Environment

This Black Friday, lots of options to #OptOutside in New Mexico

By |

On Black Friday, you can line up outside a big box store hours before sunrise, shove your way through the crowd and perhaps, victoriously snap a selfie with the discounted flat screen television you scored. But if you’re lucky enough to have the day off on Friday and want to disentangle from the stress of bills, work, school, social media and politics, you have other options. There’s a movement afoot to wrest the day after Thanksgiving from the clutches of consumerism. And New Mexico is the perfect place to join the revolution. Even though the #OptOutside campaign itself emerged from the retail world—REI decided not to open its stores on the post-Thanksgiving retail day and instead give employees the day off—it’s entirely possible to have fun outside without buying any recreational equipment at all.

Environment

Game & Fish silent on review that could cost state money

By |

It’s not clear if the state of New Mexico is worried about a potential loss of federal funds, even as other states voice concern over a review ordered by Donald Trump’s Secretary of the Interior. Last month, the Missoulian reported that officials at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks were worried about how a memo signed by U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke will affect the department. The memo required a review of all grants more than $100,000. According to the story:
The Department of Interior annually distributes $5.5 billion in grants and cooperative agreements, according to the memorandum Zinke signed on April 12 and which took effect on April 19. Zinke, a Montana resident and former congressman, said in the memo that he was issuing the directive to help him “ … understand the immense impact grants and cooperative agreements have on the mission delivery of the Department.”
Although the memo says the “procedures are temporary” and that business as usual would return “as soon as possible,” no end date is given.

Environment

Digging into Zinke’s public lands lead ammo ban reversal

By |

On Ryan Zinke’s first day as Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, he overturned an 11th-hour Obama-era directive that would have expanded the use of nontoxic ammunition and fishing tackle on public lands. Rep. Steve Pearce publicly thanked Zinke on Twitter for his “quick action to scrap a last-minute Obama Administration regulation that banned lead ammo.” The social media message included a shot of Zinke signing the order while flanked by clapping fans, including the National Rifle Association’s Chris Cox, and a picture of lead ammunition. NM Political Report followed up with the Republican representative’s office, asking why the congressman supported the use of lead, a metal known to harm humans and wildlife, on public lands. Related: Interior secretary rides into work, signs two orders

“Use of lead ammunition and tackle has occurred since the beginning of our nation and there is no scientific evidence that links the use of lead to decreasing population levels of wildlife,” Press Secretary Keeley Christensen said in an emailed statement. “Additionally, lead based ammunition and tackle is widely used by sportsmen and fishermen.

Congress & Federal Issues

CNN says Heinrich ‘ready for the Hunger Games’

By |

A U.S. Senator was on CNN this week to talk about conservation and the 2016 presidential race in a unique setting: while preparing for an elk hunt. Republican commentator S.E. Cupp spoke to U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich about hunting, the outdoors and, of course, Donald Trump. Cupp says in the video that while putting together the Outside with Insiders series, everyone on “The Hill” told her that she “had to find Martin Heinrich.” Heinrich talks about the “North American model of wildlife conservation,” and calls it the “envy of the world.” These basically say that fish and wildlife belong to the public, and so should managed in a sustainable way.