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Conservation |
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Visit this page for information on conservation issues and events involving the southwest. For information email Conservation Chair Nancy Kaminski |
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TWENTY-THREE MEXICAN WOLVES LEFT IN NM
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service announced the year end count of Mexican wolves early in February 2008. They are only 52 wolves left in the wilds of Arizona and New Mexico. According to the report USFWS removed 20 wolves during 2007. That is a paradox since the USFWS is the agency with a mandate to recover endangered species. These removals are in response to livestock conflicts. The conflicts are currently managed in a reactive way. There are proactive ways to manage them that would serve the wolves and the livestock growers much better. Other conflict management methods include fladry fencing, which scares the wolves, more riders with the herds during calving season and/or calving barns.
There are currently programs to implement these methods at no cost to the livestock growers. The recent scoping meetings, in November and December 2007, showed us once again that the majority of people in Arizona and New Mexico support the recovery of the Mexican wolf. Most also agree that it is our responsibility to save wild lands and wildlife for future generations. What is needed now is a moratorium on the removal of wolves from the wild until their population stabilizes.If you agree, I strongly urge you to contact the officials listed below and let them know. Governor Bill Richardson: http://www.governor.state.nm.us/, Benjamin Tuggle, Regional Fish & Wildlife Svc. Director: RDTuggle@fws.gov Bruce Thompson, Director, NM Dept. of Game & Fish: bruce.thompson@state.nm.us Alfredo Montoya, Chair, NM Game Commission: alfredo@nnmc.edu |
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NM AUDUBON COUNCIL UPDATE
SWNM Audubon Society is working with the Town of Silver City on several projects to preserve and enhance the environmental qualities of San Vicente Creek, a riparian jewel which runs through the city and is especially wild just south of the downtown area (and the well-known Big Ditch.) State and Federal funds are being sought by the Town and SWNMAudubon chapter has given its support. Additionally two chapter board members have been conducting an annual census of the birds of San Vicente Creek. Ten months of census work have been completed. Editor’s Note: Anyone interested in seeing the preliminary results can contact Jerry Bird or David Beatty at silvercitypearl@yahoo.com or djb38@olypen.com |
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