NEW MEXICO CHAPTER OF QUAIL UNLIMITED

Dear New Mexico Sportsman,

We are soliciting your help and support in an urgent statewide effort to protect the hunting resources on 1.2 million acres of public land in southern New Mexico known as Otero Mesa. Otero Mesa is south of the Sacramento Mountains, west of the Guadalupe Mountains, north of the Texas border and east of Fort Bliss.

The majority of the land in this area is managed by BLM (Bureau of Land Management). Within this vast remote area is some of the state’s best trophy hunting for pronghorn antelope and desert mule deer. Otero Mesa also offers big game hunting for Oryx, Barbary sheep and cougar. If you like to hunt game birds, Otero Mesa has some of the best quail and dove hunting in the state. Other wildlife includes coyote, bobcat, badger, swift fox, other furbearers, numerous raptors and over 250 species of songbirds. Otero Mesa provides sportsmen the unique opportunity to hunt vast expanses of wild public land that has very limited hunting pressure. The solitude and unique quality of hunting in Otero Mesa is primarily due to the large tracts of roadless areas that total over 500,000 acres, making it the largest remaining roadless area in New Mexico.

The unique characteristics that Otero Mesa has to offer sportsmen will be severely impacted due to potential Oil & Gas development, which will allow:

· Opening almost the entire 1.2 million acres to full-scale oil and gas development.

· Development of oil & gas facilities, construction of several hundred miles of new

roads and pipelines and miles of power lines.

· Allow high-density 5-acre well drill pads (well sites).

· Potential contamination of one of New Mexico’s largest fresh water aquifers.

· Severe impact and degradation to wildlife and habitat resources.

· Elimination of large roadless areas.

· Prevalent poaching.

Otero Mesa contains a rich diversity of wildlife and habitat, but it is also home to several ranching families, some of whom have lived on this land for over five generations. The ranchers in Otero Mesa have recently joined the conservation and sportsman communities in a joint effort to protect Otero Mesa from oil and gas development that characterizes much of southeastern and northwestern New Mexico.

As sportsman and stewards of our public lands, we need to collectively demand that BLM’s management plan for Oil & Gas Development in Otero Mesa will protect wildlife, habitat and water resources. We should demand a balanced approach that allows wildlife to prosper, while taking care of America’s increasing energy needs. BLM’s current proposal for Otero Mesa contains minimal protection for wildlife and habitat resources; the reality is that the proposal will allow full-scale development that could devastate the area. Otero Mesa has been used by sportsman for generations and is a place worthy of protection for generations yet to come. The sportsmen need to draw a line in the sand and demand that our congressional delegation stop this process at once.

This is an urgent matter and one that needs your immediate participation and action!

The BLM’s Final Environmental Impact Statement for Otero Mesa is due out November 1st.

CALL & WRITE

Senator Pete Domenici today !

Let him know you want the following for Otero Mesa:

Click Here for Talking Points

Otero Mesa needs to be protected from uncontrolled oil and gas development. BLM needs to incorporate wildlife and habitat resource protection measures in the Final Oil & Gas Resource Management Plan for Otero Mesa. The fresh water aquifer beneath Otero Mesa is a precious resource and is crucial for the economic development of southern New Mexico. Request the US Geological Survey conduct an in-depth study of the fresh water aquifer and specify measures to protect it form oil & gas contamination. BLM’s current regulations will not protect the aquifer in Otero Mesa from Oil & Gas contamination. Request better regulations that will protect the fresh water aquifer. BLM does not have the manpower to enforce existing regulations for oil and gas development in Otero Mesa. Request adequate staffing & enforcement of regulations.

As Sportsmen and stewards of our public lands, request protection of Otero Mesa through the creation of a National Conservation Area. Such designation incorporates wildlife and habitat resource protection and controlled oil and gas development.

Senator Pete Domenici

Hart Senate Office Building-Room 328

Washington, D.C. 20510

DC Phone: 202-224-6621

Fax: 202-228-0900

You can also help by:

· Contact Governor Bill Richardson at: Ph 505-476-2200 Fax 505-955-1251

· Address: Office of the Governor, State Capital, Room 400, Santa Fe, NM 87501

· Submitting letters to the editor and or op-ed letters to your local newspapers.

Getting your friends and other sportsmen organizations involved in this issue!

SINCERELY:

BILL Huey - Director, New Mexico Department of Game & Fish (1975 to 1978)

Secretary, Natural Resources Department (1978 to 1982)

Harold F. Olson - Director, New Mexico Department of Game & Fish (1978 to 1988)

Bill Montoya - Director, New Mexico Department of Game & Fish (1988 to 1994)

Jerry Maracchini - Director, New Mexico Department of Game & Fish (1994 to 2000)

Larry Bell - Director, New Mexico Department of Game & Fish (2000 to 2003)

John Moen, President - New Mexico Chapter of Quail Unlimited

Dr. Sanford (Sandy) Schemnitz, President – Southwest Consolidated Sportsmen

Oscar Simpson, President – New Mexico Wildlife Federation

Dutch Salmon, Sportsman – Journalist

For More information: Contact Oscar Simpson, President of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation at 505-345-0117 or cell phone at 505-259-5766 or by email at oscarsimpson3@yahoo.com or go to the Otero Mesa website :