I’ve gone to Chaco Canyon every year for most of 25 years. It’s my pilgrimage. This year was possibly the windiest (and that’s saying a lot). My journal may be a little less inspired than we’d like, but in it, you’ll read about my new friends and some old roads.
Read the journal (link to photos at the end) …
Be the first to comment May 15th, 2008 In Chaco
A labor of love with hiking & camping info. peace, mjh
Be the first to comment May 14th, 2008 In newmexico
Not always free and not limited to RVs. You’ll find urban & remote spots. peace, mjh
Be the first to comment May 14th, 2008 In Uncategorized
peace, mjh
ABQNews - Another Top 10 for Albuquerque
Written by Dan McKay
Monday, 21 April 2008
Albuquerque’s Biological Park landed on the Top 10 list for best urban parks in the West, according to Sunset magazine.
Tingley Beach, the Rio Grande Zoo’s African exhibit and the Sasebo Japanese Garden are mentioned as reasons for the No. 8 ranking.
The magazine compiled a list of 10 great urban parks for its April edition. Topping the list is Balboa Park in San Diego.
Be the first to comment April 21st, 2008 In Day Trips daytrips newmexico
Some nice details in these pages. peace, mjh
Be the first to comment April 21st, 2008 In newmexico wildlands
Environmentalists want lynx protected in N.M.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Environmentalists and animal protection groups on Monday sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
They’re trying to force the agency to extend Endangered Species Act protection to the Canada lynx in New Mexico.
The lawsuit says about 60 lynx have strayed into northern New Mexico since the Colorado Division of Wildlife began releasing the animals in Colorado in 1999.
The federal government lists the elusive cats as threatened in 14 states - but not New Mexico.
Last August, conservation groups petitioned for protection for the cats in New Mexico.
The lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in Washington, D.C., complains that Fish and Wildlife failed to make a finding on the petition within 90 days as required by the Endangered Species Act.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Be the first to comment April 21st, 2008 In newmexico wildlife
The Sonoran Desert Knowledge Exchange (SDKE) is a collaborative initiative led by the UA Libraries that seeks to bring together individuals and organizations who have information, services and other resources that can contribute to increased awareness, research and preservation of the Sonoran Desert.
Be the first to comment April 21st, 2008 In Other Peoples arizona
Stop The Slaughter Of New Mexico Wildlife [Wilderness Alliance]
This past Tuesday, April 15, the Albuquerque Journal reported that a rancher in northwestern New Mexico killed 39 pronghorn antelope by shooting them with a shotgun because they were grazing in his "dormant" alfalfa field. Many of the pronghorn were maimed and did not die right away.
A 1997 law (known as the Jennings Law after its sponsor, State Senator Tim Jennings, D-Roswell) gives farmers and ranchers the right to kill wildlife that present an "immediate threat" to their crops. Rancher, Neal Trujillo, who is responsible for the killings, has complained that the State Game & Fish Department has failed to keep the pronghorn off his property, even though the state agency has offered to give Trujillo materials and some of the labor needed to reinforce his fencing.
In response to the public outcry on the killings, the Game & Fish Commission is inviting the public to comment on the law and will be holding three meetings in New Mexico.
1. May 29 in Farmington
2. July 24 in Las Vegas
3. August 21 in AlbuquerqueIn the meantime, Game & Fish took video of the shootings and posted it on the Albuquerque Journal website.
Watch The Video Here
(Warning: This Video Contains Graphic Images)Please call Senator Tim Jennings and voice your concern about the slaughter that occured on Neal Trujillo’s ranch. It is completely unacceptable for New Mexico’s wildlife to be maimed and left to suffer before they die, especially when the crops they were supposedly feeding on were dormant.
Senator Tim Jennings
(575) 623-8331Also call Tom Arvas, Chairman of the New Mexico Game & Fish Commission and urge him to do everything in his power to prevent any future incidences of New Mexico’s precious wildlife being slaughtered.
Chairman Tom Arvas
(505) 293-3515
Be the first to comment April 18th, 2008 In newmexico wildlife
Rabid Fox Found in Sierra County
Written by Bruce Daniels - ABQnewsSeeker
Thursday, 17 April 2008Dead animal found April 9 is the sixth confirmed case in southwestern N.M. this year.
A dead fox found in the Beaverhead area of the Gila National Forest about 50 miles northwest of Truth or Consequences has tested positive for rabies, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish said in a news release.
The fox found April 9 was the first confirmed rabid fox in Sierra County and the sixth to be found in southwestern New Mexico so far this year, the release said.
This latest case was found at the far western edge of Sierra County near the top of a drainage to the Gila River, but so far no rabid animals have been found east of the Continental Divide, according to Game and Fish.
Fox rabies has been a problem for years in Arizona and has now spread into western New Mexico.
The first New Mexico case was confirmed in the southwestern part of the state last year, when nine foxes and one bobcat tested positive for rabies in Catron County.
Since then, it has spread into Grant County and now Sierra County, the department said.
Kerry Mower, a wildlife health specialist with Game and Fish, said the problem will likely continue in New Mexico in the coming years, but will eventually run its course.
The current fox population in southwestern New Mexico appears to be high, and cases of canine distemper also appear to be on the increase in the area, Mower said.
The key to controlling the spread of rabies, Mower said in the release, is to have a licensed veterinarian vaccinate all pets and livestock.
Residents also can protect themselves by keeping pet food indoors, putting trash out only on pickup days and removing bird feeders that may attract foxes and other animals to their property, the release said.
Be the first to comment April 17th, 2008 In newmexico wildlife
Gear Swap
Sunday, May 18
A Summer Equipment Swap and a New Mexico Wilderness FestivalThe New Mexico Wilderness Alliance presents the 2nd annual Gear Swap to be held Sunday May 18th at our office, located at 142 Truman St. NE.
The public is invited to bring their slightly used outdoor equipment to be sold. Sell your gear and shop for some great bargains. Twenty two percent commission to benefit the NM Wilderness Alliance. Bring your used kayaks, canoes, dry bags or paddles, slightly used backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, or sleeping pads. Please, no used climbing gear or flotation devices.
Sell the stuff that has been collecting dust. Get rid of the old stuff so you can buy new. Help folks with limited funds, so they can purchase equipment and enjoy the Wilderness with us. “This is the perfect opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts to clean out the garage and sell their previously-loved equipment so you can buy something new,” said Nathan Newcomer, Media Director for the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance. “It’s also a great opportunity for the public to learn about sustainability, wilderness first aid and a whole slew of other things.”
The Wilderness Festival is a celebration of New Mexico’s wild public lands and a vision of a more energy efficient future. There will be booths promoting wilderness, wolves, sustainability, and outdoor recreation. Workshops on wildlife tracking, packing light, gourmet wilderness cooking, map reading and much more. Great music and guest speakers!
For more information, please call Craig Chapman at 505-843-8696, ext. 1009
WHAT: Gear Swap 2008
WHEN: Sunday, May 18th—10 AM to 4 PM. For those wishing to sell equipment, Check-in Monday thru Friday, May 12th—9 AM to 4 PM. Day of the event check-in, 7AM to 10AM.
WHERE: Office of New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, 142 Truman St. NE, located one block west of San Mateo in between Central and Copper.
Be the first to comment April 16th, 2008 In Other
Building Community
Film Night @ O’Niell’s Pub
Tuesday, May 6
7 - 9 PMJoin the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance for our kick-off event in a series that aims to build community in New Mexico while educating our members and the broader public on ways they can become involved in conservation issues.
Wilderness work can be very serious sometimes, but our "Building Community" program is designed for fun and camaraderie. It is a way to bring our members together; to relax; drink a cold brew and be a part of the community.
On Tuesday, May 6, we are partnering with O’Niell’s Pub (4310 Central Ave SE, Central at Washington in East Nob Hill) to show the film, Wolves in Paradise, a tale of survival as ranchers face the challenge of living with wolves in the decade after the top predator was restored to Yellowstone National Park. This documentary follows the growing wolf packs as they leave the sanctuary of the park and make their first incursions into Paradise Valley.
For more information, please contact Nathan Newcomer / 505-843-8696, ext. 1006
Please join us on Tuesday, May 6, at O’Niell’s Pub, from 7 - 9 PM and help us Build Community!
Be the first to comment April 16th, 2008 In wildlife
ABQjournal NM: A Decade After Reintroduction of the Wolf, Environmentalists, Ranchers Continue to Play Tug of War Over Program By Rene Romo
Copyright © 2008 Albuquerque Journal; Journal Southern Bureau
The deep and often bitter divide between supporters and opponents of the wolf project is a big obstacle to its success, observers say.
"The conflict is real, and until we have either better federal leadership or better local leadership, the prospects for wolves are not going to improve greatly," said John Horning of Santa Fe-based WildEarth Guardians, formerly Forest Guardians.
"And right now the prospects for wolf recovery are not great," Horning said.
"It’s kind of depressing to read all these comments that things are going to hell in a handbasket," said Laura Schneberger, head of the Gila Livestock Growers Association and a staunch opponent of the wolf reintroduction effort.
"It’s just not true," Schneberger said. "There are a lot of uncollared wolves out there."
I wonder if Schneberger has any proof for her claims. Does she have a theory for how the wolves are proliferating? I assume she explains the discrepancy between science and her opinion as simply out of touch extremists lying again. Elsewhere on this blog, she comments:
The difference between us and some of our counterparts is that we all have considerable and some of us, vast wildlife experience and we hope we are for the most part fairly patient with the extremism and bias directed at us from all sides of this issue.
I’m generally suspicious of people who feel besieged by inferiors. peace, mjh
3 comments April 8th, 2008 In newmexico wildlife
See the difference you can make - Earth Hour 2008
Created to take a stand against the greatest threat our planet has ever faced, Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming.
This simple act has captured the hearts and minds of people all over the world. As a result, at 8pm March 29, 2008 millions of people in some of the world’s major capital cities, including Copenhagen, Toronto, Chicago, Melbourne, Brisbane and Tel Aviv will unite and switch off for Earth Hour.
See the difference you can make - Earth Hour 2008
Be the first to comment March 17th, 2008 In Uncategorized
Though protected from development, these ten parks are in harm’s way
Aztec Ruins National Monument, New Mexico
This walled village on the banks of the Animas River was built by the Anasazi six to nine centuries ago. Threat: A coal bed methane well stands at the entrance to the park. Nearby land has been leased for future development.Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico
A major trade and ceremonial center between a.d. 850 and 1250, this sprawling complex of Anasazi ruins is one of the country’s premier archaeological sites. Threat: Smog from power plants pollutes the air. Recently proposed natural gas pads would mar the views from the visitors center.
Too Close For Comfort : Condé Nast Traveler on Concierge.com
Concierge.com” href=”http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/detail?articleId=11646″>Is the West Losing Its Wild? : Condé Nast Traveler on Concierge.com
The search for fossil fuels across the American west is turning some of the nation’s last open spaces into industrial zones and putting protected areas and wildlife risk. Jim Robbins reports on how the U.S. government is allowing energy companies to carve up treasured landscapes—one well at a time
Beyond the country’s national parks is a second tier of wild landscapes that are neither as well known nor as dramatic but are nonetheless beautiful and were also set aside for the enjoyment of the American people. One of them is Largo Canyon, a broad red-and-dun sandstone cleft in the desert outside Farmington, New Mexico.
Is the West Losing Its Wild? : Condé Nast Traveler on Concierge.com
Concierge.com” href=”http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/detail?articleId=11647″>This Land is Your Land : Condé Nast Traveler on Concierge.com
Untangling the federal agencies managing the nation’s open spaces
When it was established within the Department of the Interior in 1946, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) inherited the nation’s leftover lands—175 million acres of the American West that hadn’t been given to states, privatized, or deemed scenic enough to protect. The agency’s mandate to sustain the health and productivity of its land has historically translated to an emphasis on grazing, mining, and drilling. The Clinton administration strengthened the BLM’s conservation ethic, protecting more than 42 million of its acres. The Bush administration took the opposite tack, loosening environmental regulations and shifting the agency’s resources to focus on oil and gas production. Today, the BLM manages 260 million of the nation’s 630 million–plus public acres, and is one of the government’s top revenue generators. Here’s who’s managing the other 370 million acres of your land:
Fish & Wildlife Service
Mandate: To conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats; chief administrator of the Endangered Species Act. Acres Managed: 93 million of the National Wildlife Refuge System. All land is protected from development.National Park Service
Mandate: To "preserve unimpaired" the natural and cultural resources of its parks. Acres Managed: 83 million in 369 sites, from Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty. All land is protected from development.Forest Service
Mandate: To sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of its forests. Acres Managed: 193 million in 155 forests and 22 grasslands. Of those acres, 35.3 million are congressionally designated wilderness. In 2001, the Clinton administration protected an additional 58.5 million acres. The Bush administration repealed the move; the case in now being fought in federal court.
This Land is Your Land : Condé Nast Traveler on Concierge.com
Be the first to comment March 16th, 2008 In wildlands
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