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We maintain this archive of previous news items for several months (or as space allows) should you need a reference to a previous article, website, or email address.

	JUNE 2008

26 June 2008

AGENCIES RETURN WOLF PAIR TO GILA WILDERNESS

SILVER CITY: The Interagency Field Team of the Mexican Wolf Blue Range Reintroduction Project translocated a pair of wolves to the Gila Wilderness in June, according to a report from the NM Department of Game and Fish. The wolves, Adult Female 1028 and Adult Male 1008, were moved from the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge June 16 and transported by mule into the wilderness June 17. Maggie Dwire, Assistant Mexican Wolf Recovery Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said a monitoring flight confirmed the pair remained in the translocation area on June 24.

The male wolf, M1008, was born in 2005 and first captured in the Gila National Forest. It was caught in a foothold trap on private land just outside the boundary of the recovery area in 2006. It was removed from the wild at that time. The female, F1028, initially was released in Arizona in 2006 as part of the Meridian Pack. It was captured and removed from the wild June 28, 2007, north of Alpine, Ariz., after being observed with a leg injury. She was sent to a captive breeding facility at Sevilleta Refuge in July 2007 and paired with M1008. The offspring of F1028 could increase genetic diversity in the wild Mexican wolf population. The pair was released at this time because an abundant wild food supply should be available to them. Elk calves should be numerous in the Gila National Forest.

The Interagency Field Team is composed of representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the White Mountain Apache Tribe, and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

GAME & FISH SAYS “LEAVE THOSE BABIES ALONE!”

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish receives numerous calls each year from concerned individuals who find what they think are orphaned or abandoned antelope and deer fawns and elk calves. Many of these same people pick up the animals and take them to local veterinarians, zoos, or their local Game Department offices. While these individuals have no intention of harming these young animals, people need to realize that picking up these babies greatly decreases their chances of survival.

With the continued drought conditions in southeastern New Mexico and other areas of the state, people can expect to see antelope, deer, and even elk along the highways and roadways. These animals are looking for the only green vegetation that is available. Unfortunately, due to the lack of moisture, the only green forage that many animals can find happens to be along the edges and medians of our roads and highways. Normally antelope, deer, and elk will move away from any type of human presence to have their young. Given the current dry conditions and lack of forage in their normal habitats, many animals are having their young where they are able to find decent food. This year, many antelope in southeastern New Mexico are having their young in the bar ditches and even the medians of our highways and roadways. Deer and elk could potentially do the same in the next couple of months.

Deer, antelope, and elk all leave their young alone while they move off to forage for food and water. The young are normally left in areas that provide good cover and relative safety. The fawn or calf may be left alone for several hours or more depending on cover availability and distance mom has to travel for food and water. Mom will return to the young when she feels that it is safe to do so.

If you find a fawn or calf, please leave it alone. Don’t touch it, and by all means don’t pick it up. Leave the area and eventually the mother will return. If you find a fawn or calf in the middle of a roadway, gently shoo it, without touching it, out of harms way. The best thing that you can do if you find a fawn or calf that you think is orphaned or abandoned is to contact your local conservation officer or Game Department office. Let a conservation officer take care of the animal and make the decision on what action to take. Furthermore, it is unlawful to pick up game animals or any protected species, of any age, without a proper permit or documentation from the Department of Game and Fish. Please see the following related article.

WILDLIFE REHABILITATORS ARE PERMITTED TO HANDLE PROTECTED WILDLIFE

As the Department of Game and Fish stated in the press release above, it is unlawful to handle protected species without proper permits. Both the Department and the Region 2 U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service issue special purpose permits to wildlife rehabilitators in New Mexico. These permits allow rehabilitation of injured or orphaned wildlife, including those that are listed as threatened or endangered. In addition, it’s important to note that the wildlife/urban interface, as well as distinctly urban settings, are areas where the general public are likely to find wildlife newborns every breeding season.

Wildlife Rescue, Inc. of New Mexico (WRI) is the largest rehabilitation group in the state and have an intake clinic located on the grounds of the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park in Albuquerque. On May 1st each year, they extend the clinic hours to 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 7 days a week. The need for these expanded hours is directly related to the breeding season; a spokesperson for WRI says they can receive, for example, as many as 40 baby birds in a single day, many of which did not need to be rescued. This is a similar situation to the baby deer and so forth the Department discussed, and rehabilitators are in agreement with the Department’s request to leave these babies alone. The group receives about 85% birds and 12% mammals, with the remainder reptiles and amphibians. WRI also assists in environmental mitigations, such as when projects force removal of active nests. Call the group for more information at 344-2500 in Albuquerque.

There are several rehabilitation organizations in New Mexico, as well as many permitted individuals. If you are sure that an animal is injured or orphaned, call the Department office in your area for contact information for the closest, or most species-appropriate, permitted rehabilitator.

STATUS REVIEW FOR STATE-ENDANGERED NORTHERN MEXICAN GARTER SNAKE

In the 28 May 2008 Federal Register, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a Notice; initiation of status Review, and solicitation of new information concerning the northern Mexican garter snake (Thamnophis eques megalops). The notice states, “On September 26, 2006, we published our 12-month finding that listing of the northern Mexican garter snake was not warranted because we determined that not enough information on the subspecies’ status and threats in Mexico was known at that time (71 FR 56227). In December 2007, the Service withdrew the September 26, 2007, 12-month finding. This notice initiates a new status review for the northern Mexican garter snake that is consistent with current policies, including any subsequent analysis relevant to the ‘significant portion of its range.’ We will incorporate any new information received.”

Though the northern Mexican garter snake is currently only a Species of Concern at the Federal level, it is considered Endangered in New Mexico under 19 NMAC 33.6.8 (document available in the SPECIEZnm Library). The Service is now soliciting information from the United States and Mexico regarding the subspecies’ historical and current population status, distribution, and trends; taxonomy; biology and ecology; and habitat selection.

Information must be submitted on or before July 14, 2008. To read the full document, including methods for submitting your information, the notice is available below.

DOWNLOAD:    Status Review_Mex Gartersnake

WILDLIFE CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN ALBUQUERQUE

The Organization of Fish and Wildlife Information Managers (OFWIM), founded in 1993, is an international non-profit association dedicated to the management and conservation of natural resources through technology and information exchange. The 2008 OFWIM Conference will be held in Albuquerque October 27-30, 2008. The theme will be: “Using Innovative Technology to Move from Planning to Implementation.” OFWIM has issued their first Call for Papers (available below) for the Conference and hope to see a good response from New Mexico wildlife professionals.

SCHOLARSHIP: The OFWIM Student Scholarship recognizes academic and professional excellence among students enrolled full-time in fisheries and wildlife-related curricula at an accredited college or university, with research or studies emphasizing wildlife information management and/or geographic information systems (GIS). The scholarship award supports student attendance at the OFWIM Conference and Annual meeting. To obtain a 2008 Student Scholarship Award application, or to learn more about OFWIM, visit their web site http://www.ofwim.org. The SPECIEZnm.org News Page will carry Conference updates as they occur.

DOWNLOAD:    OFWIM 2008 Conference

WORKSHOP FOR WIND TURBINE GUIDELINES

In the 21 May 2008 Federal Register, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a Notice of Public Meeting concerning wind turbines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will host a Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee workshop on June 18, 2008. Open to the public, the workshop agenda will include the discussion and clarification of objectives to guide the Committee in its development of recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior. The meeting will take place on June 18, 2008, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the USFWS Mountain-Prairie Regional Office, 134 Union Blvd., Lakewood, Colorado 80228.

Though this workshop is not being held in New Mexico (precluding attendance for most of us), it is important to know that the USFWS is continuing to work on this issue. New Mexico has several large geographic regions that are climatically suited to wind turbine farms; the Department of Energy has stated that an analysis map indicates that New Mexico has wind resources consistent with utility-scale production. This finding is verified by the presence of the New Mexico Wind Energy Center, the state's most ambitious renewable energy project, which officially went online Oct. 1, 2003. The center is the seventh-largest wind generation project in the United States. PNM offers more information about this state project at http://www.pnm.com/systems/nmwec.htm

When it comes to the potential negative impacts on avian species, readers can find articles on both sides of the issue. However, New Mexico is a major migration route for many avian species, and a considered approach to this issue is important for wildlife managers. The advisory Committee’s purpose is to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior on developing effective measures to avoid or minimize impacts to wildlife and their habitats related to land-based wind energy facilities. SPECIEZnm is hopeful that the workshop will result in positive recommendations to the Secretary; we will update our readers as new information becomes available.

DOWNLOAD:    Wind Turbine Workshop

AUTHORIZED TAKE OF BALD AND GOLDEN EAGLES

In the 20 May 2008 Federal Register, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published the Final Rule concerning Authorizations Under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act for Take of Eagles. The Summary states: “These final regulations provide two mechanisms to authorize take under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act by certain persons who have been authorized under the Endangered Species Act to take bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos).” This rule goes into effect on June 19, 2008.

DOWNLOAD:    Authorized Take of Eagles

AWRA-NM LUNCHEON: TREE RINGS AND THE RIO GRANDE

Jeff Lukas will be the speaker at the June 2nd Luncheon of the American Water Resources Association, New Mexico Chapter. His talk is titled: The Long View of the Rio: What Tree Rings Can Tell Us About the Past and Future of the Rio Grande. Jeff is a Professional Scientist at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he manages the INSTAAR Dendrochronology Lab. His research, with Connie Woodhouse (University of Arizona), centers on developing reconstructions of streamflow from tree-ring data, and facilitating their application to water resource planning and management.

ABSTRACT: Gaged streamflow records are too short to capture the full range of natural variability river systems, as the "unprecedented" low flows at many gages in the Southwest in 2002 showed. Multi-century reconstructions of annual streamflow from tree rings provide more complete information about past variability, and can help guide expectations for future hydrology. An ongoing research project has just produced the first tree-ring reconstruction for the middle Rio Grande, at Otowi. This talk will cover how these paleohydrologies are generated, what they tell us about past variability, their implications for future variability, and how they can be applied to water management, with a focus on the "long view of the Rio" provided by the new Otowi reconstruction.

MEETING TIME AND LOCATION: 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on Monday June 2nd; O'Niell's Pub, 4310 Central Ave. SE.

PUBLIC HEARING WILL ADDRESS GILA TROUT RECOVERY METHODS

SANTA CLARA, N.M. The New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission will conduct a public hearing May 28 in Santa Clara to present and hear comments about a petition by the Department of Game and Fish to use piscicides to eradicate non-native species of trout from 21.3 miles of streams in the upper West Fork drainage of the Gila River. The treatment is necessary to enable restoration of native Gila trout (Oncorhynchus gilae) to the watershed. Repatriation of Gila trout to renovated reaches of the upper West Fork of the Gila River will be a major contribution to recovery of the species, its ultimate delisting as a state and federally protected species, and its restoration as a sport fish in its native range.

The hearing will be at 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 28, at the National Guard Armory, 11990 Highway 180 East, in Santa Clara. The petition is available for review at the New Mexico Environment Department, 1190 St. Francis Drive, in Santa Fe. Any person who has not filed a timely entry of appearance or a statement of intent to present technical evidence may submit a general non-technical statement, either oral or written, at or before the hearing. For more information, details, and filing deadlines about how to present evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and so forth, or for the notices and statements, please call (505) 827-2002.

AWRA-NM FIRST ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION

The American Water Resources Assocation-NM chapter plans to award a $500 scholarship to support student research related to water resources in New Mexico. Applicants must be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student in an accredited New Mexico college or university in a water-related field, and be involved in a research project that will lead to increased understanding of New Mexico's water resources, water management, water law, fluvial geomorphology, hydrologic impacts of climate change, or a related topic.

TO APPLY: Students should submit an application to AWRA-NM by June 30, 2008 including: An application letter the student's academic background, academic program, and research project; a letter of recommendation from the student's advisor or another faculty member; and a copy of the student's current transcripts. An award will be made based on the merit of the student applicant and an evaluation of the student's research project. An award notification is expected to me made by July 31, 2008.

MAIL APPLICATIONS TO: AWRA-NM Scholarship Program; P.O. Box 35577, Albuquerque, NM 87176.

BLACK-FOOTED FERRET, MEADOW JUMPING MOUSE ON COMMISSION MEETING AGENDA

At the New Mexico Game Commission's May 29 meeting in Farmington, the Commission will consider proposals concerning two special-status species in New Mexico. One proposal seeks to restore endangered black-footed ferrets to New Mexico by establishing a population on Vermejo Park Ranch in Colfax County. The Turner Endangered Species Fund has operated a black-footed ferret breeding facility at the ranch near Maxwell since 1998 and has had success pre-conditioning the ferrets in enclosed prairie dog towns for release elsewhere. The Turner Endangered Species Fund wants to expand those efforts to allow the federally endangered ferrets to remain free-ranging in an effort to create a self-sustaining population.

Another proposal action is to approve a revised recovery plan for the meadow jumping mouse and the Arizona montane vole, riparian rodents currently listed as endangered under the state Wildlife Conservation Act. The meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius) is found in the Jemez, Sangre de Cristo, Sacramento, and potentially the San Juan mountains. Recent surveys indicated a 67 to 91 percent decline in populations throughout the state. The Arizona montane vole (Microtus montanus arizonensis) is found in a very small region in Catron County.

Other items on the May 29 agenda include: A report about the Department's ongoing efforts to diminish prospects of aquatic invasive species being introduced into New Mexico; a quarterly report on depredation program efforts, resolution of depredation complaints and recent depredation events around the state; and an update on the status of bighorn sheep restoration efforts in the Dry Cimarron River drainage of northeastern New Mexico. The meeting will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 29, at San Juan College, 4601 College Blvd., Room 7103, in Farmington. The full agenda, detailed agenda-item briefings, and other information are available on the Department of Game and Fish website, http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us or by calling (505) 476-8008.

STATUS REVIEW FOR RIO GRANDE CUTTHROAT TROUT

In the 14 May 2008 Federal Register, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a Notice of Candidate Status Review for the Rio Grande cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki virginalis). The document states: “After a thorough review of all available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the Rio Grande cutthroat trout is warranted but precluded by higher-priority actions. Upon publication of this status review, we will add the Rio Grande cutthroat trout to our list of candidate species with a listing priority number of 9, because the threats affecting it have a moderate magnitude and are imminent.

DOWNLOAD:    RG Cutthroat Trout Candidate Status

COMMENTS SOUGHT FOR GUNNISON'S PRAIRIE DOG CONSERVATION PLAN IN NEW MEXICO

The "Conservation Plan for Gunnison's Prairie Dog (Cynomys gunnisoni) in New Mexico" (draft 12 May 08) is available below as a PDF document for public review and comment. Please send written comments by 30 June 2008 to: Jim Stuart, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Conservation Services Division; P.O. Box 25112, Santa Fe, NM 87504; or by email to: james.stuart@state.nm.us; or by FAX to: 505-476-8128 (Attn: Jim Stuart).

DOWNLOAD:    Gunnison’s Prairie Dog DRAFT Plan

NMDGF SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENTS ON 2008 BIENNIAL REVIEW

The first public comment period for the 2008 Biennial Review will close at end of the business day (central time) June 16th. Species may only be uplisted or downlisted during the Biennial Review process; not added or removed from the list (a separate process). Status may only be changed based on biological and/or ecological factors. The 143-page Draft document is available for download below.

Public comments should be sent to: New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, ATTN: Renae Held; P.O. Box 25112, Santa Fe, NM 87504; or by e-mail to: renae.held@state.nm.us

DOWNLOAD:    NMDGF 2008 Draft Biennial Review

COMMENTS SOUGHT ON PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE WILDLIFE RESTORATION ACT

In the 5 May 2008 Federal Register, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service propose changes in the regulations governing the Wildlife Restoration Act (as well as the Sport Fish Restoration and Hunter Education and Safety financial assistance programs). The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of September 2, 1937, is more commonly known as the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (50 Stat. 917; 16 U.S.C. 669–669k). The Service proposes to update and revise the regulations at 50 CFR part 80 to reflect a 2000 amendment of the legal authority that established the affected programs. More specifically, they propose to change the name of the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act to the Pittman Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act. The Service also proposes to make nonsubstantive administrative changes in 50 CFR part 80 to ensure that its provisions accurately reflect law and regulation to implement changes that have occurred in these areas over the past 20 years. (Similar changes will occur in the other two programs.)

DATES: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will accept comments received or postmarked on or before June 4, 2008. To read all proposed changes and obtain address for comments, download the full document below. Visit the SPECIEZnm Library page to obtain a PDF of the Wildlife Restoration Act.

DOWNLOAD:     73_FR_24523_PropChgWildlfRestAct_2008.pdf

PROPOSALS SOUGHT FOR TRIBAL WILDLIFE GRANTS (TWG)

In a modification to a prior grant request for proposals, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service posted notice of “Tribal Wildlife Grants Request for Proposals for FY 2009.” The open period for submitting proposals will close on September 2, 2008. Only Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) are eligible to submit proposals.

Please visit the GRANTS.gov website for full information:
http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=true&oppId=11005.

AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION FIRST ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION

The AWRA-NM chapter plans to award a $500 scholarship to support student research related to water resources in New Mexico. Applicants must be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student in an accredited New Mexico college or university in a water-related field, and be involved in a research project that will lead to increased understanding of New Mexico's water resources, water management, water law, fluvial geomorphology, hydrologic impacts of climate change, or related topic.

To apply, students should submit an application to AWRA-NM by June 30, 2008 including (1) An application letter the student's academic background, academic program, and research project; (2) A letter of recommendation from the student's advisor or another faculty member; and (3) A copy of the student's current transcripts . An award will be made based on the merit of the student applicant, and an evaluation of the student's research project. Mail Applications To: AWRA-NM, Scholarship Program. P.O. Box 35577, Albuquerque, NM 87176. An award notification is expected to me made by July 31, 2008.