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Your Letter Will Help
New Mexico’s “Furbearers”
New Mexico has some catching up to do.
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New Mexico’s furbearers need you to speak up for them!
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We’re overdue for a management review of “furbearers” – animals that include bobcats, foxes and beavers. This review should be occurring every two years, with public comment, to determine hunting and trapping regulations involving these animals.
Unfortunately, the New Mexico Game Commission hasn’t fully reviewed the regulations since 2006 – and if these regulations are not reviewed this year, it will be at least five years until needed changes can be implemented. That is too long. In that time, who knows what might happen to bobcat, fox and other furbearer numbers.
There’s another problem too.
Unlike any other state, New Mexico depends on a “sustainable kill limit” system, ostensibly to prevent over-hunting and over-trapping of furbearers. But the system isn’t “sustainable” at all. Using this approach, the Game Commission estimates the number of furbearers that can be killed. Unfortunately this system is not based on science, nor on any factual population numbers – a bad sign for furbearers.
The Game Commission also hasn’t established any quotas for furbearers, which would limit the number of animals killed. Too many killings can cause localized populations to be wiped out completely, so it’s important to have quotas in place.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
1) Send a letter to each of the New Mexico Game Commissioners (email addresses below) by August 20th. (A sample letter is provided below, but will require a few edits.) The letter should ask the Commission to review New Mexico’s outdated management system and urge them to use sound science and quotas for bobcat, foxes and other furbearer management.
2) Create an even louder voice by attending the Game Commission public hearing on August 20th in Albuquerque, where they will decide what the next steps in furbearer management will be. Furbearer management will be discussed after 2pm. Details here.
Together, we’ll help New Mexico catch up with other western states and make sure that our bobcats, foxes and other furbearers are protected. Thank you!
(SAMPLE LETTER FOR GAME COMMISSIONERS)
Subject: Please Review Furbearer Management
Dear Commissioner ___________________________________,
It is critical that New Mexico have sustainable management practices in place for furbearers, like bobcat and fox.
Please complete a full review of the furbearer management regulations this year, and allow for public comment on these regulations. I also request that you regularly review these regulations every two years to ensure that furbearer populations remain sustainable.
Additionally, please don’t depend on the “sustainable kill limit” system, which is not sustainable at all. It is important that we use the best available science and population numbers for furbearer management, as well as establish quotas in order to protect the populations of bobcat, fox and other furbearers.
Without a quota system in place, no mechanism stops the killing, even when the “sustained kill limit” is exceeded. Too much killing can harm populations or even cause localized extirpations.
The sooner we address these issues, the sooner we can ensure sustainable populations for furbearers, so we can maintain a healthy balance of nature in our Land of Enchantment. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely yours,
YOUR NAME HERE
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