HOUSE MEMORIAL 21

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2013

INTRODUCED BY

Candy Spence Ezzell

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THAT LOCAL OFFICIALS SUPPORT LOCAL EFFORTS TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE LESSER PRAIRIE CHICKEN AND OPPOSE ITS LISTING AS "THREATENED" PURSUANT TO THE FEDERAL ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT.

     WHEREAS, the United States fish and wildlife service announced its decision to begin consideration of the listing of the lesser prairie chicken as "threatened" under the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico office of the United States bureau of land management, the New Mexico state land office and the New Mexico department of game and fish have been working diligently with landowners, lessees and industry partners for years in an effort to preserve and protect the lesser prairie chicken and its habitat; and

     WHEREAS, the governors of the states of Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico have announced that in early 2013 they will release a five-state strategy demonstrating their states' ability to manage, protect and support local ecosystems and avoid unwarranted listings by the United States fish and wildlife service; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico department of game and fish is actively participating with other agencies and states in the development of a range-wide lesser prairie chicken management plan designed to achieve the following goals:

          A. develop range-wide population and habitat goals and monitoring strategies that may be implemented in each affected state;

          B. unify targeting for voluntary conservation practices across all agencies and other partners under a range-wide strategy; and

          C. develop a common framework for offsets or mitigation and promote conservation agreements with industry; and

     WHEREAS, each of the affected states is committed to pursuing public-private partnerships for the protection of the lesser prairie chicken and its habitat; and

     WHEREAS, a "threatened" listing pursuant to the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 of the lesser prairie chicken at this time would undermine the ongoing state, local and private efforts and would also be premature;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico congressional delegation, the governor, the commissioner of public lands, the director of the New Mexico state office of the federal bureau of land management and the director of the New Mexico department of game and fish be called upon to support the continuing state, local and private efforts to preserve and protect the lesser prairie chicken and oppose the listing of this species under the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the members of the New Mexico congressional delegation; the governor; the commissioner of public lands; the director of the New Mexico state office of the federal bureau of land management; the director of the New Mexico department of game and fish; the legislatures and the governors of the states of Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Texas; and the director and other appropriate officers of the United States fish and wildlife service.

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