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Monday night, the Democratic and GOP candidates for New Mexico’s First Congressional district appeared at a Sportsmen’s candidate forum hosted by a number of hunting and angling groups including Trout Unlimited. The candidates, Martin Heinrich and Darren White, answered six hunting and angling oriented questions in front of a crowd of about 90 at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. The candidates were allowed 3 minutes for each answer. Heinrich answered first on the first three questions and White answered first on the last three questions.
You can watch a video of the entire forum at www.nmwildlife.org.
Below is the transcript of the questions and the candidates’ answers.
Candidate forum, Congressional District 1
Aug. 18, 2008 8 p.m. Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Albuquerque, NM
Moderated by Bob Gerding
Hosted by, Albuquerque Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Mule Deer Foundation, New Mexico Trout, National Wild Turkey Federation, New Mexico Wildlife Federation, Quail Unlimited, Sandia Crest Bowhunters, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife and Trout Unlimited
The Democratic and GOP candidates for New Mexico’s First Congressional District appeared Monday night at a Sportsmen’s candidate forum hosted by a number of hunting and angling groups including Albuquerque Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Mule Deer Foundation, New Mexico Trout, National Wild Turkey Federation, New Mexico Wildlife Federation, Quail Unlimited, Sandia Crest Bowhunters, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife and Trout Unlimited.
The candidates, Martin Heinrich and Darren White, answered six hunting and angling oriented questions in front of a crowd of about 80 at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. The candidates were allowed three minutes for each answer. Heinrich answered first on the first three questions and White answered first on the last three questions.
The great turnout and the fact that the candidates were eager to come out and address sportsmen’s issues bodes well for wildlife and conservation in New Mexico.
Stay tuned for transcripts or video of the forum in the near future.
The Santa Fe New Mexican ran an article on August 23rd about the efforts of the Truchas Chapter (Santa Fe) of Trout Unlimited’s effort to protect the population of pure Rio Grande cutthroat in Alamitos Creek. This project is the second barrier that TU will be funding to protect native cuttroat. With the fish’s staus as a candidate for Endangered Species Act listing, we feel it is imperative to get as much work as possible done now, before the US Fish & Wildlife Service takes over the effort.
The Truchas Chapter has started a Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout Restoration Fund to help provided matching money for projects like this. Anyt money we can raise can be leveraged with fedral, state and private foundation grants to significantly increase the funds available for efforts to save the cutthroat. To learn more about this fund, contact Rob O’Connor at <roboconnor@aol.com>.
At the Game Commission Meeting on 8/21 there were some issue of interest to NM fishermen.
- NMTU had asked the Department to add a request for an additional fish biologist and some part time personnel to work on Rio Grande cutthroat. While the department decided to ask the governor for more staff, they asked for 2 full time tech positions instead of an additional biologist. We feel that given the fish’s status as a candidate for ESA listing, the state will be better served getting restoration work done now, before the feds take the reigns of RGCT recovery. TU is currently working on and helping to fund the Rio Costilla reintroduction, and also is funding a barrier on Alamitos creek to protect the population there.
- The Commission adopted the seven priniples laid out by Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development. This is an effort that TU has played a large part in developing. While we do not want to prevent energy development accross the west, we want to make sure it is done in a manner that does not degrade our fish and wildlife resources.
- The commission also agree to back the effort to revise the 1872 Mining Act. This act needs to be updated to insure that mines are reclaimed after the mining is over, and revise the provisions that allow mining companies to patent lands for $2,50 an acre.
- There was a proposal to spend $100,000 for a study of what is happening to the San Juan river. Commissioner Simpson made a motion to add this item to the proposed budget, but it was defeated. This is a study that NMTU has supported. The San Juan has become a complex system over the last few years with the re-operation done by BOR a few years ago cutting the base flow, gas development on the rim of the canyon potentially adding to siltation, and the channelization of some side arroyos adding to siltation. If you’ve fish there for more than a few years, you know how the quality of the fishing has declined. The commission did approve $250,000 for stream improvements and sand removal.
Candidate Forum On Sportsmen’s Issues
Monday, August 25th, 8:00 p.m. in Albuquerque
For : New Mexico’s First Congressional District
Featuring Candidates:
Sheriff Darren White and Councilor Martin Heinrich
You are cordially invited to the Candidate Forum on Sportsman’s Issues sponsored by the undersigned sportsmen and conservation organizations to be held on Monday, August 25 at 8:00pm in the Silver& Turquoise Room of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (2401 12th St. NW, in Albuquerque).
William Schudlich
gregmcreynolds
kevinvreilly
