The testament of a hunter-conservationist

Guest Commentary by Ed Olona. Mr. Olona, who lives in Springer, is member of the Sabinoso wilderness study group and an active partici-pant for the protection of the Valle Vidal. He is also on the board of directors of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation.

The testament of a hunter-conservationist

By Ed Olona

You might say I am a conservationist­hunter.
  Or you might say it the other way around. The simple fact is that these two personal interests of mine are indistinguishable devotions. In this, I stand in a long tradition in our country as so vividly illustrated by the work of two truly great men: Theodore Roosevelt and Aldo Leopold. And like them, I take seriously my responsibility to do my best to advocate for my conservation commitment — including the protection of New Mexico’s landscapes.
  Without “TR,” Leopold, and other influential sports­men- conservationists of yes­teryear, what would modern America look like? Well, there would be a lot less public land and wild habitat for all wildlife, for hunters were at the forefront of those who had the wisdom to see the need for aggressive federal and state conservation programs.
  At a time when so many were ravaging America’s landscape for immediate gain in the last
 half of the 19th century, these leaders were raising the alarm at the devastation of habitats and the decimation of wildlife populations that resulted.
  We who are blessed to make our homes in New Mexico are fortunate that the result of the alarm raised by George Bird Griunell (a founder of the Audubon Society), Teddy Roosevelt (founder of the Boone and Crockett Club), and other enlightened voices was a sharp reaction to the heed­less destruction of our natural resources and the protection of a great deal of our public lands. The result is that we did not lose — but only by the skin of our teeth-the bison, whooping crane, elk and antelope, nor those wonder­ful, ecologically — vital preda­tors, the mountain lion and the wolf. It was Aldo Leopold, more than anyone, who gave voice to the ecological reality that each of these creatures fills an essential niche in the natural environment.
  Leopold spent a forma­tive part of his career as a Forest Service official based in Albuquerque. It was dur­ing this period that he was the most influential voice in America leading the way for the preservation of wilderness areas. Those of us who enjoy the sporting tradition cheer the designation of public, land as wilderness, because it ensures that we can always enjoy the quality hunting, fishing, hiking, sightseeing, photography and the like-far from the noise of roads. And we want to ensure that we can pass this tradition down to our children-and grandchil­dren.
  Today, the names of New Mexico’s wilderness areas are as well known to as the names of our cities-wild trea­sures such as the Gila, which thanks to Leopold was the world’s first protected wilder­ness area, White Mountain, Ceboila, Sandia Mountain, and the Pecos.
  To this list, thanks to the devoted work of so many, we recently added a small gem, the OjIto wilderness north of Albuquerque, through the bipartisan work of our congressional delegation in 2005. But this work is far from complete, for we in New Mexico know perhaps better than any how necessary it is to give other wild portions of our public lands this stron­gest form of land protection.
  Today, just 2 percent of our state is permanently protect­ed as wilderness.
  That is why sportsmen and conservationists of every stripe, from both political parties, need to redouble the work to see areas of great nat­ural beauty and vital wildlife habitat protected by Congress as new wilderness. One very special place that merits wil­derness designation is the amazing Sabinoso area. Just 40 miles east of Las Vegas, this breathtaking region is home to mule deer, elk, bear, turkey, bobcats, coyote, and a wide variety of birds including the red-tailed hawk, hairy wood­pecker, Savannah sparrow and mountain chickadee.
  Unfortunately, today this beautiful wild area is inac­cessible to the general public. But wilderness designation would open up this natu­ral gem to hikers, hunters, horseback riders birders and others for the first time ever.
  Not only will this allow New Mexicans the opportunity to use and enjoy the this piece of what makes this state the “land of enchantment” for years to come, it will draw outdoor enthusiasts who will help keep community cash registers ringing. Protecting the Sabinoso just makes good sense, and helps ensure we can share our traditions and heritage with those who will come after us.