New Arizona Game & Fish Headquarters Opens
Not all visitors come to Arizona to play golf. Some actually visit the state to hunt, fish and experience the many wildlife habitats found throughout the state. On November 13, 2007 these visitors, as well as local outdoors people, received an early holiday gift with the opening of the Arizona Game and Fish Department's new headquarters.
The 117,115 square-foot complex at 5000 W. Carefree Highway in Phoenix includes office space, a 205-seat auditorium, conference rooms, a climate-controlled warehouse, laboratories, a development shop and vehicle maintenance facility and cost more than $20 million. It replaces the Deer Valley campus on Greenway Road which the department has occupied for 30 years. The new complex, designed to meet Gold Certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating, was built on 24 acres at the southwest corner of the Ben Avery Shooting Facility, which the department operates.
The Ben Avery Shooting Facility is the nation's largest public operated shooting facility. It is also the first government-managed facility to earn a Five Star rating from the National Association of Shooting Ranges, indicating the facility is the best of the best at providing a quality recreational shooting experience for men, women and children of all ages. Trained line safety officers are on the firing line at all times overseeing safety and offering informal coaching as needed by the 150,000 shooters who visit the facility every year. The Ben Avery Shooting Facility, which includes 54-point covered main and specialty ranges, five field archery ranges, FITA (International Archery Federation) range, Clay Target Center and 99-site improved campground, is located at 4044 W. Black Canyon Blvd.. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, as well as during heavy wind conditions, shooters 18 years of age and older can purchase an all day pass for $5. Shooters under 18 shoot for free.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department does much more than just manage the Ben Avery Shooting Facility. The department works aggressively to protect and manage the state's wildlife resources while ensuring the public enjoys and appreciates the outdoor opportunities available. This includes safe watercraft and off-road vehicle operation.
Outdoor enthusiasts planning to hunt, fish, boat or otherwise explore Arizona's wilderness will want to stop by the new Arizona Game and Fish Department headquarters to obtain hunting and fishing licenses, register boats and watercraft, and pick up wildlife brochures as well as a variety of events, classes and other services.
