Administrative

The Gila River Basin Native Fishes Conservation Program (Program) is directed and administered by Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), in cooperation with the Arizona and New Mexico Departments of Game and Fish. Two committees, represented by all four agencies, were created to address technical and policy matters of the Program. The Technical Committee is comprised of biologists (1 per agency) that oversee project solicitation, evaluation, and recommendations for implementation. Non-voting members to the Technical Committee also include one representative each from the Southwest Region U.S. Forest Service and Arizona and New Mexico Bureau of Land Management. The Policy Committee gives guidance to the Technical Committee, approves or rejects recommended projects, and deals with policy and political issues that may arise during implementation of the Program. The Policy Committee is comprised of agency representatives (one per agency, but typically not the same person on the Technical Committee). The Policy Committee meets annually to review and approve project proposals, where consensus among the four parties is the goal. If a consensus cannot be reach, Reclamation and the USFWS will make the final decision on project implementation as the Program is a federally-funded program resulting from Endangered Species Act Section 7.

Policy Committee

Name Agency Address Contact Information
Dominic Graziani U. S. Bureau of Reclamation 6150 W Thunderbird Rd.
Glendale, AZ 85306
Phone: 623-773-6250
Email: dgraziani@usbr.gov
Heather Whitlaw U. S. Fish and Wildife Service 9828 North 31st Avenue, #C3
Phoenix, AZ 85051
Phone: 602-242-0210
Email: Heather_Whitlaw@fws.gov
Julie Carter Arizona Game and Fish Department 5000 West Carefree Highway
Phoenix, AZ 85086
Phone: 623-236-7576
Email: JCarter@azgfd.gov
Kirk Patten New Mexico Department of Game and Fish 1 Wildlife Way
Santa Fe, NM 87507
Phone: 505-476-8055
Email: Kirk.Patten@dgf.nm.gov

Technical Committee

Name Agency Address Contact Information
Kent Mosher U. S. Bureau of Reclamation 6150 W Thunderbird Rd.
Glendale, AZ 85306
Phone: 623-773-6256
Email: KMosher@usbr.gov
Scott Richardson U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 201 North Bonita, Suite 141
Tucson, AZ 85745
Phone: 520-670-6150
Email: Scott_Richardson@fws.gov
Brian Hickerson Arizona Game and Fish Department 5000 West Carefree Highway
Phoenix, AZ 85086
Phone: 623-236-7675
Email: BHickerson@azgfd.gov
Jill Wick New Mexico Department of Game and Fish 1 Wildlife Way
Santa Fe, NM 87507
Phone: 505-476-8125
Email: Jill.Wick@dgf.nm.gov

Affiliate Members

Name Agency Address Contact Information
Yvette Paroz U. S. Forest Service - Southwest Region 333 Broadway Blvd. SE
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: 505-842-3228
Email: YMParoz@fs.fed.us
Tim Frey Bureau of Land Manaement - New Mexico 1800 Marquess
Las Cruces, NM 88054
Phone: 575-525-4373
Email: TCFrey@blm.gov
Heidi Blasius Bureau of Land Management - Safford Field Office 711 South 14th Avenue
Safford, AZ 85546
Phone: 928-348-4427
Email: HBlasius@blm.gov

Primary administration of the Gila River Basin Native Fishes Conservation Program is overseen by Reclamation and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Information regarding the Program’s partners, annual budgets and work plans, and meetings and workshops can be found on the corresponding sub-pages of this website. For additional information on the Gila River Basin Native Fishes Conservation Program, please contact the following individuals:

Kent Mosher
U. S. Bureau of Reclamation
Fish Biologist
6150 W Thunderbird Rd.
Glendale, AZ 85306
Phone: 623-773-6256
Email: KMosher@usbr.gov
Elizabeth (Betsy) Grube
U. S. Bureau of Reclamation
Fish Biologist
6150 W Thunderbird Rd.
Glendale, AZ 85306
Phone: 623-773-6252
Email: EGrube@usbr.gov
Last Updated: 6/25/2024