AGFC POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL - ADMINISTRATION
ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH ADVISORY COUNCIL
AGFC POLICY AD-1-04 | EFFECTIVE 4/20/2023
PURPOSE
To set forth policy and procedures of the Arkansas Game and
Fish Commission (AGFC, Commission) for establishing and operating an Arkansas
Game and Fish Advisory Council (Advisory Council), having members consisting of
invited citizen-volunteers and designated AGFC employees, for the purpose of
providing stakeholder-focused advisory assistance to the Commission concerning
AGFC programs and other critical matters related to the control, management,
restoration, conservation and regulation of the wildlife resources of the State
of Arkansas.
SCOPE
This policy applies to all activities of the Commission, to all
locations of the Commission, to all individuals employed by the Commission, and
to all citizen-stakeholders who accept an invitation to serve on the Arkansas
Game and Fish Advisory Council.
POLICY
It is the interest of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to
establish and operate an Arkansas Game and Fish Advisory Council that shall be
composed of volunteer citizen-stakeholders and AGFC employees designated by the
Director to facilitate public involvement and recommendations with respect to
agency programming. More specifically, the Advisory Council is to help the AGFC
determine how it can better serve multiple user groups of Arkansas's wildlife
resources, how AGFC can better partner with private industry and other third
parties to maximize outdoor opportunity and conservation awareness, and how
AGFC can better communicate and advocate for the large and critical mission of
wildlife conservation in Arkansas and the challenges it faces. The Advisory
Council will not fill a representative function or provide input on agency
regulations; rather, its function is to collect information and facilitate the
sharing of communication, partnership, advice, and recommendations with AGFC
through focused groups of citizen-stakeholders.
AD-1-04-A. ORGANIZATION
1. Advisory Council members shall be selected
at the purview of the AGFC Director, based principally upon having a history of
demonstrated commitment to the advancement of conservation in
Arkansas.
2. Ideally, for maximum
benefit, the Advisory Council should have diverse membership; nevertheless,
invitations for participation ultimately shall be extended to individuals
without regard to their race, religion, gender, national origin, age,
disability, citizenship, or other protected status.
3. Advisory Council members and designated
AGFC employees will be assigned to one (1), but not more than two (2)
subordinate panels identified by the Director. There shall be approximately
five (5), but not more than ten (10) panels within the Advisory Council,
including but not limited to: the Fishing Panel (FP); the Habitat and Access
Panel (HAC); the Hunting Panel (HP); and the Recreational Shooting Panel (RSP).
Each panel will be chaired by an Advisory Council citizen-stakeholder member,
have at least one designated AGFC employee member, and be composed of
end-users, industry representatives, and/or members of conservation
associations.
4. All members of the
Advisory Council and designated AGFC employees shall serve at the pleasure of
the Director. Advisory Council members shall be subject to periodic rotation
(e.g., terms of two (2) to four (4) years) at the reasonable discretion of the
Director, to provide for new member participation.
AD-1-04-B. OPERATION
1. Meetings of the Advisory Council shall be
open by invitation to council members and designated AGFC employees, plus AGFC
Commissioners and/or invited guests only. In the event multiple AGFC
Commissioners plan to be in attendance, then such meeting will be announced and
conducted as a public meeting in accordance with the requirements of the
Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
2. The full Advisory Council is expected to
meet with the Director at least annually. Subordinate panels should meet at
least semi-annually, but not more than quarterly.
3. The chair of the Advisory Council and the
chairs of the subordinate panels shall not schedule any meetings except at the
call of, or with the advance approval of, the Director or the designated AGFC
employee and with an agenda approved by the Director or such AGFC employee. At
least one designated employee of the AGFC shall attend each meeting of a
subordinate panel, unless otherwise approved in advance by the
Director.
4. Following each full
Advisory Council and subordinate panel meeting, an accurate summary description
of matters discussed and recommendations reached shall be made in meeting
notes, which shall be approved by the chair and the designated AGFC employee
and then provided to the Director.
5. Copies of meeting agenda, reports, working
papers, studies, or other documents which were made available to or prepared
for or by the full Advisory Council or a subordinate panel shall be retained
for a period of at least five (5) years from its creation or effective
date.
6. Once established, each
subordinate panel shall remain operating unless and until terminated in the
sole discretion of the Director.
7.
The Director shall regularly provide oral or written updates to the AGFC
Commissioners regarding Advisory Council meeting
activities.