The Arizona Game and Fish Department has been receiving inquiries from constituents asking how the impending federal government shutdown will affect department properties, as well as how the shutdown would potentially affect hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreational activities in the state. The shutdown is set to begin Oct. 1 unless agreement between the U.S. House and Senate is otherwise reached.

Below is some information that may help answer questions in the event of a federal government shutdown:

All Arizona Game and Fish Department offices, shooting ranges, fish hatcheries, wildlife areas, and other department facilities and properties will remain open during their normal business hours. The Arizona Game and Fish Department is a state agency.

Where federal public lands remain open to public access, it is lawful to hunt and fish in accordance with state law.

However, federal administrative sites (such as Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management offices) may be closed, and controlled access points to federal lands (such as gated access points to national wildlife refuges under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) may be closed.

Developed recreational facilities (campgrounds, boat ramps) on federal lands may be closed.

The National Park Service has announced it will close parks under its administration, including Lees Ferry, Lake Mead and Grand Canyon National Park. But roads that serve as throughways (such as federal and state highways) will remain open. For more information on how federal land management agencies are planning to deal with a federal government shutdown, visit www.doi.gov/shutdown/index.cfm or www.usda.gov/documents/usda-fs-shutdown-plan.pdf.