17-231. General powers and duties of the commission

A. The commission shall:

1. Adopt rules and establish services it deems necessary to carry out the provisions and purposes of this title.

2. Establish broad policies and long-range programs for the management, preservation and harvest of wildlife.

3. Establish hunting, trapping and fishing rules and prescribe the manner and methods that may be used in taking wildlife, but the commission shall not limit or restrict the magazine capacity of any authorized firearm.

4. Be responsible for the enforcement of laws for the protection of wildlife.

5. Provide for the assembling and distribution of information to the public relating to wildlife and activities of the department.

6. Prescribe rules for the expenditure, by or under the control of the director, of all funds arising from appropriation, licenses, gifts or other sources.

7. Exercise such powers and duties necessary to carry out fully the provisions of this title and in general exercise powers and duties that relate to adopting and carrying out policies of the department and control of its financial affairs.

8. Prescribe procedures for use of department personnel, facilities, equipment, supplies and other resources in assisting search or rescue operations on request of the director of the division of emergency management.

9. Cooperate with the Arizona-Mexico commission in the governor's office and with researchers at universities in this state to collect data and conduct projects in the United States and Mexico on issues that are within the scope of the department's duties and that relate to quality of life, trade and economic development in this state in a manner that will help the Arizona-Mexico commission to assess and enhance the economic competitiveness of this state and of the Arizona-Mexico region.

B. The commission may:

1. Conduct investigations, inquiries or hearings in the performance of its powers and duties.

2. Establish game management units or refuges for the preservation and management of wildlife.

3. Construct and operate game farms, fish hatcheries, fishing lakes or other facilities for or relating to the preservation or propagation of wildlife.

4. Expend funds to provide training in the safe handling and use of firearms and safe hunting practices.

5. Remove or permit to be removed from public or private waters fish which hinder or prevent propagation of game or food fish and dispose of such fish in such manner as it may designate.

6. Purchase, sell or barter wildlife for the purpose of stocking public or private lands and waters and take at any time in any manner wildlife for research, propagation and restocking purposes or for use at a game farm or fish hatchery and declare wildlife salable when in the public interest or the interest of conservation.

7. Enter into agreements with the federal government, with other states or political subdivisions of the state and with private organizations for the construction and operation of facilities and for management studies, measures or procedures for or relating to the preservation and propagation of wildlife and expend funds for carrying out such agreements.

8. Prescribe rules for the sale, trade, importation, exportation or possession of wildlife.

9. Expend monies for the purpose of producing publications relating to wildlife and activities of the department for sale to the public and establish the price to be paid for annual subscriptions and single copies of such publications. All monies received from the sale of such publications shall be deposited in the game and fish publications revolving fund.

10. Contract with any person or entity to design and produce artwork on terms that, in the commission's judgment, will produce an original and valuable work of art relating to wildlife or wildlife habitat.

11. Sell or distribute the artwork authorized under paragraph 10 of this subsection on such terms and for such price as it deems acceptable.

12. Consider the adverse and beneficial short-term and long-term economic impacts on resource dependent communities, small businesses and the state of Arizona, of policies and programs for the management, preservation and harvest of wildlife by holding a public hearing to receive and consider written comments and public testimony from interested persons.

13. Adopt rules relating to range operations at public shooting ranges operated by and under the jurisdiction of the commission, including the hours of operation, the fees for the use of the range, the regulation of groups and events, the operation of related range facilities, the type of firearms and ammunition that may be used at the range, the safe handling of firearms at the range, the required safety equipment for a person using the range, the sale of firearms, ammunition and shooting supplies at the range, and the authority of range officers to enforce these rules, to remove violators from the premises and to refuse entry for repeat violations.

14. Solicit and accept grants, gifts or donations of money or other property from any source, which may be used for any purpose consistent with this title.

C. The commission shall confer and coordinate with the director of water resources with respect to the commission's activities, plans and negotiations relating to water development and use, restoration projects under the restoration acts pursuant to chapter 4, article 1 of this title, where water development and use are involved, the abatement of pollution injurious to wildlife and in the formulation of fish and wildlife aspects of the director of water resources' plans to develop and utilize water resources of the state and shall have jurisdiction over fish and wildlife resources and fish and wildlife activities of projects constructed for the state under or pursuant to the jurisdiction of the director of water resources.

D. The commission may enter into one or more agreements with a multi-county water conservation district and other parties for participation in the lower Colorado river multispecies conservation program under section 48-3713.03, including the collection and payment of any monies authorized by law for the purposes of the lower Colorado river multispecies conservation program.