‘Bees to bison' wildlife agency overhaul ripples through State Wildlife Action Plan
The beloved fairy bee, the Sacramento Mountain Salamander and the jaguar share one common trait: a spot on New Mexico's 2025 blueprint for animal conservation.
State wildlife officials released the New Mexico State Action Wildlife Plan earlier this month, identifying more than 500 species listed requiring need for conservation — more than double from the previous plan released in 2017.
Next week marks the halfway point for the public comment period on the guidance documents, which ends June 9. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is required to review and revise these plans every decade and submit them to the federal government. The plan will be considered for approval by the State Game Commission later this fall.
A warming climate, environmental fragmentation from development and threats like disease all pose threats for New Mexico species, even as it remains one of the most biodiverse states in the U.S., said Ginny Seamster, the assistant chief for technical guidance at the agency.
'Realistically, helping these species is an all-hands-on-deck effort,' she said. 'We need everyone who's interested to participate.'
The 2025 plan doubled the number of birds and includes pollinating insects (which help plants reproduce), which had been left off the species plan in past years,
'There are some species that are only associated with a single plant, so if you remove the pollinator from the ecosystem, you're losing the plant, too,' Seamster said. 'You're multiplying the loss of biodiversity.'
Public comment on the draft plan remains open until June 9, and can be submitted via email: dgf-SWAP@dgf.nm.gov
'Since this is a statewide plan, and we really want anyone who's interested in a species of greatest conservation needs to be able to see themselves in it,' Seamster said.
The increase in species signals both the threats many animals in New Mexico face and the reforms underway at the wildlife agency. The State Wildlife plan dovetails with a series of changes the agency is enacting after the passage of Senate Bill 5 in the legislative session, which dramatically increased funding and expanded the scope of the department into the New Mexico Wildlife Department.
As states rethink wildlife management, New Mexico offers a new model
The Legislature approved a $10 million dollar three-year pilot project funding work related to species of greatest conservation need, and the department is now receiving several million dollars in interest from the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund in addition to revenue from hunting and fishing fees.
The department is currently working to hire additional biologists to carry out the work, Seamster said, noting that previously, it only assigned one biologist to non-game birds.
'There are over 500 species of birds found in the state, and nearly 150 birds are species of greatest conservation need. That is clearly too many species for one person to be able to address,' she said. 'Having more staff means we can do a lot more research, a lot more habitat work.'
Advocates, who fought and succeeded in reforming the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, say they're excited about the plan, which they hope will be the 'gold standard' for wildlife agencies.
'Across the country, agencies are going to look at what New Mexico's doing and see how we manage wildlife: from the top to the bottom, from the bumble bees to the bison,' said Jesse Deubel, executive director of the nonprofit New Mexico Wildlife Federation. 'It's all necessary for an intact ecosystem.'
Deubel said federal efforts to freeze and roll back conservation work exacerbate climate change impacts such as increased wildfire and shrinking wetlands. But funding for New Mexico's wildfire agency comes from the state, he noted. That means: 'We're going to be able to continue doing unbelievable conservation and habitat work in New Mexico, despite the dysfunction that's happening at the federal level,' he said.
An undated photo of a Peñasco least chipmunk which has been considered for listing as endangered, due to the small population. (Courtesy of Department of Game and Fish / Jim Stuart)
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