LAST EDITED ON Mar-10-13 AT 07:05PM (MST)[p]Dear MM-Go Read HM's 90 and 91.
http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/BillFinderNumber.aspx
If you are so inclined after reading, please call this representative and tell him to go away or we will vote him out in a heartbeat!
[email protected]
Capitol Phone: (505) 986-4435
Home Phone: (575) 635-5615
THE DEPARTMENT NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT. Lets show this guy what support means.
BTW-This is the guy who lead the way on the Trapping Bill
I was asked to share the info below with you.
Some points to be made on HM90 & 91...
Steinborn has never, not once in his life, had a conversation with me about the Department of Game and Fish or any of his apparent concerns about reorganization. If he had, he would understand that his memorials are unnecessary, founded in rumors and half-truths, and a monumental waste of the House of Representatives' time and a waste of taxpayers dollars if LFC is ordered to implement HM90 (also including a waste of license dollars for my folks to provide the volumes of information to show what a remarkable job the Department continues to do in the realm of wildlife management).
Under my guidance, the Department has been reorganized to operate as a team of professionals to manage the wildlife of the State for all citizens. The Department operated as 12 individual Divisions that lacked clear leadership or a sense of purpose or mission. Under the reorg, we now have 8 Divisions that are led by an executive team that sits in Santa Fe at our headquarters. Under the old organizational structure, the Department did most threatened and endangered (T&E) species work in one division. Those folks operated largely independently of the rest of the Department and often with little accountability for expenditure of license funds or real goals for recovery of species. They also often had an attitude of being on a "higher" plain than those professionals that worked on game species of wildlife and fishes. They were not part of a cohesive team working toward wildlife conservation for the entire State. Given my experience in another state (KY), I saw the old NM model of management as being quite broken. Our professionals' expertise, implementation of habitat projects and data collection by our resource divisions should complement each other to accomplish the greatest good in the most efficient manner. In order to accomplish breaking down the "silos" that had been fostered under old leadership, I integrated the biologists in the old "Conservation Services Division" into teams of professionals in two main resource divisions - Wildlife and Fisheries. The greatest intent of that move was to play on the strengths of the individuals and to expose them to the reality that their projects, research and passion were not independent of impacts to others working on various other wildlife species. Working together, those folks will accomplish way more than they were accomplishing individually - including very good things for T&E species... Contrary to Steinborn's assertions, not only do the biologists that were working on T&E species prior to me being Director still work on them, they now have folks on their team that can assist that were previously sitting in another Division down the hall.
Little known fact, btw, is that I spent about half of my career in Kentucky working on T&E species in the Environmental Section of the KY Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources... Yep. Cold blooded killer Lane actually worked on endangered bats and mussels. Unbelievable, I know.
One might also ask Steinborn if he has ever heard of Rio Grande cutthroat trout or Gila trout. Under my leadership, the Department has and continues to pour resources ($$$ and dedication of 2 full-time positions that did not exist prior) toward conservation of those T&E fishes. Hardly a Department that has shirked its responsibility...
Can you say lesser prairie chicken? We dedicate one full time position toward long-term conservation of that species (but you don't hunt them, right? Glad you asked. No, we don't), just enrolled 27,000 State Game Commission owned acres into Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances for lesser prairie chickens with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and are actively pursuing expenditure of upwards of $3,000,000 of Game Protection Fund (yes, 3 MILLION DOLLARS) to acquire more acreage to protect that bird and its habitat. Shirking responsibility again...
Some specifics for HM90 -
Pay particular attention to the below section of the Wildlife Conservation Act - Subsections C and D have not been a reality since 2008 - The Department has not received any general fund money since 2008 for implementation of the WCA, nor does the statute tell us to seek funding. However, because T&E work is necessary and good, the Department has and will continue to implement the WCA using Game Protection Fund (license) dollars, although the law actually recognizes the imbalance and suggests putting the onus on other sectors of society. This is another example of the modern paradigm of wildlife management in North America - the user pay, everyone benefits model. True conservationists are the license buying sportsmen and women of NM. Their money pays for all wildlife management, not just "hook and bullet" species.
17-2-39. Findings and declarations.
The legislature finds and declares that:
A. species of wildlife indigenous to the state that may be found to be threatened or endangered should be managed to maintain and, to the extent possible, enhance their numbers within the carrying capacity of the habitat;
B. the state should assist in the management of species of wildlife that are deemed to be endangered elsewhere by prohibiting the taking, possession, transportation, exportation, processing, sale or offering for sale or shipment within this state of species of wildlife listed on the United States lists of endangered fish and wildlife, unless such actions will assist in preserving or propagating the species;
C. adequate funding should be made available to the department of game and fish by annual appropriations from the general fund or from other sources separate and apart from the game protection fund for management of threatened or endangered species; and
D. because the management and recovery of threatened or endangered species are the responsibility of and a benefit to all of society, the costs of management and recovery should be the responsibility of all sectors of society, and those costs should be minimized and should be borne by federal, state and local governments with contributions from the private sector.
History: 1953 Comp., ? 53-2-52, enacted by Laws 1974, ch. 83, ? 3; 1995, ch. 145, ? 3.
I could go on and on about the absurdity of the allegations and give many examples of species that are being worked on as we speak that are in the category of stuff that I supposedly have pulled the plug on... Ultimately, at the expense of a lot of work on LFC and the Department's part, HM90 will give the Department a chance to shine a light on an amazing amount of work that goes into T&E species, funding totaling in the millions of $$, and collaborative relationships with conservation organizations, state and federal agencies. All is done on the backs of the customers of the Department in using their license dollars to fund work for the greater good. Unbelievable to me that he is able to make such absurd allegations, but that is the nature of the beast, no?
HM91 - Where do I start? Not to mention the fact that I have an oversight committee called the State Game Commission as appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, to appoint such a committee by the Director or Department as suggested in the Memorial is illegal, period. Only the Governor can make it happen. See the below statutes and highlighted text (as pointed out in the committee hearing...).
9-1-8. Creation of agencies; prohibition.
Unless otherwise provided by law, neither a department secretary nor any other employee of the executive branch of state government, or any agency, may, by administrative action, create an agency, board, commission or any other entity of state government. This section shall not apply to:
A. advisory committees created in accordance with Section 9 [9-1-9 NMSA 1978] of the Executive Reorganization Act; and
B. units within the internal structure of a department established under Subsection A of Section 4 [9-1-4 NMSA 1978] of the Executive Reorganization Act.
History: 1953 Comp., ? 4-29B-8, enacted by Laws 1977, ch. 248, ? 8.
9-1-9. Creation of advisory committees; who may create; filing; applications; composition; life span; title; quorom [quorum]; compensation.
A. Advisory committees may be created. Advisory shall mean furnishing advice, gathering information, making recommendations and performing such other activities as may be instructed or delegated and as may be necessary to fulfill advisory functions or to comply with federal or private funding requirements, and shall not extend to administering a program or function or setting policy unless specified by law.
B. The governor or a department secretary, with approval of the governor, may create advisory committees.
C. Each creating authority must file with the governor and the secretary of finance and administration a record of the advisory committee created, showing the committee's:
(1) name;
(2) composition;
(3) appointed members' names and addresses; and
(4) purpose and term of existence.
D. The secretary of each department created by the Executive Reorganization Act shall, upon the effective date of the Executive Reorganization Act, file a record of each advisory committee within the department not abolished. Upon the filing of such a record, the provisions of this section shall apply to each such advisory committee.
E. The creating authority shall prescribe the composition and functions of each advisory committee created; appoint its members, who shall serve at the pleasure of the creating authority; and specify a date when the existence of each advisory committee ends.
F. No advisory committee may be created to remain in existence longer than two years after the date of its creation or beyond the period required to receive federal or private funds, whichever occurs later, unless extended by executive order of the governor. If the existence of an advisory committee is extended, the extension shall not be for more than two years.
G. Each advisory committee created under this section shall be known as the " ......... advisory committee."
H. A majority of the membership of an advisory committee shall constitute a quorum.
I. Each member of an advisory committee may receive compensation for travel and per diem expenses incurred in the performance of their duties within budgeted amounts and in accordance with the provisions of the Per Diem and Mileage Act [10-8-1 through 10-8-8 NMSA 1978].
History: 1953 Comp., ? 4-29B-9, enacted by Laws 1977, ch. 248, ? 9.
http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/BillFinderNumber.aspx
If you are so inclined after reading, please call this representative and tell him to go away or we will vote him out in a heartbeat!
[email protected]
Capitol Phone: (505) 986-4435
Home Phone: (575) 635-5615
THE DEPARTMENT NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT. Lets show this guy what support means.
BTW-This is the guy who lead the way on the Trapping Bill
I was asked to share the info below with you.
Some points to be made on HM90 & 91...
Steinborn has never, not once in his life, had a conversation with me about the Department of Game and Fish or any of his apparent concerns about reorganization. If he had, he would understand that his memorials are unnecessary, founded in rumors and half-truths, and a monumental waste of the House of Representatives' time and a waste of taxpayers dollars if LFC is ordered to implement HM90 (also including a waste of license dollars for my folks to provide the volumes of information to show what a remarkable job the Department continues to do in the realm of wildlife management).
Under my guidance, the Department has been reorganized to operate as a team of professionals to manage the wildlife of the State for all citizens. The Department operated as 12 individual Divisions that lacked clear leadership or a sense of purpose or mission. Under the reorg, we now have 8 Divisions that are led by an executive team that sits in Santa Fe at our headquarters. Under the old organizational structure, the Department did most threatened and endangered (T&E) species work in one division. Those folks operated largely independently of the rest of the Department and often with little accountability for expenditure of license funds or real goals for recovery of species. They also often had an attitude of being on a "higher" plain than those professionals that worked on game species of wildlife and fishes. They were not part of a cohesive team working toward wildlife conservation for the entire State. Given my experience in another state (KY), I saw the old NM model of management as being quite broken. Our professionals' expertise, implementation of habitat projects and data collection by our resource divisions should complement each other to accomplish the greatest good in the most efficient manner. In order to accomplish breaking down the "silos" that had been fostered under old leadership, I integrated the biologists in the old "Conservation Services Division" into teams of professionals in two main resource divisions - Wildlife and Fisheries. The greatest intent of that move was to play on the strengths of the individuals and to expose them to the reality that their projects, research and passion were not independent of impacts to others working on various other wildlife species. Working together, those folks will accomplish way more than they were accomplishing individually - including very good things for T&E species... Contrary to Steinborn's assertions, not only do the biologists that were working on T&E species prior to me being Director still work on them, they now have folks on their team that can assist that were previously sitting in another Division down the hall.
Little known fact, btw, is that I spent about half of my career in Kentucky working on T&E species in the Environmental Section of the KY Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources... Yep. Cold blooded killer Lane actually worked on endangered bats and mussels. Unbelievable, I know.
One might also ask Steinborn if he has ever heard of Rio Grande cutthroat trout or Gila trout. Under my leadership, the Department has and continues to pour resources ($$$ and dedication of 2 full-time positions that did not exist prior) toward conservation of those T&E fishes. Hardly a Department that has shirked its responsibility...
Can you say lesser prairie chicken? We dedicate one full time position toward long-term conservation of that species (but you don't hunt them, right? Glad you asked. No, we don't), just enrolled 27,000 State Game Commission owned acres into Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances for lesser prairie chickens with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and are actively pursuing expenditure of upwards of $3,000,000 of Game Protection Fund (yes, 3 MILLION DOLLARS) to acquire more acreage to protect that bird and its habitat. Shirking responsibility again...
Some specifics for HM90 -
Pay particular attention to the below section of the Wildlife Conservation Act - Subsections C and D have not been a reality since 2008 - The Department has not received any general fund money since 2008 for implementation of the WCA, nor does the statute tell us to seek funding. However, because T&E work is necessary and good, the Department has and will continue to implement the WCA using Game Protection Fund (license) dollars, although the law actually recognizes the imbalance and suggests putting the onus on other sectors of society. This is another example of the modern paradigm of wildlife management in North America - the user pay, everyone benefits model. True conservationists are the license buying sportsmen and women of NM. Their money pays for all wildlife management, not just "hook and bullet" species.
17-2-39. Findings and declarations.
The legislature finds and declares that:
A. species of wildlife indigenous to the state that may be found to be threatened or endangered should be managed to maintain and, to the extent possible, enhance their numbers within the carrying capacity of the habitat;
B. the state should assist in the management of species of wildlife that are deemed to be endangered elsewhere by prohibiting the taking, possession, transportation, exportation, processing, sale or offering for sale or shipment within this state of species of wildlife listed on the United States lists of endangered fish and wildlife, unless such actions will assist in preserving or propagating the species;
C. adequate funding should be made available to the department of game and fish by annual appropriations from the general fund or from other sources separate and apart from the game protection fund for management of threatened or endangered species; and
D. because the management and recovery of threatened or endangered species are the responsibility of and a benefit to all of society, the costs of management and recovery should be the responsibility of all sectors of society, and those costs should be minimized and should be borne by federal, state and local governments with contributions from the private sector.
History: 1953 Comp., ? 53-2-52, enacted by Laws 1974, ch. 83, ? 3; 1995, ch. 145, ? 3.
I could go on and on about the absurdity of the allegations and give many examples of species that are being worked on as we speak that are in the category of stuff that I supposedly have pulled the plug on... Ultimately, at the expense of a lot of work on LFC and the Department's part, HM90 will give the Department a chance to shine a light on an amazing amount of work that goes into T&E species, funding totaling in the millions of $$, and collaborative relationships with conservation organizations, state and federal agencies. All is done on the backs of the customers of the Department in using their license dollars to fund work for the greater good. Unbelievable to me that he is able to make such absurd allegations, but that is the nature of the beast, no?
HM91 - Where do I start? Not to mention the fact that I have an oversight committee called the State Game Commission as appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, to appoint such a committee by the Director or Department as suggested in the Memorial is illegal, period. Only the Governor can make it happen. See the below statutes and highlighted text (as pointed out in the committee hearing...).
9-1-8. Creation of agencies; prohibition.
Unless otherwise provided by law, neither a department secretary nor any other employee of the executive branch of state government, or any agency, may, by administrative action, create an agency, board, commission or any other entity of state government. This section shall not apply to:
A. advisory committees created in accordance with Section 9 [9-1-9 NMSA 1978] of the Executive Reorganization Act; and
B. units within the internal structure of a department established under Subsection A of Section 4 [9-1-4 NMSA 1978] of the Executive Reorganization Act.
History: 1953 Comp., ? 4-29B-8, enacted by Laws 1977, ch. 248, ? 8.
9-1-9. Creation of advisory committees; who may create; filing; applications; composition; life span; title; quorom [quorum]; compensation.
A. Advisory committees may be created. Advisory shall mean furnishing advice, gathering information, making recommendations and performing such other activities as may be instructed or delegated and as may be necessary to fulfill advisory functions or to comply with federal or private funding requirements, and shall not extend to administering a program or function or setting policy unless specified by law.
B. The governor or a department secretary, with approval of the governor, may create advisory committees.
C. Each creating authority must file with the governor and the secretary of finance and administration a record of the advisory committee created, showing the committee's:
(1) name;
(2) composition;
(3) appointed members' names and addresses; and
(4) purpose and term of existence.
D. The secretary of each department created by the Executive Reorganization Act shall, upon the effective date of the Executive Reorganization Act, file a record of each advisory committee within the department not abolished. Upon the filing of such a record, the provisions of this section shall apply to each such advisory committee.
E. The creating authority shall prescribe the composition and functions of each advisory committee created; appoint its members, who shall serve at the pleasure of the creating authority; and specify a date when the existence of each advisory committee ends.
F. No advisory committee may be created to remain in existence longer than two years after the date of its creation or beyond the period required to receive federal or private funds, whichever occurs later, unless extended by executive order of the governor. If the existence of an advisory committee is extended, the extension shall not be for more than two years.
G. Each advisory committee created under this section shall be known as the " ......... advisory committee."
H. A majority of the membership of an advisory committee shall constitute a quorum.
I. Each member of an advisory committee may receive compensation for travel and per diem expenses incurred in the performance of their duties within budgeted amounts and in accordance with the provisions of the Per Diem and Mileage Act [10-8-1 through 10-8-8 NMSA 1978].
History: 1953 Comp., ? 4-29B-9, enacted by Laws 1977, ch. 248, ? 9.
