PHOENIX (Oct. 4, 2024) — In celebration of World Animal Day, observed on Friday, Oct. 4, the Arizona Lottery is highlighting its dedication to environmental conservation showcased by its recent contribution to a major milestone—the delisting of the Apache trout from the federal Endangered Species List through funding to the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). Arizona is home to some of the most stunning landscapes in the world. The Arizona Lottery helps keep natural spaces beautiful, protect the wildlife that live there, and educate Arizonans on how they can help.

One such effort is the Lottery’s support of AZGFD in its 50-plus-year effort to protect the Apache trout, one of only two trout species native to Arizona. Found nowhere else in the world, native trout has been at the heart of the AZGFD’s conservation efforts, funded in part by Arizona Lottery revenue, and is an important part of Arizona’s natural heritage and a recreational and economic asset to the state.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) decision to remove Apache trout from the federal Endangered Species List at a special ceremony in Mesa, Ariz. last month. To commemorate the occasion, Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a proclamation designating Sept. 5 as “Apache Trout Day.”  

The Arizona Lottery’s impact goes beyond this historic achievement. In FY23 alone, the Lottery raised $10 million for AZGFD’s conservation initiatives, contributing to the preservation of Arizona’s stunning landscapes and wildlife. Since 1993, the Lottery has provided $454 million for environmental conservation programs, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to safeguarding the state’s natural resources.