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, JULY 14, 2011:

TRAPPING RULES ON JULY 21 GAME COMMISSION AGENDA

CLAYTON – The State Game Commission will meet Thursday, July 21, in Clayton to consider revisions to the state’s trapping rules and to set migratory game bird hunting rules and seasons for 2011-12.

Trapping and furbearer rule proposals include elimination of a ban on trapping within the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area, and increasing legal distances traps may be placed near roads and trails. Public comments on proposed changes to the trapping and furbearers rule have been accepted since December 2010. A draft rule is available on the Department of Game and Fish website, www.wildlife.state.nm.us.

The meeting will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Clayton Civic Center, 124 N. Front. St., in Clayton. The full agenda, detailed agenda-item briefings and other information are available on the Department of Game and Fish website, www.wildlife.state.nm.us, or by calling (505) 476-8008. Details of proposed rules and opportunities to comment about them also are available on the website.

Other agenda items include:

• Proposed amendments to the state falconry rule to comply with federal standards and regulations.

• An update on a proposal for continued Department management of properties in the lower Pecos River Valley owned by the State Game Commission, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Bureau of Land Management as wildlife areas.

• An update on the Open Gate Program and proposed fees to provide hunting and fishing access on participating private lands.

• A preliminary discussion of the Department’s fiscal-year 2013 budget request.

• Proposed changes to the statewide license drawing process to accommodate statutory changes by the 2011 state Legislature.

• A proposal to renew a one-year lease to allow public hunting, fishing and trapping on State Trust lands.

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, Vice-chairman Thomas “Dick” Salopek, Tom Arvas, Bill Montoya, Jerry Maracchini, Scott Bidegain and Robert Hoffman.

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 Sonya Quintana, (505) 476-8030. Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible forms.

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