Name & fee change coming to NM

[hank4elk]

On NM local news last night, NMG&F will be changing it's name ,fees and how commisioners are selected. NM Wildlife Dept?

 

[David58]

What I saw, too. ALL wildlife will be under the purview of the new department. My level of trust in things bureaucratic in New Mexico, I don't have much confidence that this will be an improvement.

David
NM

 

[David58]

Lawmakers again aim to reform New Mexico Department of Game and Fish • Source New Mexico

Lawmakers are again mulling reforms to the New Mexico’s wildlife management and conservation agency during the 60-day legislative session.

sourcenm.com

 

[kiwi hunter]

Same wolf just different clothing

 

[hank4elk]

I get concerned when the Legislature gets into the budget mix, and G&F names turn into Wildlife Depts.
States where this has been done have tuned into anti hunt fish depts. Or run by the Legislature/budget.
CA, MT ,CO.
Granted the NM commish has been in the Guv pocket. The budget is my worry.

 

[Valley1320]

Name change is dumb

 

[TheTone]

Any mention of the financial cost for the rename? That’s a lot of uniforms, badges, logos, buildings, etc that will need a rebrand. Betting all the money from that would come from license dollars that could be far better spent

 

[Ben Lamb]

It seems to match a lot of other commissions in terms of staggering them & not giving an incoming governor carte Blanche to restructure a commission & helps transfer institutional knowledge to new commissioners from old.

$3.3 million for habitat and non-game is small potatoes but it's needed. Especially if there is no revenue increase & 29 becomes a desperate revenue situation.

A healthy skepticism is always warranted but this doesn't seem too bad on its face. Certainly wouldn't result in a change to benefit the anti's and NM is just "enchanted" enough to withstand that draw to the left.

 

[Billinthedesert]

The name change does seem an unnecessary expense, but the changes in how game commission members are selected make sense. I don't trust any governor to make appointments in the public interest.

"However, the makeup would be three at-large members with backgrounds in wildlife issues, and four positions with specific backgrounds: a farmer or rancher, a conservationist, a hunter or angler and an academic in wildlife science. The reforms would also mandate all commissioners reside in different counties and no more than four can be from the same political party.

"The new nominating committee charged with submitting names for consideration would include members of the state’s two universities, a member of a Native American nation, tribe or pueblo, and four members of legislative leadership from both parties.

"The proposal would increase term-times for commissioners to six-year staggered terms, rather than four years."

 

[mukbowhunt]

Call me skeptical but this smells like an effort to get more antihunting influence on the commission. After seeing it 1st hand in WA be very careful and alert!

 

[NMGuy]

If anyone cares to take a look at the draft bill.

https://www.nmlegis.gov/handouts/WNR%20112524%20Item%2011%20DGF%20and%20Game%20Commission%20Reform%20228949.2.pdf

 

[F250]

Agency focus will change. Vermont Fish and Game Department became Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. Consumptive users of wildlife continued to pay the bills. However, funds were diverted away from their main concerns.

 

[mrcowboy]

What I saw, too. ALL wildlife will be under the purview of the new department. My level of trust in things bureaucratic in New Mexico, I don't have much confidence that this will be an improvement.

David
NM

I don't trust any bills being sponsored by Mathew McQueen. Don't be fooled, he's not for hunting. He was one of the sponsors for the trapping ban in NM. Sportsman and sportswoman be wary of McQueen intentions.

 

[bayoublaster7527]

Lujan Grisham is absolutely horrible but I’d be a bit weary of this. Wildlife For All is based out of NM and likely pushing some of the sponsors. They are an anti-hunting org with a clear goal of eliminating hunting and hunters from wildlife management and dismantling the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. They backed Prop 127 in CO and were behind the anti-hunting initiatives in WA.

 

[mrcowboy]

Lujan Grisham is absolutely horrible but I’d be a bit weary of this. Wildlife For All is based out of NM and likely pushing some of the sponsors. They are an anti-hunting org with a clear goal of eliminating hunting and hunters from wildlife management and dismantling the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. They backed Prop 127 in CO and were behind the anti-hunting initiatives in WA.

I've heard from an individual, that is on top of all things NM hunting and politics, that McQueen and Wildlife For All have ties.

 

[LIK2HNT]

Name change probably means new website. I HATE navigating new websites to apply for tags.

 

[bayoublaster7527]

I've heard from an individual, that is on top of all things NM hunting and politics, that McQueen and Wildlife For All have ties.

Yeah as it stands hunters and anglers would only have 1 out of 7 seats. 3 at large, 1 rancher, 1 conservationist and 1 wildlife academic. That spells bad news for NM hunters. No seat for outfitters either, which is surprising. Based on the political environment in NM, I predict Center for Biological Diversity gets a seat, Wildlife For All gets a seat, WildEarth Guardians gets a seat, Defenders of Wildlife gets a seat, and Animal Wellness Action gets a seat. Based on that breakdown hunting will meet a quick demise. The NM groups representing sportsmen and women need to push for more representation on the commission or at least more protections. A commission like that will be filled with anti-hunting activists in a heartbeat.

 

[SAJ-99]

Yeah as it stands hunters and anglers would only have 1 out of 7 seats. 3 at large, 1 rancher, 1 conservationist and 1 wildlife academic. That spells bad news for NM hunters. No seat for outfitters either, which is surprising. Based on the political environment in NM, I predict Center for Biological Diversity gets a seat, Wildlife For All gets a seat, WildEarth Guardians gets a seat, Defenders of Wildlife gets a seat, and Animal Wellness Action gets a seat. Based on that breakdown hunting will meet a quick demise. The NM groups representing sportsmen and women need to push for more representation on the commission or at least more protections. A commission like that will be filled with anti-hunting activists in a heartbeat.

Definitely an Eeyor-like take. We need to find you a new tail to cheer you up?
I love how we assume all these groups have more power than the we-the-people paying the bills. We need something to rally around.

 

[bayoublaster7527]

Definitely an Eeyor-like take. We need to find you a new tail to cheer you up?
I love how we assume all these groups have more power than the we-the-people paying the bills. We need something to rally around.

That’s a pretty fair assessment. I was using a doomsday scenario to make the point. However, I do believe hunters and anglers need to push for more than one seat based on the contribution they make to wildlife and habitat conservation. Only one seat could leave us on the wrong side of a contentious vote pretty quick.