-tag for that species.
2. Big game taken under the authority of this
limited-entry permit-tag shall not count towards the established bag limit for
that species.
J. The
Department shall maintain the applications submitted for limited-entry
permit-tags.
1. An applicant for a
limited-entry season under this subsection shall submit a limited-entry
permit-tag application to the Department for each limited-entry season
established. The application is available at any Department office and on the
Department's website. The applicant shall provide all of the following
information on the application:
a. The
applicant's personal information:
i.
Name,
ii. Date of birth,
iii. Social security number, as required
under A.R.S. §§
25-320(P) and
25-502(K), when applicable;
iv. Department
identification number, when applicable;
v. Residency status and number of years of
residency immediately preceding application, when applicable;
vi. Mailing address, when
applicable;
vii. Physical
address;
viii. Telephone number,
when available; and
ix. Email
address, when available;
b. The limited-entry season the applicant
would like to participate in, and
c. Certify the information provided on the
application is true and accurate.
2. In addition to the requirements
established under subsection (J)(1), at the time of application the applicant
shall submit the application fee required under
R12-4-102. A separate
application and application fee are required for each limited-entry season an
applicant submits an application for.
3. When issuing a limited-entry permit-tag
for a terrestrial or aquatic wildlife species, the Department shall randomly
select applicants for each designated limited-entry season.
4. When issuing a limited-entry permit-tag
for a particular water, the Department shall randomly select applicants for
each date limited-entry permit-tags are available until no more are available
for that date.
5. In compliance
with subsection (D)(4), the Department shall select no more applications after
the number of limited-entry permits establish by Commission Order are
issued.
