By BEN NEARY
NMWF Conservation Director
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Tuesday announced her appointment of seven people to serve on the State Game Commission. The group includes two former senior administrators at state game department as well as several accomplished conservationists.
The state had been without a game commission since April, when Lujan Grisham requested the resignation of commissioners appointed by her predecessor, former Gov. Susana Martinez.
State law requires that five game commission members represent different areas of the state while two serve at-large. At least one member must operate a farm or ranch that includes at least two species of wildlife and at least one must have a background in working on conservation issues. No more than four of the members may be registered in the same political party.
Lujan Grisham appointed the following commissioners:
District 1: Gail Cramer. A resident of Mayhill, Cramer previously had served on the commission from 1996 to 2000. Since 2008, she has served as assistant chief of administration and finance for the Mayhill Volunteer Fire Department.
Cramer previously worked as a professor of learning support at San Juan College in Farmington. She has been a master bowhunter education instructor since 1991. She earned a master’s degree in educational management and development from New Mexico State University.
In an interview with the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, Cramer, a Republican, said Tuesday she needs to meet with other commissioners as well as game department personnel before she can say what her commission priorities will be.
Cramer said she’s a lifelong hunter with extensive experience with bow, muzzleloader and rifle hunting. She said she’s currently active with Scholastic 3-D Archery, which recruits young people into archery competition with the result that many become hunters.
“We have to figure out ways to get the young people involved in the outdoors, number one. And then, number two, into the shooting sports,” Cramer said. “Where a lot of urban and suburban parents won’t let them shoot a gun, they’ll let them play with a bow, so it’s a good gateway to the shooting sports. We’re in trouble unless we do some recruitment.”
District 2: Roberta Salazar Henry. A Las Cruces resident, Salazar Henry worked for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish for 25 years before retiring in 2003 as the assistant director of support services. She has served on the board of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance since 2013 and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix.
In an interview on Tuesday, Salazar Henry, a Democrat, said it’s important for the game department expand its communication efforts to reach more constituents. She said it’s also important to improve transparency of game commission operations.
“As a public land hunter and a New Mexico resident, I want to make sure that we have plenty of access and that New Mexico residents are getting their fair share of licenses to be able to hunt or fish and use the resource that we have that they’ve been paying for and managing for quite a while now” Salazar Henry said.
Salazar Henry said there’s also a valid interest in expanding the game department’s mission to include management of non-game wildlife species. She said she would like to see a detailed plan developed specifying how to do that.
District 3: Jeremy Vesbach. A resident of Placitas, Vesbach is western lands program director for Western Resource Advocates. He was previously the field director and sportsmen outreach director for the Conservation Lands Foundation and served as the executive director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. Vesbach was a member of the New Mexico State Mining Commission and holds a bachelor’s degree in conservation biology from the University of Wisconsin.
In an interview Tuesday, Vesbach said, “For me, the most important things are really making sure we have good quality habitat and wildlife populations in the state. But also, we need that outdoor opportunity near where people live.”
Having good hunting and fishing opportunities near where people live are key to bringing along the next generation of hunters and anglers, said Vesbach, a Democrat.
District 4: Joanna Prukop, of Santa Fe, previously served as the secretary of the state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. Before that, she worked for 25 years at the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. After leaving state government, she served in President Barack Obama’s administration as a three-term appointee to the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council. Prokop, an independent, has a master’s degree in wildlife biology from Colorado State University.
In an interview on Tuesday, Prukop said transparency of game commission operations is critical.
Prukop said she’s aware of public concern about how license drawings have been conducted as well as concern about hunt management and angler access. She said the new commission may take a look at department recommendations as well as public concerns regarding actions by the past game commission.
Going forward, Prukop said the commission and the game department have an opportunity to establish strong partnerships with public interest groups and nonprofits as well as state and federal agencies, including the state’s newly created division of outdoor recreation.
While many people would like to see the game department’s mission expanded to cover a broader range of wildlife species, Prukop said doing so may depend on whether the Legislature and the governor are willing to approve funding.
A bill that would have hiked game and fish license fees for the first time in well over a decade died in this year’s legislative session. Prukop said the game department needs enough money for operational expenses and also to continue to qualify to receive federal matching funds. She said she would consider pursuing a license fee increase if necessary to meet those obligations.
District 5: Jimmy Bates. A lifelong outdoorsman and experienced hunter and fisherman, Bates, a Republican, is executive vice president at Premier Distributing Company in Albuquerque. According to the governor’s office, he has served on the board of directors of Keep New Mexico Beautiful, Inc., and is currently a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. An attempt to reach him for an interview on Tuesday was not successful.
At-Large Conservationist: David Soules. A conservationist, Soules is co-author of “Exploring Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.” He has served on the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance Board of Directors since 2010 and holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Colorado State University.
In an interview Tuesday, Soules, a political independent and Las Cruces resident, said he’s pleased to be the at-large conservation representative. “And really, from my perspective, that means who I’m representing,” he said. “And I believe in conservation and the conservation groups and volunteers and everyone who’s doing things associated with that.”
Soules said he’s a strong advocate of public lands and of the North American Model of Wildlife Management, including the principle that wildlife belongs to the public. He said he realizes that he’s on the commission to represent the public.
“So I don’t intend to go into it with the idea that I know what the issues and certainly the answers are to everything,” Soules said. “I really want to hear from constituents.”
At-Large Agricultural Member: Tirzio Lopez. A criminal investigator for the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, Lopez lives in Cebolla, in Rio Arriba County. His background includes work as a park ranger specialist for New Mexico State Parks, a park ranger for both the National Park Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Lopez has been a member of the Chama Valley Independent School District School Board since 2014. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from New Mexico State University.
In an interview on Tuesday, Lopez said wants to see the game department hire more conservation officers. “More game officers would mean more protection as well as more assistance to the public,” he said.
Lopez, a Democrat, said he’s an advocate for wildlife and supports reintroduction efforts for the Mexican gray wolf.
He said he favors hearing from ranchers and landowners as well as conservation groups. “Everybody needs a seat at the table,” he said. “And I’m hoping that all seven of us can work together to make everybody happy. Of course, that’s not always possible.”
Lopez said he wants to see state residents get a fair shake at drawing game licenses. “We need to look at that system and see if it’s actually working or not,” he said. “If not, we need to try to fix it.”
Jesse Deubel, executive director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, said Tuesday he’s thrilled with the governor’s commission appointments.
“I was concerned that we were without a commission for over a month, but I commend the governor and her staff for being so thorough and diligent with the selection of this incredibly important board,” Deubel said. “I am excited to begin working with this commission to create a culture within our game department that manages all our wildlife for the maximum benefit of New Mexico residents.”
According to the New Mexico Game and Fish website, the game commission will hold a meeting June 14 at the game department office in Albuquerque.
