New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
Media contact: Dan Williams, (505) 476-8004
Public contact: (505) 476-8000
dan.williams@state.nm.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JULY 21, 2008:

STATE GAME COMMISSION TO MEET WEDNESDAY IN LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS, N.M. -- The State Game Commission will adopt rules for upland game and migratory bird hunting for the 2008-2009 season, and hear an update on development of rules for the 2009-2010 big-game seasons during the Commission's meeting July 23 in Las Vegas.

The meeting will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 23, at New Mexico Highlands University, Leveo Sanchez Lecture Hall G-35, on the ground floor of the Thomas C. Donnelly Library, 802 National Avenue, in Las Vegas. The full agenda, detailed agenda-item briefings, and other information are available on the Department of Game and Fish website, www.wildlife.state.nm.us or by calling (505) 476-8008.

Agenda items include:

• Adoption of the 2009-2010 upland game and migratory bird hunting rules, including limited hunting for lesser prairie chickens, more sandhill crane hunting opportunities, and adjustments to waterfowl hunts in areas of the Middle Rio Grande.
  
  
• Review of proposed rules for the 2009-2010 big-game hunting seasons, including public comments solicited on the Department website and in an ongoing series of statewide public meetings. Proposed rule changes include adding more youth hunts for various species, adding a separate archery hunt for javelina, and minor boundary adjustments to some hunting units to help streamline the current system.
  
  
• A synopsis of the Department's fiscal year 2010 operating and capital budget, including a historical and forward-looking perspective on balances in the Game Protection Fund and discussion of long-term cash balance projections and operating fund balances for all funds.
  
  
• A presentation of the current status of core populations and conservation populations of fish, including Gila trout and Rio Grande cutthroat trout, with respect to federal Endangered Species Act considerations.
  
  
• A request to approve a lease between the Commission and Lance Broadcasting to allow construction of a 113-foot radio tower on Rabbit Peak in the Sargent Wildlife Area near Chama. The tower would allow KZRM-FM to increase its coverage of the Chama Valley and adjacent areas.

The State Game Commission is composed of seven members who represent the state’s diverse interests in wildlife-associated recreation and conservation. Members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate. Current members are Chairman Tom Arvas, Albuquerque; Vice-chairman M.H. “Dutch” Salmon, Silver City; Alfredo Montoya, Alcalde; Leo Sims, Hobbs; Sandy Buffett, Santa Fe; Jim McClintic, Albuquerque; and Oscar Simpson, Albuquerque.

If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the meeting, please contact Shirley Baker, (505) 476-8030. Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible forms.

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