45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2002

REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND THE STATE LAND OFFICE TO WORK WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NEW MEXICO BISON ASSOCIATION AND THE INTERTRIBAL BISON COOPERATIVE TO SET ASIDE PARTS OF THE KIOWA NATIONAL GRASSLAND AND STATE LAND IN HARDING COUNTY FOR THE REINTRODUCTION OF BISON.

WHEREAS, herds of bison were indigenous to and previously roamed the grasslands in Union and Harding counties; and

WHEREAS, the United States forest service, a division of the United States department of agriculture, has over one hundred thousand of acres of grassland in Harding and Union counties called the Kiowa national grassland, where tall prairie grasses still grow; and

WHEREAS, the state land office also has many hundreds of acres of state land in Harding county near the Kiowa national grassland that are also prime habitat for bison; and

WHEREAS, the New Mexico bison association members and the intertribal bison cooperative members in New Mexico have been raising bison and have become experts in bison culture; and

WHEREAS, the pueblos of Taos, Picuris, Pojoaque, San Juan, Nambe, Tesuque and Sandia have increased their bison herds to a point where additional land is needed to sustain the herds' growth; and

WHEREAS, the pueblos raising bison must severely restrict the size of their bison herds because their small land base cannot support continued growth of bison herds; and

WHEREAS, restoration of the bison on the Kiowa national grassland and on state grassland in Harding county would complement efforts of the soil conservation service and United States forest service to return those grasslands to the health and balance that was present before the great depression and the days of the dust bowl when most of the topsoil was lost due to cultivation of the soil and unfavorable climatic conditions;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the United States forest service and the state land office be requested to enter into discussions with representatives from the New Mexico bison association and members from New Mexico of the intertribal bison cooperative to develop a plan that will allow bison to be restored to the Kiowa national grassland and to the state lands in Harding county or to other federal or state lands in New Mexico; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States forest service and the state land office be requested to provide information to the New Mexico bison association and the intertribal bison cooperative regarding the availability of leaseholdings that would be appropriate for establishing a bison herd; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the United States secretary of agriculture, the director of the United States forest service, the commissioner of public lands, the New Mexico bison association, the intertribal bison cooperative and the governors of the pueblos of Taos, Picuris, San Juan, Pojoaque, Nambe, Tesuque and Sandia.