The Arizona Game and Fish Department announced the award of 23 new Heritage grants during the May 11 Commission meeting in Safford.

Director Duane Shroufe said the 23 grants scattered throughout the state are valued at over $1.7 million, which includes $485,841 in Game and Fish Heritage Grant funding and matching funds. The department received 45 grant requests, totaling $1.1 million. In the past Game and Fish has awarded more annual Heritage fund grants, however, reduced funding from the Arizona Lottery has resulted in the department reduction in grants.

The 2001 grants awarded are as following:

Environmental Education:

• City of Safford, $3,922, Educational Enhancement of Discovery Park;
• University of Arizona, $10,000, Desert Heritage Experience (Maricopa Agricultural Center project);
• Marana Unified School District, $9,865, Urban Preserve Education Project (MUSD/Mason Audubon Center);
• Amphitheater High School, $3,212, for Amphitheater Wildlife Ecology;

• Blue Ridge School District #2, $6,698, Lil’ Jackets Forest Habitat and Trail;
• Destiny School, $10,000, Destiny Habitat Conservation Project;
• Paradise Valley School District, $4,186, Hidden Hills Elementary School Hummingbird Study Habitat Video cam;
• White Mountain Apache Tribe, $8,500.00, Cradleboard Elementary School Interpretive Trail;
• Khalsa Montessori Elementary School, $9,828, Khalsa Schoolyard Wildlife Habitat.

• City of Tucson, $3,925, Urban Wildlife in Lincoln Regional Park (interpretive brochure and signage);
• Coconino County Parks & Recreation Department, $43,754, Lone Tree Park Habitat Demonstration Garden;
• Coconino County Parks and Recreation, $53,317, Pumphouse Canyon Habitat Restoration;
• Maricopa Community College District (Scottsdale Community College), $6,080 SCC/SNUW Wildlife Demonstration Garden Signage and Brochure.
• University of Arizona, $42,205, Before-After-Control-Impact Study Design for Detecting Effects of Urban Development on Herpetofauna;
• Northern Arizona University, $5,353, Gunnison’s Prairie Dog Educational Brochure;
• Northern Arizona University,$8,921, Gunnison's Prairie Dog Interpretive Trail, Doney Park;

Public Access:

• U.S. Department of Agriculture/Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, $10,776, Unit 27 Trail Restoration - Public Access Enhancement;

• U.S. Department of Agriculture/Coronado National Forest, $27,000 for Rose Canyon Lake Fishing Pier;

• White Mountain Apache Tribe, $53,620, Poker Gap Pronghorn Habitat Enhancement Project;
• University of Arizona, $53,169, Ecology and Conservation of the Desert Box Turtle in Arizona;
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/San Bernardino Wildlife Refuge, $14,389, San Bernardino Springsnail Population Ecology and Habitat Needs.

University of Arizona, $49,953 for Relative Impacts of Nonnative Predators on Native Fishes of the Verde River.