SB 312 is now SB 419

RoughCountry · Mar 3, 2021

I just received this email for anyone interested.....

We very much regret to inform you that SB 312 is alive yet again! Only this time the bill has been reincarnated as SB 419 - NARROW LANDOWNER ANIMAL TAKINGS. It seems the spaghetti throwing experiment of SB 312 has the Jennings Law repeal as the only thing left sticking to the Legislative wall.

SB 419 is basically a straight Jennings Law repeal. The bill eliminates a landowner's ability to protect their private property, livestock, or crops from wildlife damage & depredation. Under this bill, even after a landowner has worked with the Dept. of Game and Fish to resolve a wildlife depredation problem for a full year, the landowner would still not have the right to take or kill an animal without the explicit permission of the State Game Commission through Rule.

The Jennings Law is not utilized by landowners for elk control very often. That's because under the EPLUS program elk have value. Without EPLUS elk become pests that compete for resources with other income producing assets (such as cattle or crops). If the EPLUS program is dissolved, landowners will be forced to use the Jennings Law to protect their income producing assets against high levels of forage and crop depredation. In order for the NMWF and BHA (the same proponents of this bill) to force private land hunting authorizations back into the public draw they must first get rid of the Jennings Law.

Senator Steinborn (the sponsor of the bill) has been very careful to steer clear of linking this bill to the attempts to dismantle the EPLUS program. Even publicly announcing on the Senate floor yesterday "this bill has nothing to do with landowner hunting tags". DO NOT BE FOOLED. Back in October 2020 the NMWF and BHA put the outfitting industry on notice that they were planning to try to dissolve the EPLUS program. Repealing the Jennings Law is step-one in that effort. Now we are suddenly expected to believe that this legislative push to repeal the Jennings Law is a mere coincidence! How dumb do they think we are.

Additionally, this bill establishes a NEW provision of law that allows the State Game Commission to determine "whether and by what manner and method a species can be taken or killed in order to mitigate damage". So, in theory, the Commission would now have the ability to tell a private landowner, who has a skunk in their chicken coop, whether they must use a gun, a bow, or a box cutter to kill the skunk.

And let's not forget that the word "take" is defined as "to harass, hunt, capture or kill any wildlife or attempt to do so". Under this bill, if you have a bear in your garbage can (I'm talking to you Raton, NM) there is not one thing you could do about it other than call the Dept. Game and Fish...and good luck if it's 3am.

Finally, delegating full control of wildlife damage mitigation to the State Game Commission will create nothing more than a revolving door of constant policy changes, that will swing from one side of the pendulum to the other, every time a new Governor appoints a new Game Commission.

It's time to open the flood gates of opposition to this bill. Call, text, and email your Senators NOW! This bill will be heard by the Senate Conservation Committee on Saturday morning at 9am. Click HERE to register to speak. Remember the new bill number is SB 419. Senate Conservation Committee members are listed below.

Senator Stefanics - (505) 397-8851
Senator Sedillo-Lopez - (505) 397-8847
Senator Gallegos - (505) 986-4278
Senator Cervantes - (505) 397-8820
Senator Hamblen - (505) 397-8827
Senator Neville - (505) 986-4701
Senator Pope - (505) 397-8843
Senator Schmedes - (505) 986-4395
Senator Soules - (505) 397-8

tymeflyme · Mar 3, 2021

The ranchers have the right to protect their feed crop but it should be done with high fences and not by undoing the Jennings law. RO tags should only be allowed, after that point and when the herd is hunted off the ranches, the rancher should be happy and the state hunter tag pool will be increased. Let face it with all the money us hunters spend on Habitat stamps and Access validation stamps you would think the NM game and fish would build solar power well drinkers on State, BLM, & NF lands for the animals

Muleman · Mar 3, 2021

Them sneaky bastards won’t quit. They will keep doing this until they can get it passed. Steinborn is a putz but he knows how to play the political game. Don’t let up, stay involved keep blasting the politicians with emails. I don’t like the Jennings law but I like Steinborn and the liberal agenda even less.

I believe they also added lion, bear and javelina meat must be pack out.

Booner · Mar 3, 2021

tymeflyme said:
...“and the state hunter tag pool will be increased.”

This tells me you don’t understand the program, or how licenses are allocated.

Trad Bow 1979 · Mar 4, 2021

Muleman said:
Them sneaky bastards won’t quit. They will keep doing this until they can get it passed. Steinborn is a putz but he knows how to play the political game. Don’t let up, stay involved keep blasting the politicians with emails. I don’t like the Jennings law but I like Steinborn and the liberal agenda even less.

I believe they also added lion, bear and javelina meat must be pack out.

Are you opposed to packing out lion, bear and javelina meat? Seems like a reasonable expectation.

RoughCountry · Mar 4, 2021

If you agree with this bill and I’m not talking about packing out game, is like agreeing that Joe Biden is good for the conservative, red blooded American. I don’t want to see weak, nutty liberals get one inch of NM conservation because you can bet it’s not in the interest of hunting and outdoorsmen in the once great state.

Muleman · Mar 5, 2021

82ndreddevil said:
Are you opposed to packing out lion, bear and javelina meat? Seems like a reasonable expectation.

No, not against it necessarily, but they are trying to gain support for their agenda. I just don’t trust anything Steinborn is pushing. I know what their end goal is, and it ain’t good for hunters.

Booner · Mar 5, 2021

Muleman said:
No, not against it necessarily, but they are trying to gain support for their agenda. I just don’t trust anything Steinborn is pushing. I know what their end goal is, and it ain’t good for hunters.

Exactly