NEWS
Jim Lane hired as Director of Game and Fish
Jim Lane, head of the Wildlife Management Division since 2009, will be the next director of the Department of Game and Fish. He takes over for Tod Stevenson, who is retiring after 33 years with the department including three as director. For more on the announcement, click here.
Governor removes Game Commission member
Gov. Susana Martinez removed Game Commission member Jerry Maracchini without providing sportsmen any explanation and replaced him with Robert Espinoza, executive director of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife. Maracchini, a former director of Game and Fish, had actively reached out to the sportsmen of northeast New Mexico, unlike the commissioners of most other regions.
Espinoza now represents northwest New Mexico. He has frequently opposed efforts to provide New Mexico resident hunters with additional big game licenses. He joined forces with the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association and the New Mexico Council of Outfitters and Guides to oppose revisions to the A-PLUS regulations as well as an attempt to give New Mexico residents 90 percent of Big Game Draw licenses.
Representing northeast New Mexico is Scott Bidegain of Tucumcari. He works for his family’s ranch, T-4 Cattle Co., and is on the board of directors of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association.
Southeast New Mexico is represented by Bill Montoya of Alto, a longtime Game and Fish employee who was director from 1988-94.
Representing Southwest New Mexico is Rob Hoffman of Las Cruces, a retired chemistry…
Stevenson retiring; ask governor to conduct full, open search for replacement
Tod Stevenson, director of the Department of Game and Fish, will retire in late October. The State Game Commission should do a full and open search and make the finalists’ names public before choosing a replacement. Sportsmen need to encourage Gov. Susana Martinez to demand the Game Commission conduct a proper search.
Anti-public lands efforts rise again in Congress
The U.S. House approved a budget bill in February that takes aim at conservation programs long supported by hunters and anglers. The measure, House Resolution 1, trims the $3.7 trillion nation budget by a mere $60 billion. But anti-public lands forces saddled sportsmen with a disproportionate share of the sacrifice - nearly $2 billion in cuts to programs that have helped create and preserve healthy public lands and waters where everyday sportsmen can hunt, fish and pass on their family traditions to the next generation.
HR1 would:
* Zero out funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, which has protected 25 million acres of waterfowl habitat and hunting opportunity nationwide including 7,300 acres in the Rio Grande valley alone.
* Cut $348 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which has helped protect some of New Mexico’s public lands treasures including the Valles Caldera.
* Eliminate State Wildlife Grants that enable agencies like the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish to effectively manage wildlife and save
taxpayer dollars by protecting fish and wildlife before they become endangered species.
* Prohibit federal…
State Game Commission: A Blueprint for Restoring New Mexico Sportsmen’s Trust
Due to an intrusion of pay-to-play and special interest appointments to the five public seats on the State Game Commission, the commission has lost the trust of many rank-and-file hunters and anglers in New Mexico, who through their license fees and taxes on equipment fund the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish that the commission oversees.
This special report by the New Mexico Wildlife Federation contains a summary of problems created by the way in which past governors have made appointments to the State Game Commission and a blueprint that Governor-elect Susana Martinez can use to restore the trust of everyday hunters and anglers in New Mexico.
Click here to read the full report.
Commissioner benefits, public loses in bighorn sheep transplant
The New Mexico Wildlife Federation has found that a State Game Commission member helped steer the relocation of more than 60 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep to land his family owns in northeast New Mexico, then worked with the State Land Office to prohibit public access for hunting and fishing to his leased state land for the next 50 years.
There is no record in Game Commission meeting minutes that Leo V. Sims II told other commissioners the sheep herd was to be relocated to his family’s ranch in 2007 and 2008. Nor were they informed at the Oct. 28 Game Commission meeting in Ruidoso by either the Director of Game and Fish or the Game Commission chairman that Sims had asked to revoke public hunting and fishing access to his state lease lands. Ironically, Sims was at the Oct. 28 commission meeting to receive an award for his efforts on behalf of New Mexico wildlife during his commission tenure.
Click here to read the full report.
The Albuquerque Journal said the “Bighorn deal stinks.” In a Nov. 20 editorial, the paper said: “This cozy deal smells…
Game Commission Postpones Antelope Decision
The New Mexico State Game Commission postponed a decision on the controversial A-PLUS system at its Ruidoso meeting last week. The commission will take up the issue again Thursday, December 9 in Clovis.
The A-PLUS system is the main reason that New Mexico has one of the lowest percentages of antelope hunting opportunity going to residents of any western state.
Few sportsmen attended the Thursday meeting, but New Mexico Wildlife Federation delivered petitions and letters signed by over 6,000 New Mexico sportsmen like you asking for substantial improvement to the lopsided allocation of hunting licenses. NMWF asked commissioners to reject the only option presented to the commission because it did little to improve resident hunting opportunity and also took two important steps backward from the status quo.
The option presented on Thursday would have changed antelope hunting for the worse in two ways:
First, the proposal would have changed all transferable “landowner” authorizations from ranch-only licenses to unit-wide licenses after the first hunt day, creating a new monetary incentive for landowners without good hunting opportunity to enroll in the A-PLUS program: The valuable unit-wide licenses could be used on…
Speak up for a change in antelope hunting opportunity
In early August the Department of Game and Fish released three options for revising the A-PLUS program, which has given certain landowners about 70 percent of antelope hunting opportunity to sell, use or throw away. Options 1 and 2 would continue A-PLUS with little or no change. Thousands of sportsmen are supporting Option 3, which would put most licenses in the Big Game Draw. Landowners who agreed to allow draw hunters on their land could get a single license for their own use as state law allows, and could negotiate a fee for access from individual hunters. Every other western state relies mostly or totally on the method outlined in Option 3, with good results.
But the Department released no details or analysis of the options in order to have informed comments and an informed decision by the State Game Commission. NMWF and hundreds of sportsmen requested a full analysis of all three options; just days before the Game Commission’s Aug. 28 meeting, the department released its analysis - of Option 3 only. But instead of shedding light on the option that is preferred by thousands of resident hunters,…
Results of July Sportsman’s Survey
More than 230 people took our July Sportsman’s Survey, which focused on the results of the Big Game Draw. Click here to read the survey results.
For anyone hoping to change the system in New Mexico, your chance is now. Click here to send a comment in and help change the way antelope licenses are distributed by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.
More Game Commission information
Click here to read the Department of Game and Fish proposal for consolidating hunting, fishing and trapping licenses and stamps, as presented to the State Game Commission on July 14.
Click here to listen to the seven-minute exchange between Silver City hunter Larry McDaniel and Commission Chairman Jim McClintic (also on the recording are Commissioner Tom Arvas and Assistant Director Pat Block.) Click here to read the transcript.
Please note that McDaniel is correct. Department figures show that E-PLUS landowners received more than 40 percent of the elk allocation each of the last three years. For the 2009-10 license year, the department gave E-PLUS landowners 18,846 authorizations (45.8 percent) while putting 22,294 licenses (54.2 percent) in the Big Game Draw.
Also for clarification, Chairman McClintic says 150,000 people applied for 47,000 licenses. There were 150,000 applications: Several hunters apply for multiple species, resulting in multiple applications per applicant. The number of applicants is close to 91,000.
Chairman McClintic also tells McDaniel that Montana has “137 times more antelope” than New Mexico. It isn’t clear where that information is from, but it does not…
Farm Bill expands access program for private lands
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced it will release $50 million in funding for the “Open Fields” Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program. The program expands funding for state-run programs that provide public access to private land for hunting and fishing. New Mexico’s Open Gate is one such program.
Open Fields was authorized by Congress for the first time in the 2008 Farm Bill. New Mexico Wildlife Federation and other sportsmen’s organizations around the nation have been asking for the expanded funding and are please to see it finally come to fruition.
The program sets aside $50 million for states to create or enhance voluntary hunter-access programs on private lands. It also encourages landowners who enroll their properties to employ best-management practices for fish and wildlife. Landowners can receive a financial incentive in exchange for opening lands to the public for hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation. The program is strictly voluntary.
“This program will not only help achieve conservation goals, but also increase opportunities for hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation by providing greater access to privately held lands for wildlife-dependent recreation,”…
Southern NM sportsmen call for A-PLUS overhaul
Deming-area hunters met in late June to discuss potential changes in the controversial Antelope Private Lands Use System (A-PLUS) and said they support a major overhaul by the the State Game Commission in September. Click here to read more about the Deming meeting.
Sportsmen’s comments affect elk rules
Hunters convinced the Department of Game and Fish to drop several radical ideas for changing elk season dates and instead stick with the traditional season structure for the next four years. More than 200 individuals attended meetings or submitted comments on proposed rules for elk and other big game, department staff told the State Game Commission at its June 3 meeting in Gallup, and “probably 80 percent” of those sportsmen opposed a proposal that called for, among other things, extending the rifle season to a month. “The public spoke loudly and clearly that they don’t want the seasons to change,” said Jim Lane, chief of the Wildlife Management Division.
The elk proposal, the final version of which will be posted on the department website on June 8, calls for numerous changes. One would reverse the Commission’s recent decision to change the Unit 6A/6C boundaries, and would go back to pre-2009 lines. In most units, leftover cow tags that were offered over the counter after the draw in years past will be incorporated into the draw itself; license numbers will be rounded up to the nearest multiple of five;…
Valles Caldera management transfer proposed
New Mexico’s U.S. Senate delegation has introduced a measure long sought by sportsmen - the transfer of Valles Caldera National Preserve to another land management agency. Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall are calling for the National Park Service to assume the management at Valles Caldera. Their bill specifically calls for hunting and fishing to continue, along with grazing.
“It is my strong belief,” Bingaman said in a statement, “that transferring management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the National Park Service will be the best way to ensure the protection and enjoyment of the Preserve over the long term. I urge my colleagues to support the bill as it is considered in the Senate.”
The bill’s first stop is the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which Bingaman chairs.
Click here to read the Valles Caldera bill.
Click here to read Sen. Bingaman’s statement.
Click here to read the Journal North story on the bill (you may have to watch a short advertisement first.)
Former federal lands managers support onshore drilling reforms
The uncontrolled oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico has shown the devastating impacts of oil and gas development gone awry. It’s a reminder about the importance of careful oversight of oil and gas leasing, both off-shore and on-shore, and the need to balance energy development with other important uses of our land and water. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar recently announced a series of offshore oil and gas leasing reforms that will provide for better management, monitoring and enforcement of oil and gas operations in coastal waters.
It is equally important that he finalize onshore leasing reforms that were announced in January, ensuring similar levels of protection for landscapes and wildlife habitat. Some 60 former federal and state officials, including former New Mexico BLM Director Jim Baca wrote a letter encouraging Secretary Salazar to continue his proposed reform of the nation’s onshore oil and gas leasing policies. No one understands the issues and challenges of oil and gas development better than those who have served at federal and state land management, wildlife and energy regulatory agencies. Regulating oil and gas development so that meaningful protections are in place…
Bingaman legislation would benefit sportsmen, habitat
Sen. Jeff Bingaman and two fellow senators have introduced legislation that would benefit sportsmen by providing dedicated funding to help wildlife and our natural resources adapt to climate change.
The Natural Resources Climate Adaptation Act of 2009, S. 1933, dedicates funding to address the harmful effects that warmer temperatures, invasive species and other climate-related problems are having on wildlife habitat and on those who depend on natural resources for their recreation or income.
The bill got a warm welcome from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Similar legislation was passed by the U.S. House in May. Both measures dedicate funding to natural resource management agencies such as the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish to address the effects of climate change on habitat and wildlife.
September 2009 Game Commission meeting report
The State Game Commission met in Las Cruces on Thursday, Sept. 24. Click here to learn more about Game Game actions and discussion.
Commission adopts boundary change in GMU 6
The State Game Commission approved a minor change in the boundary lines between GMUs 6A and 6C. The move went against a recommendation by the Department of Game and Fish. Click here to read the option approved by the commission, as well as pros and cons to the plan as written by the department.
New deer rules approved
The State Game Commission recently approved changes to the deer license regulations. Click here to read the changes.
Southern NM habitat bill introduced
Sportsmen around New Mexico applaud the Sept. 18 announcement by U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall that they introduced legislation to protect critical wildlife habitat in southern New Mexico.
The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Wilderness Act creates wilderness and conservation areas that would provide for continued hunting and other public use while protecting the granite peaks of the Organ Mountains and the volcanic cinder cones of the Potrillo Mountains, among other public lands in Dona Ana County.
“The Organ Mountains are the backdrop for one of the most breathtaking scenic views in our state,” Bingaman said in a statement. “Dona Ana County residents have been working for years to develop plans that would ensure these views are protected. I’m very glad that we now have a bill that will do just that even while ensuring the public continues to have access to this extraordinary space.”
Udall added, “This legislation will celebrate and preserve a portion of the spectacular landscapes that make southern New Mexico unique. I am proud to join with Senator Bingaman in introducing a bill that protects this precious land for future generations to hunt, fish, hike…
Quail Unlimited (Las Cruces chapter) Code of Ethics
The Las Cruces chapter of Quail Unlimited recently approved a Code of Ethics. Click here to read the code.
EPA groundwater contamination report
The EPA issued a report in August on its preliminary findings of groundwater contamination near oil and gas wells in Wyoming. The agency’s investigation continues, but in this preliminary report it says that fracturing fluids cannot be ruled out as a source of contamination. Click here to read the EPA report.
Energy bill includes money for natural resources
With the support of all three New Mexico delegates, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the landmark legislation known as the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 in late June, including a key provision that will benefit sportsmen for decades to come.
Overall, the measure aims to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and is expected to create hundreds of thousands of clean energy jobs. It also dedicates millions of dollars a year to help public lands and wildlife adapt to rising temperatures and increased droughts that are predicted in the Southwest.
Rep. Martin Heinrich of Albuquerque helped insert language in the bill that strengthens the so-called adaptation funding provision by ensuring it is not diverted for other purposes. “Generations to come will have a healthier world to enjoy because of the action Congress is taking to address global climate change,” Heinrich said in a statement. “And New Mexico’s sportsmen will be able to pass on their hunting and fishing heritage thanks to the natural resources funding in the bill that will help our land, water and wildlife adapt to a changing climate.”
Rep. Ben Ray Lujan also…
Legal battle to protect Otero Mesa pays off
Responsible energy development will have another chance at Otero Mesa. The state of New Mexico’s recommendations to protect core habitat and groundwater were ignored by the Bureau of Land Management under the Bush administration, and plans were made to drill. Thanks to an important federal court ruling, the BLM will now be sent back to the drawing board, giving us another chance to move forward a more responsible plan for oil and gas drilling in the area.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in late April ruled that the BLM failed to follow national environmental law in its plan to develop oil and natural gas on Otero Mesa and that it must at least consider the idea of no drilling in the area in southern New Mexico. The court said BLM did not consider alternatives to surface drilling that would protect the fragile habitat and water resources of Otero Mesa, and that the agency didn’t adequately analyze the likely impacts of the plan it proposed to permit gas and oil development. NMWF was one of several groups that joined the state to protest the Otero Mesa plan in 2005.
…Sen. Bingaman on a roll for sportsmen
Sen. Jeff Bingaman has been busy on behalf of conservation-minded New Mexico sportsmen this spring, sponsoring several measures that will protect access to public lands for hunting and fishing and ensuring those lands remain healthy for wildlife.
His Omnibus Public Lands Management Act was signed into law in March, drawing accolades from Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Shortly afterward, the state’s senior senator introduced legislation to overhaul the 1872 Mining Law. That was followed by another new bill protecting valuable wildlife habitat in the Rio Grande Gorge area.
And as chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Bingaman can be expected to remain in the news as Congress tackles legislation to rein in greenhouse gas pollution and dedicate funding to protect and restore habitat that is critical for wildlife and sportsmen.
Public lands chief tips hat to NM delegation
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was in Albuquerque in late April to praise the omnibus public lands bill sponsored by Bingaman and signed into law. Salazar tipped his trademark Stetsonto Bingaman and the rest of New Mexico’s congressional delegation for passing the bill, which will protect public hunting and fishing grounds across the West, including the Sabinoso area east of Las Vegas, N.M.
Among other highlights for New Mexico, the bill authorizes a study of the Salt Basin aquifer beneath Otero Mesa, as a prerequisite to oil and gas development; protects the Snowy River Cave in Lincoln County by designating it as national conservation area; creates the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument near Las Cruces to preserve dinosaur tracks, and establishes water delivery systems in both eastern and northwestern New Mexico.
Congress to take up Bingaman’s Mining Act reform bill
Shortly after passage of the omnibus public lands bill, Bingaman introduced a measure strongly supported by sportsmen to overhaul the 1872 Mining Act, an antiquated law that allows irresponsible development of hard-rock mining throughout the country, particularly in the West - and still allows sale of our public lands for as little as $2.50 an acre.
The Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009 would make “responsible changes,” Bingaman said in a statement, to the law that has governed mineral extraction on federal lands since Ulysses S. Grant was president. The bill would require mining companies to pay for publicly owned minerals and uses that funding to reclaim abandoned mines and restore wildlife habitat. The bill would also eliminate the sale of public lands to mining companies, and instead establishes a leasing system allowing lands to remain in public ownership.
Several New Mexico communities have passed resolutions in support of the reform measure. The most recent was the Village of Questa, which is home to the massive Molycorp molybdenum mine. Questa joins a growing list of cities, counties and state agencies in New Mexico calling for congressional overhaul…
Rio Grande Gorge area eyed for protection
On the heels of his mining-reform bill, Bingaman and Sen. Tom Udall announced legislation to protect large tracts around the Rio Grande Gorge in Taos and Rio Arriba counties and preserve them as prime public hunting and fishing areas. El Rio Grande del Norte National Conservation Area Establishment Act would classify almost 215,000 acres of public land along the Rio Grande Gorge as a national conservation area. Another 21,000 acres in two other tracts - around Ute Mountain and along the Rio San Antonio - would be designated as wilderness.
Altogether, the bill would protect key elk wintering grounds and migratory corridors along the plateau between Ute Mountain and San Antonio Mountain, as well as protect habitat for other game species and birds of prey. Click here for more information.