The New Mexico Wildlife Federation is holding its annual Public Lands Rally on from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Feb. 20, at the state Capitol in Santa Fe. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard have been invited to speak.
Preserving public lands is a top priority of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. New Mexico includes about 9 million acres of national forests and 13 million acres of Bureau of Land Management land. Those lands, owned and used by all Americans, support some of the finest hunting and fishing opportunities in the United States.
Some politicians in New Mexico and elsewhere around the country have been pushing for states to take over federal lands. The effort continues even though many experts say such a land grab would be constitutionally questionable and also burden states with enormous new costs.
In New Mexico, many business owners oppose such land-grab proposals, noting that a public land divestiture would reduce consumer spending on the state’s booming outdoor industry.
Most New Mexico sportsmen use public lands almost exclusively for their hunting and fishing. And most can’t afford to buy private land authorizations to hunt big game or to pay for access to a privately owned stretch of stream.
Hunters, anglers and all other public lands users need to speak out loud and clear against any action to transfer or sell federal lands. Please join your fellow hunters, anglers and other public lands users at the Roundhouse at 1 p.m., on Feb. 20 and tell our elected officials to KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY PUBLIC LANDS!
