SENATE MEMORIAL 21

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2011

INTRODUCED BY

Tim Eichenberg

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH TO WORK WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF CONDUCTING LIMITED-ENTRY BOW HUNTS FOR ELK IN THE BACKCOUNTRY OF BANDELIER NATIONAL MONUMENT.

     WHEREAS, Bandelier national monument in the Jemez mountain range was established in 1916 and is comprised of nearly forty thousand acres; and

      WHEREAS, by 1916, unregulated hunting had eliminated elk from the Jemez mountain range, and other wildlife game species were on the brink of elimination in the Jemez mountains as well; and

     WHEREAS, today, elk have been restored to the Jemez mountains and have grown rapidly in population, largely through conservation efforts funded by hunters; and

     WHEREAS, hunting on public lands is an important management tool to ensure the health of the ecosystem, particularly in the absence of some species of large, natural predators; and

     WHEREAS, in October 1976, nearly seventy percent of the backcountry of Bandelier national monument became a designated wilderness area, allowing greater focus on the restoration of elk and other endangered wildlife; and

     WHEREAS, today, these remote areas of the backcountry see few visitors, but they could offer a unique backcountry experience to hunters; and

     WHEREAS, on other land managed by the national park service, overpopulation of wild ungulates has been shown to cause long-term habitat degradation; and

     WHEREAS, instances of habitat degradation of aspens and other native plant species that are heavily browsed by elk have been documented in Bandelier national monument, putting the regeneration of aspen stands at risk; and

     WHEREAS, a proposed transfer of the management of Valles Caldera national preserve to the national park service includes a requirement that a hunting program be established at Valles Caldera national preserve; and

     WHEREAS, given that Valles Caldera national preserve is contiguous to Bandelier national monument, establishing a hunting program in the backcountry of Bandelier national monument should also be considered; and

     WHEREAS, a limited-entry bow hunt for elk in the backcountry portions of Bandelier national monument could provide an important management tool for preserving the ecological integrity of the monument lands and could help to redistribute elk onto surrounding national forest lands; and

     WHEREAS, the department of game and fish is charged with managing wildlife in trust for the public; and

     WHEREAS, the national park service oversees and manages all of the national parks, including Bandelier national monument and, potentially, Valles Caldera national preserve;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the department of game and fish be requested to work with the national park service to determine the feasibility of conducting limited-entry bow hunts for elk in the backcountry of Bandelier national monument; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the feasibility study consider the appropriateness of requesting federal legislation to permit the United States secretary of the interior to allow limited-entry bow hunting of elk to preserve the ecological health of backcountry areas and to provide expanded hunting opportunities in Bandelier national monument for New Mexico residents; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department of game and fish formulate a report of the findings and recommendations of the feasibility study and present the report to the appropriate interim committee by October 2011; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department of game and fish transmit the feasibility study findings to the members of the New Mexico congressional delegation for further consideration; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the superintendent of Bandelier national monument, the United States secretary of the interior, the director of the department of game and fish and the members of the New Mexico congressional delegation.

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