SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By NM Wildlife
NMWF Delivers Gila Petition to Governor and Key Legislators
On January 29th, the New Mexico Wildlife Federation hand-delivered a strong message to Governor Susana Martinez and New Mexico legislators on the House Agriculture and Senate Conservation Committees: New Mexico sportsmen and women overwhelmingly oppose a Gila River Diversion! More than 1,200 sportsmen and women from New Mexico signed a letter asking House and Senate legislators to stand against the proposed Gila diversion, a costly and impractical project that has already cost New Mexico taxpayers more than $13 million, and could cause irreversible damage to the Gila River ecosystem. Read our full statement on our website.
A Senate bill supporting water conservation measures passed out of committee last week. Contact your Senators today and tell them you support protecting the Gila!
Upcoming Events:
Now through February 11th: Support our work with a t-shirt: Our fundraising campaign with Bonfire has been extended! 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!
February 15th: Sportsmen and Women’s Meeting Las Cruces: Join us and the National Wild Turkey Foundation on the 15th from 6 – 8:00 at the Game Sports Bar & Grill for our next sportsmen and women’s meeting. Join your fellow sportsmen and women over beers, appetizers, and good conversation. The event is free and open to the public. Our turkey hunting experts will talk about: turkey hunting gear, callin ’em in, where to find ’em, and hunting techniques. The first beer is on us! Join the Facebook event and invite your friends!
February 21st: Northern Sportsmen and Women’s Meeting: Join us for our next Northern Sportsmen and Women’s meeting at 6pm! Norman Maktima from the USA Fly-Fishing Team will deliver a dynamic presentation on everything you need to know about fly-fishing New Mexico and Colorado. As a current member of Team USA, Norman has lead the team to some very successful finishes over the last decade – including a team Bronze medal at the 2016 World Championships in Vail, Colorado. Norm is also an accomplished fly tier and is now an Umpqua signature tier. Location for the meeting tbd, but save the date!
March 6th – 8th: Project Healing Waters San Juan River Fly-Fishing Trip: Project Healing Waters is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and disabled veterans through fly-fishing. Veterans interested in attending this trip will need to arrive on the afternoon/evening of March 6th. We will be fishing the world famous San Juan River all-day March 7th and half day on the 8th. If you are disabled veteran from northern New Mexico and would like more information and to get involved with our veterans work, please contact NMWF staff Andrew Black at: andrew@nmwildlife.org
The Nuestra Tierra Podcast is Here!
The first Nuestra Tierra podcast features Senator Martin Heinrich, Angel Peña, Ray Trejo, and Fernando Clemente discussing the implications of the border wall on Southern New Mexico. For many of us in the Southwest, the border is our home. Our culture lives here, our families live here, our traditions live here. This is a vibrant and diverse place where many histories are represented. The proposed border wall threatens our traditions, our wildlife, our public lands, our culture and our way of life. Listen to the first episode and stay tuned for more episodes to come!
NMWF Applauds Introduction of Senator Udall Bill to Protect Monuments
At a time when our public lands are facing an unprecedented attack from many levels of the federal government, the New Mexico Wildlife Federation applauds the commitment to our public lands shown by Senator Tom Udall. Last week, New Mexico’s senior senator introduced legislation that enhances protection for the 51 national monuments established under the Antiquities Act since January 1996 by legislatively recognizing their boundaries. Many of our national monuments addressed in this legislation are under attack or threatened by illegal actions from the Trump administration that would dismantle protections for these prized public lands and waters. Read our full statement about the legislation.
January Game Commission Report Back
Catch up on everything you missed at the most recent New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Commission meeting! New rule-making procedures are in effect so make sure to follow along and speak up about the hunting and fishing decisions that impact your next outdoor adventure!
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.
Welcome Teresa!
The New Mexico Wildlife Federation is excited to welcome Teresa Deras to the NMWF team! Teresa is our new Fundraising Coordinator, and brings with her years of fundraising experience and a wealth of new ideas and opportunities. You can email her at teresa@nmwildlife.org.
