Rancher Shoots 39 Antelope 

Cimarron-area rancher Neal Trujillo used a shotgun and an ATV to chase down, shoot, and kill 39 antelope who were feeding in his wheat field. NM Game & Fish has been working with Trujillo over the past few months, and has had officers assist in removing the antelope from the property. The Department has also offered to give Trujillo the materials--and some of the labor--needed to reinforce his fence to keep the animals out; the Deparment also fixed a portion of Trujillo's fence, but some antelope continued to get into the wheat field.

Trujillo complained that "every time an antelope takes a bite out of my field, he's taking money out of my pocket." However, a study published in the Journal Of Wildlife Management shows that antelope have no effect on winter wheat. The study states: "...despite the intensive grazing pressure we imposed in our experiments..., we could not detect treatment effects on grain yields." You can read the entire study on our website.

These killings--and other depredation kills throughout New Mexico--represent (1) loss of revenue to the state, (2) loss of hunting opportunity for everyone, and (3) wasted meat that could have fed the hungry if Trujillo had called NM Game & Fish prior to the killings. In addition, Trujillo's inhumane behavior gives a black eye to responsible landowners and to New Mexico.

The depredation law which allowed these killings--known as the Jennings Law, for state Senator Tim Jennings, who wrote it--allows farmers and ranchers to kill wildlife that presents an "immediate threat" to their crops. We know that most ranchers try to manage their lands in conjunction with the needs of wildlife; however, Jennings Law allows for incidents like this to occur.

We need your help to get this law overturned -- Send Governor Richardson's office a fax telling him that you want him to try again to get the Jennings depredation law repealed.. Governor Richardson has worked with sportsmen on other issues, has also tried to defeat Jennings depredation law in the past, and we need Richardson's help again.

Read more about the shootings in a story from the Albuqueque Journal

Oscar Simpson Named to Game Commission

On Saturday, January 19, 2008 Gov. Bill Richardson named Oscar Simpson of Albuquerque as a member of the state Game Commission. Simpson is the public lands organizer for the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and and a board member of the state chapter of Republicans for Environmental Protection.

Read the entire story from the Associated Press in the Albuqueque Journal

My view: Sportsmen must unite in support of public lands, wildlife

By Jacob Tolk - LETTER TO EDITOR
September 29, 2007
Published in the Santa Fe New Mexican

The U.S. Senate is getting an earful from oil industry lobbyists who are out to get rich on New Mexico’s public lands at our expense.

They’re fixing to turn our Western public lands into an oil and gas pincushion. The more Senators Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici hear from these slick hired guns, the more likely it is that we will have to settle for watered-down energy legislation that doesn’t consider how New Mexicans want to use our land.

Like a lot of hunters and fishermen in New Mexico, I’m having a hard time seeing how our fish and game habitat can remain intact with all of the oil and gas drilling planned for our state in the years ahead.

The numbers are scary. About 126,000 new wells are planned on public land throughout the West in the next few years. Each comes with a razed “pad” the size of your average grocery store parking lot and an industrial-grade road that connects it to other wells.

With this in mind, I joined several other sportsmen from around the West earlier this month and visited Washington, D.C., to share my concerns with members of the Senate. The Senate is in the midst of drafting a new energy bill, but without input from sportsmen. The legislation could be seriously lacking issues like the impact oil and gas drilling has on wildlife and their habitat — and on hunters and anglers.

Read the rest of the letter here.

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Publishes Oil and Gas Development Guidelines with Wildlife in Mind

New Mexico Dept of Game and Fish Press Release, Sept 4, 2007 - In its ongoing efforts to enhance and protect New Mexico's wildlife and habitat, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has published a set of guidelines for oil and gas developers, regulatory agencies and concerned citizens to promote attention to conservation while continuing to develop energy resources.

"These guidelines were developed at my request to further conserve our precious wildlife and supporting habitat," Governor Bill Richardson said.

The Oil and Gas Development Guidelines publication is available on the Department's website, www.wildlife.state.nm.us or by clicking here. It contains 39 pages of discussion, research, and suggested options to further responsible energy development while maintaining responsible environmental practices. Written and researched by Department biologist Rachel Jankowitz, the publication addresses the inherent problems energy development poses to wildlife, such as habitat fragmentation and degradation, erosion, water quality, and chemical hazards. It also includes recommendations to avoid problems and mitigate existing habitat degradation.

The guidelines address oil and gas development effects on sensitive species and the state's species of greatest conservation need, as identified in the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy for New Mexico. It also recognizes the importance of wildlife to New Mexico's economy and quality of life. Wildlife-related recreation brings an estimated $1 billion a year to the state.

The guidelines are intended to provide information and promote discretionary use among industries, regulatory agencies and citizens who recognize the negative impacts oil and gas development can have on wildlife and habitat -- and who are open to suggestions about ways to remedy problems.

Otero Mesa, "New Mexico's Yellowstone"

The Chihuahuan Desert that holds Otero Mesa sprawls south of New Mexico, Arizona and Texas, eventually transitioning into the 250,000 square mile area known as the Mexican Plateau. This stunning area is widely considered to be among the most biologically rich and diverse desert eco-regions in the world. The Chihuahuan Desert is often compared to such significant areas as southern Africa's Namib-Karoo and the Australia's Great Sandy Desert.

Underlying Otero Mesa is the largest untapped freshwater aquifer in New Mexico, the Salt Basin Aquifer. A recent study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed that there is a significant volume of fresh water, perhaps enough water for 1 million people for 40 years. Due to the geological and hydro-geological variability and uncertainty, a three-year study is recommended in order to better manage the water resource and protect it from contamination. The USGS, Sandia National Labs and the State will jointly fund and conduct this study.

Learn more about Otero Mesa and the Salt Basin Aquifer

Protecting the National Landscape Conservation System and the Ute Mountains Permanently

The National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) is a network of special lands and waters that include some of the most pristine and untouched places to experience the history and wild beauty of the American West. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the steward of these 26 million acres, which offer excellent hunting and fishing opportunities, great hiking trails, unmatched wildlife habitat and clean water protection.

The NLCS parallels the U.S. system of National Parks and Wildlife Refuges in many ways. However, unlike National Parks, there is no guarantee that the BLM’s Conservation System will be around five years from now.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) recently introduced legislation that would make the protection status of these lands permanent. In addition, he is considering sponsoring a bill to add to the National Landscape Conservation System with the following lands:

• More than 300,000 acres in Taos and Rio Arriba Counties as the Ute Mountain National Conservation Area.
• 16,233 acres as the Ute Mountain Wilderness.
• 8,618 acres as San Antonio Wilderness.

Read more about the National Landscape Conservation System and Ute Mountain.