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Media Chapter News

Public Land Stewards on the Taos Plateau

    The Taos plateau is a high elevation basalt filled valley in north New Mexico.  It is bordered by the Tusas mountains to the west and the Sangre de Cristo in the east.  It sits at 7,000'...
Media Chapter News State Issues Press Releases

BHA Pushes for Permanent Protections of Two Iconic New Mexico Watersheds

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  April 22, 2025  Contact:  Kaden McArthur, Director of Policy & Government Relations, mcarthur@backcountryhunters.org    BHA Pushes for Permanent Protections of Two Iconic...
Media Chapter News State Issues

Understanding SB5 and Future NM Fish & Wildlife Governance

SB 5, signed into law in 2025, brings major updates to wildlife governance in New Mexico. It renames the State Game Commission as the State Wildlife Commission and changes the Department of Game...
Media Chapter News State Issues Press Releases

10th Circuit Court Affirms District Court Decision in Corner-Crossing Case, Upholding Public Access Rights

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   March 18, 2025      CONTACT:   Devin O’Dea, Western Policy & Conservation Manager, odea@backcountryhunters.org     Denver, CO – In a huge victory for public land owners,...
Media Chapter News State Issues

New Mexico BHA Policy Update 3.17.25

Have you been paying attention to your local public lands? Sierra, Otero, and Catron counties recently passed anti-public lands resolutions, and now Luna County is next. The attack on our public...
Media Chapter News State Issues
Media Chapter News State Issues

NM BHA Supports SB 5 - Bill Summary & Status Report

The New Mexico Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (NM BHA) supports Senate Bill 5 (SB 5) and has worked with legislators and hook and bullet partners to ensure the hunting and angling...
Media Chapter News State Issues
Media Chapter News

Backcountry Stewardship in the Bootheel of New Mexico

  The Bootheel region of New Mexico is normally viewed from inside a car speeding down I-10.  From the interstate it appears desolate and dry.  Large wide expanses of creosote bush and mesquite...
Media Chapter News State Issues Press Releases

Two-Year Protection Initiated for Pecos River Watershed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dec. 13, 2024 Contact:  Kaden McArthur, Government Relations Manager mcarthur@backcountryhunters.org Two-Year Protection Initiated For Pecos River Watershed Washington, D.C....
Media Chapter News

Two Miles of Sheep Fencing Removed in New Mexico

                                               Domesticated sheep arrived with the early Spanish conquistadors and explorers in the 1500's.  Sheep herding was a lucrative venture for many people...
Media Chapter News

NM Waterfowl Hunters Comment on 2019 State Land Closure

The New Mexico State Land office is undergoing a public planning process for the 212 acre parcel of state land adjacent to Valle de Oro that was unilaterally closed to waterfowl hunting by the...
Media Chapter News

New Mexico BHA Board Member Appointed to Habitat Stamp Committee

On March 8, 2024, Mark Mattaini (Paguate, NM), a member of the NM BHA board, was appointed by the New Mexico Game Commission to a five-year term on the Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC), which...
Media Chapter News

Senate Committee Takes Action on Recreation, Conservation

A May 17th business meeting held by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee was a highly anticipated opportunity to advance multiple conservation and recreation policy priorities...
Media Chapter News

NMBHA Improves Riparian Habitat & Hunts Spring Gobblers

Our first project partnering with the USFS in the Lincoln National Forest was a success in many ways. After kicking off the weekend with a Pint Night at the Downshift Brewery's Hidden Taproom in...
Media Chapter News

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish April Update

4/28/23 NMDGF GAME COMMISSION RECAP  The meeting was opened by Vice Chair Tirzio Lopez (as there was not a current chair). Also present were commissioner Sharon Salazar-Hickey, as well as two new...
Media Chapter News Press Releases

New Mexico Public Lands, Habitat Would be Conserved in New Wilderness Bill

News for Immediate ReleaseMarch 2, 2023Contact: Katie McKalip, 406-240-9262, mckalip@backcountryhunters.org Bicameral introduction of Cerro de la Olla Wilderness Establishment Act commended by...
Media Chapter News Press Releases

U.S. Supreme Court Decision Upholds New Mexico Public Access Law

News for Immediate ReleaseFeb. 27, 2023Contact: Katie McKalip, 406-240-9262, mckalip@backcountryhunters.org The court declined to hear arguments from landowners challenging the public’s right to...
Media Chapter News

NM AFI ladies Night

The Kirtland AFB AFI chapter hosted its first ladies’ night. The event was centered around a pack dump where we discussed gear, tools, resources, and lessons learned. Attendees were treated to...
Media Chapter News

NM AFI Antelope Adventure

As I sit here watching the sun go down, the chickens peck and the sheep do sheep things, I am chewing on a piece of backstrap from an antelope that not a week ago was living on a pasture that...
Media Chapter News Press Releases

New Mexico Supreme Court Rules in Support of Public Access to Public Waters

News for Immediate ReleaseSept. 2, 2022Contact: Katie McKalip, 406-240-9262, mckalip@backcountryhunters.org   Decision confirms the public’s right to walk or wade streambeds that cross privately...
Media Chapter News

6/3/22 NMDGF Game Commission Recap

EAGLE NEST, NM —The June 3 State Game Commission meeting dove into proposed big game rule changes on exotic species, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope and javelina. Barbary Sheep Rules: No Single...
Media Chapter News

4/11/22 NMDGF Game Commission Recap

New Mexico elk hunters could see big changes including unlimited OTC private land hunts in GMU 34 and a prohibition on muzzleloader sights, while turkey hunters could get a longer season plus a...
Media Chapter News

3/4/22 NMDGF Game Commission Recap

If you hunt in New Mexico and want to see changes in elk, deer and other big game regulations – season dates, bag limits or anything else -- now is the time to tune in. The State Game Commission...
Media Chapter News Press Releases

New Mexico Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Public Access to State Waters

News for Immediate ReleaseMarch 1, 2022Contact: Katie McKalip, 406-240-9262, mckalip@backcountryhunters.org Court rules unanimously that ‘non-navigable regulation’ is unconstitutional, voids...
Media Chapter News

Kiowa National Grasslands - A Hidden Gem

It’s always shocking when you find some wonderful piece of public land that’s been sitting under your nose for years. Many New Mexican’s are likely to find themselves in this condition if they...
Media Chapter News

Governor Removes Another Qualified Commissioner

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham this week removed State Game Commissioner Jeremy Vesbach, apparently because he has repeatedly stood up for New Mexico resident hunters and anglers. She notified him...
Media Chapter News Backcountry Journal

Paying It Forward

  BY JOEL GAY It’s not easy for resident hunters to draw an elk tag in New Mexico, even for kids. As in many states, demand for tags far outstrips supply. But that’s only part of the equation....
Media Chapter News

10/22/21 NMDGF Game Commission Recap

Big changes and a vast improvement in the Open Gate program could be in store in the near future, according to a report delivered to the State Game Commission last week in Las Cruces. NMDGF...
Media Chapter News

NM BHA Applauds 30x30 State Executive Order

New Mexico's 30x30 Executive Order NM BHA Statement on 30x30 State Executive Order Hunt Fish 30x30  August 25, 2020 New Mexico Backcountry Hunters & Anglers welcomes Governor Lujan Grisham’s...
Media Chapter News State Issues

6/18/21 NMDGF Game Commission Recap

In a move that surprised both sides in the acrimonious debate over stream access, State Game Commission Chairwoman Sharon Salazar Hickey has delayed the decision on closing portions of five...
Media Chapter News State Issues

3/14 Hearing Update! NM Trapping Ban Likely to Pass

Over the objections of thousands of individuals and organizations, including NMBHA, the proposed statewide ban on public lands trapping took a crucial step toward becoming law Sunday...
Media Chapter News

1/15/21 NMDGF Game Commission Recap

Funding for habitat protection projects throughout the state will roughly double after the State Game Commission last week approved the first increase in the Habitat Stamp in more than 30 years....
Media Chapter News

The Legislative Finance Committee Evaluates NMDGF

NOTE: The original post contained an error about EPLUS harvest reporting requirements. It has been corrected here. A new report by the powerful Legislative Finance Committee says New Mexico elk...
Media Chapter News

10/16/20 NMDGF Game Commission Recap

Habitat restoration efforts in New Mexico could receive a major infusion of cash after the State Game Commission agreed with NM BHA and other sportsmen’s organizations to bring the cost of a...
Media Chapter News

8/13 NMDGF Game Commission Recap

Image by Patrick Hendry - Unsplash. Unlike most state agencies, which are taking substantial cuts in this year of declining revenues, the Department of Game and Fish budget should see no...
Media Chapter News

6/25 NMDGF Game Commission Recap

The State Game Commission met Thursday, but it was mainly an opportunity to discuss issues coming up in the future. Meeting online, commissioners heard a variety of reports and proposals,...
Media Chapter News

NM BHA Supports the M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act

On behalf of the New Mexico chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for our wild public lands, waters and wildlife, we thank you for introducing the M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild...
Media Chapter News

4/20 NM State Game Commission Meeting Recap

The State Game Commission did not vote on anything substantial during its special meeting Monday morning, but there were fireworks nevertheless. The commission had called the meeting to discuss...
Media Chapter News State Issues

Protect Hunting and Fishing Opportunities in the Rio Grande Watershed

The U.S. Forest Service is currently in the process of developing plans that will direct the management of more than 3 million acres of your National Forest lands in Northern New Mexico for the...
Media Chapter News

9/18 NM State Game Commission Meeting Recap

The State Game Commission met Sept. 18 in Cloudcroft, and although no final decisions were made, the Commission showed its intention to approve major changes to bear, cougar and trapping rules in...
Media Chapter News

Cibola National Forest Planning Update

A new Land and Resource Management Plan for New Mexico’s Cibola National Forest is being enacted, and the public is encouraged to comment through November 7, 2019. What will the proposed changes...
Media Chapter News

Industry Partners Speak Up for Stream Access

On July 24 New Mexico's State Game Commission enacted a 90-day moratorium on the existing stream access regulation that allows sections of streams running through private land to be deemed...
Media Chapter News

NM State Game Commission Recap - 8/22

As expected, the State Game Commission meeting in Santa Fe on Thursday was mostly discussion, although the panel did approve a $42 million operating budget for NMDGF, representing a 3 percent...
Media Chapter News

Reporting Locked Gates on NM State Land

It's that time of year when hunters head into the field to enjoy public lands and carry on our time honored tradition of hunting with family and friends. Sometimes during these outings we...
Media Chapter News

BHA Well Represented on NM Land Office Sportspeople's Advisory Committee

New Mexico’s new State Land Commissioner, Stephanie Garcia Richard, recently revived the Sportspeople’s Advisory Committee, originally established to help guide the Commissioner's decisions on...
Media Chapter News

Protect NM Public Lands & Wildlife - Support SB 458 & SB 383

Two important bills for New Mexico hunters and anglers need your help today in order to get through the Legislature before it adjourns next week. Please take a minute to read this, and then take...
Media Chapter News State Issues

NM BHA Speaks Out Against Game Protection Fund Redirection

Once again there is an attempt brewing to transfer money ($500k this time) from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) to the State Parks Division. This has been proposed multiple...
Media Chapter News

NMDGF Overhauls Antelope Tag System

It just got easier for hunters, both resident and non-resident, to draw an antelope tag in New Mexico. The State Game Commission in May voted for a massive overhaul of its antelope management...
Media Chapter News State Issues

Action needed: Senate must advance important energy bill

Senate leaders have cleared a path forward for passage of the first comprehensive energy bill in almost a decade. But your help is vital in getting it across the finish line! The Energy Policy...
Media Chapter News

Rally with New Mexico Sportsmen for Your Public Lands

In New Mexico and throughout the West, politicians have their eyes set on selling off the public lands that you depend on to hunt, fish and recreate.  We simply cannot stand idle as special...
Media Chapter News State Issues

New Mexico BHA Weighs-in on Gila Travel Management Plan

Dear Secretary Vilsack,On behalf of the undersigned organizations representing thousands of New Mexican sportsmen and women, we are writing to express our strong support for the recent Gila...
Media Chapter News

New Mexico Sportsmen Applaud Protection of Habitat in Newly Designated Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Monument

For Immediate ReleaseWednesday, May 21, 2014Today, President Obama made a presidential declaration under the Antiquities Act to designate 496,000 acres as part of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks...
Media Chapter News State Issues

Banning Drones for Hunting - A letter from New Mexico BHA

                                                                        September 20, 2013To:     New Mexico Game & Fish CommissionFrom: New Mexico Chapter, Backcountry Hunters & AnglersIssue: ...
Media Chapter News

Sportsmen Recognized for Contributions to Backcountry Conservation

DENVER, CO - Four sportsmen from across the West were presented with awards at the Backcountry Hunters & Anglers’ Annual National Rendezvous in Denver, in recognition of their outstanding...
Media Chapter News

NM sportsmen hoping newest national monument designation bodes well for Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks

New Mexico sportsmen are optimistic that President Obama will do the same for New Mexico that he did today in California – use his authority to designate a new national monument.At a White House...
Media Chapter News

New Mexico Sportsmen Support President's Proposed Conservation Funding

New Mexico BHA Chair, Oscar Simpson speaks-up in support of the president's proposed conservation funding priorities.  A live video interviewwith Oscar that acompanied this release can also be...
Media Chapter News State Issues

Action Alert: Big Impacts to Big Game Habitat at Stake

The following is a letter submitted by members of NM BHA to the Cibola National regarding a proposal to permit intensive military operations in otherwise relatively undisturbed backcountry...
Media Chapter News

Press Release: Sportsmen Support for Columbine Hondo Wilderness Area

The following is a joint press release highlighting New Mexican sportsmen's support of the Columbine Hondo Wilderness Act.  Washington D.C. – New Mexican hunters and anglers continue to lead by...
Media Chapter News State Issues

Letter: Overwhelming Sportsmen Support for Columbine Hondo Wilderness Area

New Mexico BHA has been working to build on the already-overwhelming breadth of support among sportsmen who agree that the Columbine Hondo Wilderness Study Area should be permanently protected as...
Media Chapter News

Maintaining Roadless Land Around the Pecos Wilderness Area

Located just Northeast of Sante Fe, New Mexico’s Pecos Wilderness Area provides 350 square miles of high quality roadless backcountry habitat. The Pecos is known by hunters primarily for its...
Media Chapter News State Issues

New Mexico Sportsmen Support Wilderness Protections in Rio Grande del Norte National Monument

The following is a joint press release submitted by NM BHA, NM Wildlife Federation and Trout Unlimited in support of legislation that would provide permanent wilderness protection in two areas...
Media Chapter News

NM BHA Update 4-30-13

NM BHA Member: Between spring turkey season, the designation of the Rio Grande del Norte and the reintroduction of the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness legislation, NM BHA has been busy, to say the...
Media Chapter News State Issues

NM BHA Supports Wilderness Designation of the Columbine-Hondo WSA

Located in Taos County just East of the recently-designated Rio Grande del Norte National Monument (242, 555 acres), is a section of wild country that has long been recognized by sportsmen for its...
Media Chapter News

NM BHA Update 3-28-13

NM BHA Update –As you’ve probably heard by now, this past Monday President Obama permanently protected 242,555 acres of high quality elk, mule deer, antelope and big horn sheep habitat through the...
Media Chapter News

Letter to Editor from NM BHA Phil Young in Support of RGDN National Monument

The following is a letter to the editor that was written by NM BHA Member Phil Young, in support of the habitat that has been protected through the designation of the Rio Grande del Norte National...
Media Chapter News

Celebrate Permanent Protection of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument with NM BHA

New Mexico BHA invites everyone to join us in celebration of the permanent protection of 242,555 acres of elk, mule deer, antelope and big horn sheep habitat, through the designation of the Rio...
Media Chapter News

New Mexico Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Applauds Permanent Protection of the Rio Grande del Norte

ALBUQUERQUE, NM— Locally and nationally hunters and anglers today applaud President Barack Obama’s decision to designate the Rio Grande del Norte area as a National Monument.This designation will...
Media Chapter News

NM BHA Statement on Columbine Hondo Wilderness Study Area

The following statement was provided by Oscar Simpson on behalf of NM BHA and Backcountry Horsemen of America to the NM Congressional Delegation at a meeting on 2/16/13, at Rivers & Birds facility...
Media Chapter News

Río Grande del Norte legislation reintroduced for Taos, Río Arriba counties

In recognition of the reintroduction of legislation which would protect critical big game habitat and wild fisheries within the Rio Grande del Norte, New Mexico BHA, Trout Unlimited and the New...
Media Chapter News

NM Update 2-14-13

Here's a run-down a few key projects that NM BHA is involved with: Improving the make-up of the Game Commission – As many of you are likely well aware the current composition is weighted heavily...
Media Chapter News

Reforming New Mexico's Game Commission

New Mexico Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is working in collaboration with other New Mexican sportsmen organizations and interests to reform the state game commission in a manner which better...
Media Chapter News

Protecting Habitat in the Rio Grande del Norte

UPDATE: Since this article was posted, President Obama used the Antiquities Act to create the "Rio Grande del Norte National Monument."  NM BHA appluaded habitat protection in the Rio Rio Grande...