Albuquerque Journal

Saturday, March 29, 2008

By Nathan Newcomer
N.M. Wilderness Alliance
    The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is directed by a man who appears more willing to serve the anti-nature mission of the Bush administration than the wildlife protection mandates of public laws and agency regulations.
    Director H. Dale Hall who has been working at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) for three decades, is quietly dismantling wildlife recovery programs that threaten the survival of two New Mexico natives— the Mexican gray wolf and the jaguar.
    As the former Southwest Regional Director for the USFWS, Hall oversaw the agency's management of the Wolf Recovery Program, which included the reintroduction of lobos in the Gila Wilderness and surrounding public lands.
    Reintroduction of wolves to the Gila was only mean...

Sunday, May 18
A Summer Equipment Swap and a New Mexico Wilderness Festival

Click Here for the Gear Swap Flyer

The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance presents the 2nd annual Gear Swap to be held Sunday May 18th at our office, located at 142 Truman St. NE.

The public is invited to bring their slightly used outdoor equipment to be sold. Sell your gear and shop for some great bargains. Twenty two percent commission to benefit the NM Wilderness Alliance. Bring your used kayaks, canoes, dry bags or paddles, slightly used backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, or sleeping pads. Please, no used climbing gear or flotation devices.

Sell the stuff that has been collecting dust. Get rid of the old stuff so you can buy new.  Help folks with limited funds, so they can purchase equipment and enjoy the Wilde...

Las Cruces Sun-News
EDITORIAL
Sunday, March 23, 2008

In May of last year, this newspaper took an editorial stand in support of a federal wilderness designation for some of the most pristine and picturesque areas of our county — most now designated as wilderness study areas.

Much has happened since then, including the creation of a new group calling itself "People for Preserving our Western Heritage," which was formed to represent the interests of ranching families in the area. That group has devised its own proposal intended to protect the land from development, while at the same time allowing for greater access than a federal wilderness designation might allow.

None of these new developments have convinced us that our original position was in error. We still believe that a wilderness designation is the most effective way to preserve these natural treasures for future generations. And, we believe many of the concerns expressed by ranchers can be...

Today’s news of a 12% decline in the wild population of Mexican wolves is a big disappointment but, frankly, not a surprise.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its cooperating state and federal agencies stopped managing for the conservation of endangered lobos four years ago, and the population has declined in three of those four years.  The stated objective for 2007 was a 10% population increase, thus the Fish and Wildlife Service fell 22% short of their goal, leaving only 52 of these critically endangered animals in the wild.  Of even greater concern is that the number of breeding pairs declined from seven at the end of 2006 to only four at the end of 2007.  When breeding pairs are routinely destroyed or broken apart it is hard to grow a population.  Indeed, only nine new pups were added to the population, and two of those have died already in 2008.

The Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area, 4.4 million acres of remote public lands teeming with el...

State: BLM's review of Otero Mesa permit is insufficient
By | The Associated Press

1/14/2008 -

Gov. Bill Richardson and Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Secretary Joanna Prukop said Monday that an environmental assessment done by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on an application for a permit to drill on Otero Mesa is insufficient.

The state is calling on the BLM to do a full environmental impact statement on the application of Harvey E. Yates Co. The Roswell-based business known as Heyco has proposed putting a natural gas well on land it leases in the area.

Prukop sent a letter Monday to the BLM, saying the state was concerned the agency's review of Heyco's application was incomplete and based on outdated information. "The adverse repercussions to the environment are irrecoverable if oil and gas exploration continues without more in-depth study," Prukop said in a statement.

Richardson called Otero Mesa a "precious area." "It is...