By BEN NEARY
NMWF Conservation Director
Members of the New Mexico State Game Commission remembered former Commissioner David Soules on Friday as a dedicated conservationist whose insatiable curiosity and enthusiasm for the state’s wildlife and wild places inspired others.
Soules, a native of Las Cruces, died March 26 at the age of 63. He had served as conservation representative on the commission. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has yet to name a replacement for him.
Soules was instrumental in the designation of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument and was co-author of a guide book to the area. In addition to serving on the game commission, he had served on the New Mexico Wild Board of Directors and held a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Colorado State University.
An honor guard of New Mexico conservation officers presented Nancy Soules, the late commissioner’s widow, with a folded flag in honor of his service at Friday’s game commission meeting in Las Cruces.
The public affairs staff of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish compiled a video honoring Soules that included statements from Gov. Lujan Grisham, Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and many others.
“David Soules was a devout conservationist, an engaging storyteller, a husband, father and grandfather,” Lujan Grisham stated in the video. “His great service to this commission and to our state is only part of the legacy he leaves behind. He loved the outdoors and he loved New Mexico.”
Heinrich said on the video that Soules was one of the primary people behind the designation of the Organ Mountains/Desert Peaks National Monument. The senator noted that the designation protected cultural areas that Soules had mapped over many years.
“He gave so much back to me and my family, and he brought that same ethic to everyone he knew in southern New Mexico,” Heinrich said.
Current commissioners also said Soules had inspired them and served as a mentor. They praised his scientific curiosity and dedication.
Commission Chair Sharon Salazar Hickey said Soules had the knack of bringing people from all walks of life together to support wildlife.
Commissioner Roberta Salazar-Henry thanked Soules’ relatives at the meeting. “David, he lived his life to the max, he knew what he wanted. He touched so many people,” she said. Her husband, Stephen Henry, recalled that Soules was a cherished hunting partner and longtime friend.
Commissioner Tirzio Lopez said Soules was an inspiration to him, and that Soules always wanted to know what people on all sides of an issue thought about it.
“”He was an amazing man,” Lopez said. “And I was shocked when I got the news. And it was a loss not only to the family but to the entire state. He was greatly missed, but he was an inspiration and continues to be an inspiration not only to the department but to various conservation organizations around the state.”
Commissioner Jimmy Bates said he had met Soules when they both were appointed to the commission. Bates said he was impressed by Soules’ knowledge. “I admired his dedication, his intelligence, his patience and his guidance,” Bates said.
Commission Vice Chair Jeremy Vesbach said he looked up to Soules. “I miss him,” he said. “I think about him all the time, and it’s nice to see how many people he touched.”
Representatives from several conservation groups praised Soules and said they respected his vision and dedication.
“David was on our board of directors for the past 11 years,” said Mark Allison, executive director at New Mexico Wild. “He was a mentor, a guide, an interpreter, an evangelist for the land. He was a friend of mine and of all of us at New Mexico Wild.”
Jesse Deubel, executive director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, said Soules had been an incredible asset for the federation and other groups.
Deubel recalled a field trip in which Soules drove his personal pickup truck over an extremely rough ORV track for miles to explore possibilities for public access to currently landlocked portions of the Coronado National Forest in the Bootheel region. Deubel said Soules only grinned and pressed on when others warned him the path was too rough for his truck.
Kevin Bixby, director of the Southwest Environmental Center, recalled that Soules took time to introduce him to turkey hunting in the Sacramento Mountains. “David was just a special person, he left us too soon,” he said. “He inspires me every day.”
Colleen Payne, regional director of Mule Deer Foundation of New Mexico, said Soules had helped with many wildlife conservation projects in the Southwest. She said he had supported her in her development as a conservationist.
Kerrie Cox Romero, executive director of the New Mexico Council of Outfitters and Guides, said Soules had been a most sincere listener. Even though they often found themselves on opposite sides of policy issues, she said. “He wanted to know what you knew, rather than listening with a response in mind,” she said. “He was just a genuinely good human being, and I’m glad to have known him, thank you.”
Bill Soules, David Soules’ brother and a state senator from Las Cruces, said his brother would have been embarrassed by all the attention at Friday’s event.
“Keep your life full, and every day try to make it better for the people, the land, the animals,” Bill Soules said. “That’s what David would want.”
In other action, the game commission heard a briefing from department biologist Stewart Liley about prospects of increasing the department’s “Open Gate” program, under which landowners can receive payments from the state to allow hunter access.
Liley said the program hasn’t expanded since it started in 2005. He said the annual budget continues at about $200,000 a year. He said the program has about 55,000 acres under agreement statewide, while other agreements permit access to another 155,000 acres of otherwise landlocked public lands. He said the program provides public access to about 10 miles of streams, as well as other waters.
Monastery Lake, a popular fishing area near Pecos, is the most heavily used property in the Open Gate program, Liley said.
Other states in the West provide varying degrees of funding for similar programs, Liley said. He said it ranges from roughly $100,000 in Utah to over $8 million in Montana.
New Mexico’s program now mostly provides access to waterfowl and small-game hunting properties, Liley said. In order to provide access to properties that would offer pubic hunters access to big game, he said the game commission should look at increasing spending up to $1 million or more annually
Commissioner Vesbach, said that he supports moving forward with investigating possible expansion of the Open Gate program.
Deubel, with the NMWF, said the federation also strongly supports expanding the program.