Audubon is working on several pieces of legislation this year to help birds and the places they need. Our biggest bill is a package to give the New Mexico Game and Fish Department the tools, resources, and authority it needs to manage wildlife with a 21st century focus. 

The New Mexico Game and Fish Department was created over a century ago and its statutes and mission reflect the values of that time. The Department has (somewhat understandably) focused its attention heavily on species that have been hunted and fished, because at the time of its inception, consumption and commercial use was primarily what wildlife was used for. Additionally, almost all of the Department’s funding has historically come from hunting and fishing licenses, as well as federal money originating from firearm sales.  

It is easy to see the outsized focus on game species when looking at the Department’s staff. For example, the Department currently has four bird biologists. One is entirely focused on the Lesser Prairie Chicken. One is focused on upland game birds (about 6-8 species). One is focused on migratory game birds (about 25-30 species). And one more is focused on ALL the other birds the Department currently manages, which is 203 species.

As climate change threatens more species and habitat, we need a wildlife department which focuses equally on game and non-game species, and which has both the resources and the will to manage and advocate for the species and habitat of greatest conservation need.

Our bill has the support of a large coalition of conservation, sportsmen, animal protection, science, and landowner groups, and will do three critical things if passed. First, it will moderately increase hunting and fishing license fees, which hasn’t been done in twenty years and which the hunting community strongly supports. This small increase will generate approximately $10 million annually to the Department, which is very badly needed. Second, it will change the name of the Department to the Department of Wildlife, and clarify that its mission extends to all species, and that the goal of the Department should be holistic, ecosystem health. Third, it will update the Game Commission’s structure.  

The Game Commission is an appointed entity that has oversight over the Department, sets tag limits for hunted species, and more. Currently its members have few required qualifications and may dismissed by the Governor for any reason without cause, which leads to an often-unqualified political body which is not independent. Our bill would add a removal process and qualifications to this system.  

We are also supporting efforts to find additional, alternative funding sources for the Department. We recognize that sportsmen should not be the sole funders for a Department that should work on all species. We strongly supported the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund, which provides several million dollars per year to the Department for non-game species work.  

We are also supporting some one-time appropriations to the Department this year, and will continue to support additional funding efforts in the future. 

We are also supporting three pieces of water legislation this session. One would expand the possible uses of the Strategic Water Reserve to include recreational, habitat improvement, and cultural use, and would also direct the agency to consider river flows and needs when pursuing water transactions. Currently the Strategic Water Reserve can only be used for Compact compliance or to help endangered species. 

Two other bills will help New Mexico deal with the fall-out from the US Supreme Court’s Sackett decision, which has left approximately 96% of New Mexico’s streams and rivers unprotected by federal law. One would put a discharge permitting system in place for those rivers and streams to replace what was previously being done by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The other would put the remaining 4% of rivers into greater state control even though EPA retains jurisdiction over them, which is something most other states have already done.  

If these four bills pass, New Mexico would be in a much better position to weather the likely-unfriendly incoming federal administration, and to be as resilient to climate change as possible. Contact your legislators to tell them you support these initiatives, and we will update our membership throughout the session when there are specific opportunities to take action at the Legislature.