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Bill would end killing of wildlife on private landSANTA FE, N.M. (AP)--When a Cimarron area rancher last year killed more than three dozen pronghorn antelope that had been chowing down on his winter-wheat fields, he was acting within the law. Now, with the backing of Gov. Bill Richardson, state officials and wildlife groups are pressing the Legislature to stop such slaughters, saying they are wasteful and give New Mexico a black eye. A bill pending in the Senate would eliminate the provision in law that allows ranchers and farmers to kill wildlife on private land, unless they are predators posing an immediate threat to humans, livestock or pets. It also, for the first time, provides for compensation for losses to landowners who request help from the Department of Game and Fish but find that the intervention is not feasible or effective. "This is a very sensible approach to dealing with the depredation problems that occur," Charlie Sanchez, a farmer from Tome, in Valencia County, and a former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist, said at a news conference. Department of Game and Fish Director Tod Stevenson said despite the legality of the incidents--which also include the killing of elk on ranches in Catron and Rio Arriba counties--many members of the public want to see the depredation problem handled differently. The proposal creates a balanced approach, he said. The money would come from an existing fund, which is fed by a fee--$3 for residents and $10 for nonresidents--that is part of the cost of big game hunting licenses. That fund, which Stevenson said generates about $450,000 annually, is used for prevention-based measures such as fencing. Under the legislation, which is sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, the payments to claimants would be prorated, based on what was available in the fund each budget year. The department anticipates spending at least half of the fund to pay claimants, according to an analysis of the bill done for lawmakers. Senate President Pro Tem Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, who a dozen years ago wrote the current provision in law allowing the killings, said in an interview Feb. 24 that for the proposed change to work there would have to be "meaningful compensation--cold, hard cash, and it has to be prompt." "If you have a freshly planted field, that's the greenest thing out there," he said, and a herd of wildlife can cause tens of thousands of dollars in losses. Jennings, a sheep farmer, said while he didn't condone the actions of ranchers and farmers who have killed wildlife, poor management of wildlife by the Game and Fish Department has caused landowners to become frustrated.
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