The State of New Mexico is blessed as the fourth-most biodiverse state in the country. Experiencing this wildlife contributes significantly to our economy through hunting and fishing, birdwatching, camping, hiking, and more. Thriving wildlife populations also provide many additional climate, community, and personal health and wellness benefits that are incalculable. 

The Department of Game and Fish is responsible for management and protection of most wildlife in New Mexico, including most birds, and the statutes which govern it have not been updated in almost a century. In the meantime, New Mexicans’ relationship to wildlife has changed. Hunting and fishing are still essential drivers for the state’s economy, providing $600 million in revenue per year. But today, more New Mexico residents and visitors enjoy watching, photographing, and appreciating wildlife. The most recent federal census on wildlife watching found that the United States has approximately 86 million wildlife watchers, and that they spend approximately 76 billion dollars per year on equipment, trips, and outings to see wildlife.  
 
National Wildlife Refuge sees 160,000 thousand visitors per year alone.The climate and biodiversity crisis has also taken hold, especially in drought-prone states like ours. Using outdated laws under these new circumstances means that the Department does not have the tools, the money, or the authority to make decisions about wildlife which will ensure its survival. The Department is overseen by a Game Commission whose members are appointed by the Governor. This politicized process for appointing and removing Game Commission members has led to an unstable and ineffective commission, which often lacks a quorum to conduct business, and is subject to extreme swings in ideology with changing administrations. A bill to update the Commission’s processes and appointments passed the legislature in 2023, but was pocket-vetoed by the Governor. 

The Department’s budget has remained flat even as wildlife management challenges are increasing. Hunting and angling license fees have not increased in New Mexico for nearly twenty years, and in most years the Department receives no general fund support, compromising its ability to manage and conserve all species.Updating rules for the Game Commission, modernizing the Department’s conservation mission, and securing additional funding for the Department will ensure it can do its job successfully with an eye toward the future. A large coalition of conservation, animal protection, and sportsmen’s organizations have come together to advocate for a package in the coming session which will address these issues, and we will keep our membership informed of advocacy opportunities as it moves forward.  

This article is also published in the Bird Alliance of Central New Mexico September 2024 newsletter.