State Wildlife Action Plan
The Department of Game and Fish revised the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy for New Mexico (CWCS) and produced the New Mexico State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). The revised and updated SWAP will serve as a guide for the Department and may help land management agencies, local governments, non-governmental organizations, private sector project proponents, and interested publics when identifying needs and opportunities to conserve New Mexico’s Wildlife.
Update 10-24-2024
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has drafted a list of Species of Greatest Conservation Need for the 2025 review and revision of the SWAP.
The revised SWAP is due to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by 1 October 2025
The current version of the SWAP, including a minor revision approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on 23 May 2019, can be viewed below. A fully revised draft of the 2025 plan will be made available for public comment prior to submission to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in fall, 2025
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- The New Mexico State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) is part of a national initiative to conserve our nation’s fish and wildlife and prevent more species from becoming threatened or endangered. New Mexico’s SWAP is intended as a blueprint for conservation and catalogs current knowledge about native wildlife, threats to their habitats, and strategies to mitigate or manage those threats.
In the SWAP you can find:
- Detailed information on Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and their habitats;
- Threats, including climate change, and potential conservation actions based on habitats and ecoregions within the state;
- Conservation Opportunity Areas containing a high diversity of SGCN; conservation actions performed in these areas may be especially beneficial for SGCN; and
- Information on the ways in which SGCN are monitored
The SWAP is a state-wide plan that is comprehensive in scope and strategic in nature. The issues addressed and the actions outlined cross political, jurisdictional, and ecological boundaries. Commitment, coordination, and communication among the diverse parties involved in wildlife conservation in New Mexico are critical to the successful implementation of the SWAP.
To learn more about the key elements of the State Wildlife Action Plan, visit the online portal.
