NMDGF Conservation News
The latest conservation news and press releases from New Mexico Game and Fish. Department-wide news can be found under Home → NMDGF News.
Wild population of Mexican wolves continues to experience growth with a minimum of 196 wolves recorded
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Media contact, Aislinn Maestas: 505-331-9280 aislinn_maestas@fws.gov Arizona Game and Fish Department Media Contact, Tom Cadden, tcadden@azgfd.gov New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: (888) 248-6866 Media contact, Tristanna Bickford: (505) 476-8027 tristanna.bickford@dgf.nm.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, MARCH 30, 2022: Wild population of Mexican wolves continues to experience growth with a minimum of 196 wolves recorded The wild population of Mexican wolves in the United States continued to grow in 2021. According to the 2021 annual count, the U.S. population of Mexican wolves has increased by 5 percent since the previous year, raising the total number of wolves in the wild to a minimum of 196 animals. This marks the sixth consecutive year of growth in the wild population. From November 2021 through February 2022, the Interagency Field Team (IFT) conducted ground and aerial counts of Mexican wolves in Arizona and New Mexico. [...]
Public Meeting: Habitat Stamp Program Citizen Advisory Committee to meet
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: (888) 248-6866 Media contact, Tristanna Bickford: (505) 476-8027 tristanna.bickford@dgf.nm.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, MARCH 9, 2022: Public Meeting: Habitat Stamp Program Citizen Advisory Committee to meet SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has scheduled a public meeting to allow the Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) to the Habitat Stamp Program to discuss updates on fisheries projects prioritized by the CAC in November 2021 and an update from the sub-committee of the CAC. Members of the public are invited to attend this virtual meeting to offer feedback and ask questions. The virtual meeting is scheduled for March 15 at 5:30 p.m. Use this link to register for the meeting. Additional information about this meeting will be available on the Habitat Stamp Program webpage. Comments can be provided by mail: New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Attn: [...]
Migratory game bird rule topic of public meeting
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: (888) 248-6866 Media contact, Tristanna Bickford: (505) 476-8027 tristanna.bickford@dgf.nm.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, FEB. 24, 2022: Migratory game bird rule topic of public meeting SANTA FE – The Department of Game and Fish is seeking public comment on proposed revisions to the Migratory Game Bird rule. The proposals will be available on the Department’s website following the State Game Commission meeting on Mar. 4. To gather public comments, one virtual public meeting will be conducted via Zoom, March 10 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Use this link to join the virtual Zoom meeting. Or enter the following in your Zoom client: Meeting ID: 889 0744 4535 Passcode: 803351. To join the meeting by phone please dial 1-346-248-7799. You will be prompted to enter the Webinar ID: 889 0744 4535 and Passcode: 803351. Presentation slides will be posted to the Department’s [...]
Bighorn, javelina and pronghorn hunting rules topic of public meetings
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: (888) 248-6866 Media contact, Tristanna Bickford: (505) 476-8027 tristanna.bickford@dgf.nm.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, FEB. 9, 2022: Bighorn, javelina and pronghorn hunting rules topic of public meetings SANTA FE – The Department of Game and Fish is seeking public comments on proposed revisions to the bighorn sheep, javelina and pronghorn rules. For bighorn sheep, the Department is seeking input on several management considerations across the state including: opening the Jemez population to ram hunting; separating the Hatchets hunt to spread hunters across the mountain range; splitting the Ladron and Peloncillo hunts into two hunt periods to distribute hunters; and adding a third hunt window for rams in the Rio Grande Gorge. For javelina, the Department is seeking input on possible increases in total licenses and season lengths, and expanding the areas javelina can be hunted to include some Wildlife Management Areas. [...]
Wildlife Corridors Action Plan: Request for statewide public input
Department of Transportation media contact, Marisa Maez: (505) 269-8243, Marisa.Maez@state.nm.us Department of Game and Fish media contact, Tristanna Bickford: (505) 476-8027, Tristanna.Bickford@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JAN. 13, 2022: Wildlife Corridors Action Plan Request for statewide public input SANTA FE- The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) is releasing the Draft Wildlife Corridors Action Plan for public review. The plan has been prepared in accordance with New Mexico Senate Bill 228, the Wildlife Corridors Act (Act). The Act, signed into law by New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in 2019, directed the NMDOT and the NMDGF to develop the Plan for NMDOT roads statewide. The plan identifies wildlife-vehicle collision hotspots that pose a particularly high risk to the traveling public. Using ecological data and modeling, it also identifies wildlife corridors that bisect roads and provides a list of priority [...]