New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
Media contact: Dan Williams, (505) 476-8004
Public contact: (505) 476-8000
dan.williams@state.nm.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, MAY 26, 2009:

GAME COMMISSION TO MEET THURSDAY IN ALBUQUERQUE

SANTA FE -- The State Game Commission will meet Thursday in Albuquerque to consider lowering the fishing bag limit at Conservancy Park Lake (Tingley Beach) in Albuquerque and to consider rules to implement the newly enacted Aquatic Invasive Species Control Act.

The meeting will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 28, at the State Bar of New Mexico, 5121 Masthead, NE, in Albuquerque. The full agenda, detailed agenda-item briefings and other information are available on the Department of Game and Fish Web site, www.wildlife.state.nm.us or by calling (505) 476-8008.

The Commission will consider a recommendation to reduce the bag and possession limits at Conservancy Park Lake from five fish per day and no more than 10 in possession to four fish per day and no more than four in possession. The reduction is designed to more equitably distribute the fish stocked in the lake. In 2008, the Department of Game and Fish stocked 24,698 10-inch trout and 1,211 17-inch catfish in the lake. The City of Albuquerque also occasionally stocks fish in the lake.

Commission action on the Aquatic Invasive Species Control Act is needed for the Department and other law enforcement agencies to begin enforcing the emergency legislation that took effect in April with Governor Bill Richardson's signature. The Department is requesting the Commission to approve an interim rule that will allow enforcement. A permanent rule would be developed and presented to the Commission after further research and a series of public meetings.

The Aquatic Invasive Species Control Act gives officers with the Department of Game and Fish and the State Parks Division authority to inspect and require decontamination of vessels, trailers or other equipment suspected of being contaminated with invasive species before entering state waters. The act requires that all boats, personal watercraft and equipment used in waters infested with invasive species be certified as decontaminated before entering New Mexico waters.

Other agenda items include:

• An update on Department efforts to work with landowners and sportsmen to develop a new system to allocate public and private-land pronghorn antelope licenses and authorizations.

• A briefing on the Gaining Access Into Nature program, which provides public access to Commission-controlled properties for wildlife-associated recreation. The Commission will consider potential modifications to the program rules to expand recreational opportunities.

The State Game Commission is composed of seven members who represent the state’s diverse interests in wildlife-associated recreation and conservation. Members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate. Current members are Chairman Jim McClintic, Albuquerque; Vice-chairwoman Sandy Buffett, Santa Fe; M.H. “Dutch” Salmon, Silver City; Alfredo Montoya, Alcalde; Leo Sims, Hobbs; Tom Arvas, Albuquerque; and Kent Salazar, Albuquerque.

If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the meeting, please contact Shirley Baker, (505) 476-8030. Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible forms.

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