Senate Passes Cerro del Yuta and San Antonio Wilderness Act

By  New Mexico Wildlife Federation

Antonio Wilderness Act
At the end of December, the Senate passed the Cerro del Yuta and San Antonio Wilderness Act, introduced by Senators Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall earlier this year. The bill, which passed with unanimous, bipartisan support in the Senate, would create additional wilderness protections in the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, affording sportsmen and women and outdoor recreationists unmatched opportunities to enjoy this pristine part of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument for generations to come.

We encourage you to reach out to your representative in the House to encourage them to support passage of this bill!

Upcoming Events:
January 11th: NMDGF Game Commission Meeting Santa Fe: Attend the first meeting of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish commission at the Santa Fe Community College starting at 9 am. Stay up to date on the hunting and fishing decisions that impact you!

Now through January 20th: Support our work with a t-shirt: We’ve launched a fundraising campaign with Bonfire that’s now running! Purchase an “I Do It On Public Lands” shirt and you’ll be supporting our work and showing your love for public lands everywhere you go. Order your customizable shirt today!

January 24th: Sportsmen and Women’s Meeting Santa Fe: Join us on the 24th from 6 – 7:30 at the Blue Corn Cafe on Cerrillos Road for our next sportsmen and women’s meeting. Striking out in the backcountry of New Mexico is always an adventure since you never know what you are going to run into. With any luck you’ll get to see some of the state’s most iconic big game animals including the ever elusive black bear or mountain lion. But do you know what to do should you encounter them on the trail? Daryl Ratajczak, former Chief of Wildlife and Forestry for the State of Tennessee and large carnivore specialist will talk about what you should do should you encounter one of these magnificent creatures at close range. This interactive presentation will also cover key apex predator behaviors, seasonal movements, and habitat. Andrew Black will also give an update regarding policy and planning impacting sportsmen at the state and federal levels. Join the Facebook event and invite your friends!

Carson National Forest Planning
The Carson National Forest recently released its Preliminary Draft Plan. This plan is incredibly important as it will guide the Carson’s planning and management of wildlife habitat and connectivity, fisheries and rivers, land use, public access as well as extraction of natural resources in the forest. The plan and all of the proposed alternatives are subject to public comment by February 1st, 2018. All comments should be emailed to: carsonplan@fs.fed.us.

NMWF would like to strongly encourage sportsmen and outdoor recreationalists to submit a written comment. NMWF staff is currently analyzing the draft plan and alternatives and we will be providing a list of talking points in separate email that maybe helpful to guide your comments.

Donate Your Unused Hunting Tags!

Did your hunting plans change? If you can’t use your hunting tag this season, you can now donate it for a youth to use through the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. The State Game Commission recently authorized the New Mexico Wildlife Federation to accept unused tags for youth 17 and younger to go hunting with donated licenses. We pride ourselves in our youth outreach and engagement and we’re excited to offer this opportunity to New Mexico youth throughout the state. To donate your unused tag to the New Mexico Wildlife Federation for a youth hunt, contact the Department of Game Fish Information Center, (888) 248-6866 or ispa@state.nm.us and tell them you’d like to donate your unused tag for a youth hunt to the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. It’s all about the next generation!

Donate Your Turkey Pelts
Last year we asked our members to send us your cured and salted turkey pelts. This year, we’re trying again! Mail your pelts to our office if you have any! If you are looking for pelts for religious purposes, we will try and distribute pelts as evenly as possible once we see how many we receive.

You must include a donation certificate with your pelt. Any pelts sent without the filled out certificate will be turned over to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.
Sincerely,

The New Mexico Wildlife Federation
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