NMWF Annual Report 2017

ANNUAL REPORT 2017 www.nmwildlife.org 1

ANNUAL REPORT 2017

CONTENTS: Introduction

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President’s Message

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Monuments Review

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Events

Legislative Wins

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Natural Resource Protection 10 Opposing the Border Wall Financial Statement Foundations Donors Staff Members

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017

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INTRODUCTION: With the election of Donald Trump to the presidency in the fall of November 2016, conservation and activism entered a new era. Fortunately, the New Mexico Wildlife Federation was ready for the new challenges ahead - and there were many throughout 2017.

With Scott Pruitt running the Environmental Protection Agency, Ryan Zinke at the helm of the Department of the Interior, and many in the Trump administration determined to sell off and destroy our public lands, the New Mexico Wildlife Federation was on the front lines of the intensified public lands and resources battle.

Despite the challenges - or because of them - 2017 was one of NMWF’s most accomplished years ever. Our dedicated staff mobilized hundreds of New Mexicans across the state to defend our monuments, launched new education initiatives, were a constant presence in the New Mexico State Legislature, expanded our work to neighboring states, and got more sportsmen and women and outdoor adventurers on our public lands than ever before.

This report highlights just some of what the New Mexico Wildlife Federation accomplished in 2017.

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE:

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2017 Legislature, Day One: Bills that would have raided the Game Protection Fund for

$4 million in sportsmen’s license fee monies hit the ground, and New Mexico Wildlife Federation hit the ground running.

NMWF played a big part in stomping out that particular fire, but 2017 was that kind of year. Old challenges resurfaced and new ones cropped up at both the state and

national level, requiring nimble and imaginative responses to a remarkably altered

political and social landscape for wildlife, public lands, and all that our 80,000 members and supporters hold dear.

At the state level, we helped beat back bills such as one requiring cash compensation to property owners for “damages” by big game, and another dictating that elk populations be culled off public lands in numbers equal to any cuts in livestock grazing. Well-meant but ill-conceived bills to give the Game and fish Department authority to manage all New Mexico wildlife species – and wild horses! – would have come with no new money but huge new responsibilities. On the challenges to public lands side of things, one bill would have given the state veto power over new national monuments, a second would have enabled it to suck federally owned minerals out from under privately held land.

All those and others hostile to good wildlife and land management died – BUT a good, long-sought bill to make black-market trophy hunting a felony finally passed on its third run.

As the only sportsmen and women’s group with a full-time presence in every state legislative session, NMWF was an important and in some cases a key player in the state arena. The organization also played a leadership role on the national stage.

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017

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A new national administration, while on the one hand promising not to pursue transfer of federal public lands to the states, also promised to expedite and increase

mineral and petroleum development on public lands and to review and refashion national monuments and public lands management generally.

Many of those issues are still playing out. Federal assurances that hunting, angling, and public access on public lands will get additional consideration are welcome.

Increased mineral development, loosened review and enforcement of environmental

standards and those policies’ effects on access, wildlife, habitat, migration corridors, and watersheds are less so. NMWF started early in working with a broad spectrum

of local, regional, and national groups to challenge or support new initiatives as appropriate.

While divining details of what the future holds is difficult, this is certain: Old challenges will recycle and new ones arise. New Mexico Wildlife Federation is entering its 105th year of meeting them. Thanks to our heritage, our members, our partners, our board of directors and our great staff, I believe we’re up to it.

President of the Board

JOHN CRENSHAW

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017

MONUMENTS REVIEW: In April 2017, President Trump issued a proclamation to “review� 27 national monuments across America. Rio Grande del Norte and Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monuments in New Mexico were on the list to be reviewed. This proclamation marked an unprecedented attack on our public lands, so NMWF jumped into action.

Throughout the review period, which ended in July, NMWF generated more than 700 public comments, held rallies on both monuments with hundreds in attendance, published hard-hitting op-eds, and met with Secretary Ryan Zinke. NMWF staff also traveled to Bears Ears National Monument in Utah - arguably the most threatened monument - with the National Wildlife Federation to highlight the premium hunting opportunities the monument has to offer and encourage everyone to speak in support of keeping the monument in tact.

Comments during the review were overwhelmingly in favor of keeping all monuments as they are. While neither monument in New Mexico was recommended for reduction, the threat to our monuments and public lands continues as management changes were suggested. Management changes could open our monuments to harmful extractive industries which would damage the very wildlife, landscapes, and heritage designation aimed to protect.

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017

EVENTS: PUBLIC LANDS RALLY: In February NMWF held our largest public lands rally ever with about 500 people in attendance. Our rally was on the heels of another successful event in Montana, which ultimately led to Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz withdrawing a public lands seizure bill the next day, citing opposition from sportsmen and women.

FISHING ON THE MONUMENT: A highlight of the summer was hosting a fishing event on the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument with Senator Tom Udall and local Native American youth. Many key community members throughout northern New Mexico were in attendance to voice their support for the monument, and the kids had a great time too!

VALLES CALDERA OVERNIGHT CAMPING AND FISHING TRIP: This year’s Caldera camping event was a true cross cultural exchange, with youth from El Paso and Isleta del Sur Pueblo joining youth from the Northern Pueblos for a weekend of camping, archery, fly fishing, and traditional oral storytelling. Our continuing partnership with the NM Department of Game and Fish education section helped make the weekend even better as they provided educational aspects to the weekend. This weekend also would not have been possible with the guidance of Artemis Sportswomen, who led archery and fly-fishing lessons.

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017

WILDLIFE CORRIDOR SUMMIT: Building off a successful event in 2016, this year’s summit featured Senator Martin Heinrich as the guest speaker and had officials for all major agencies, private landowners, and tribal voices in attendance. This event was an important step in our new connectivity work that is expanding into Colorado.

FREEDOM HIGH SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS: In partnership with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, NMWF hosted fishing field trips for Freedom High School students to Tingley Beach. Students learned outdoor skills as well as basic ichthyology and entomology. In the fall, NMWF staff took students from FHS’ biology class on a hike in the Sandias, where they learned about geology, biomes, native animals, and the history of the area.

SABINOSO WILDERNESS VISIT AND OPENING: After years of work with Congressional leaders, sportsmen and women, and the local community, the Sabinoso Wilderness was finally opened in December of 2017. Finalization on the land swap deal needed to open the last landlocked wilderness in the country, came after a visit from Secretary of the Interior Zinke in July. The visit included a tour of the area, orchestrated by NMWF staff, with local officials and our New Mexico Senators.

NATIVE AMERICAN YOUTH AND LEADERSHIP CONGRESS: In July 2017, as part of a grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, NMWF staff organized and attended the Native Youth Community Adaptation and Leadership Congress (NYCALC) in West Virginia. The week long program brought 135 students from Native communities all over America to the National Conservation Training Center to learn about climate change, meet youth from other cultures, and enjoy the outdoors.

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017

LEGISLATIVE WINS: The New Mexico Wildlife Federation continues to be the premier sportsmen and women’s organization working through the entirety of the legislative session each year. The 2017 session was jam packed and kicked off with an attempted raid on the Game Protection Fund, which we successfully killed with the support of our members. The interests of hunters were protected as always during the session, with NMWF killing bills that would have reduced elk populations, given the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish unrealistic mandates and no additional funding, and put forth a bill that essentially made black-market trophy killing a felony.

The public land seizure movement continued in the legislative session with the “Land Commission Review of National Monuments” bill which would have required the State Land Commissioner, governor, and attorney general to review proposals for national monuments and assure they restricted the boundaries to the “smallest area necessary.” This attack on the Antiquities Act was vehemently opposed by NMWF and ultimately defeated.

A trickier attack on our public lands came in the form of the SB 182 bill, which called for Congress to grant New Mexico the federally owned mineral rights under privately owned surface acres to the State Land Office to create a fund for early childhood education.

While on the surface this bill sounded harmless, childhood education advocates and public land advocates quickly spotted this for what it was - a new wrinkle in the public lands takeover attempts. A diverse coalition worked to get this bill pulled.

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017

NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION: In 2017, NMWF made significant gains in educating the public about oil and gas issues, the importance of participating in the forest planning process, speaking up about Wild and Scenic Rivers, and protecting our cultural heritage at places like Chaco Canyon. By developing new partners and conducting sportsmen and women’s meetings in new locations across the state, our work on these issues is reaching more people than ever before.

OPPOSING THE BORDER WALL: During the 2017 legislative session, NMWF organized a sign-on letter from dozens of conservation, faith, elected, and community leaders from across the state and delivered it to New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez. The letter asked her to oppose the transfer of state land to the federal government for the explicit purpose of facilitating the construction of a border wall on New Mexico’s border. The letter highlighted the negative impact the border wall would have on our communities, wildlife, and economy. Later, the National Wildlife Federation adopted NMWF’s position and passed a resolution opposing the border wall. Thus, all 51 NWF affiliates were in line with NMWF’s position.

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017

FINANCIAL STATEMENT: 93%

85%

5%

Foundations:

Program:

Fundraising:

$591,967

$903,601

7%

Donations:

$73,247

10%

$43,738

Management & General:

$129,551

SUPPORT

E XPE N SE S

0.22% Other Income:

$820

95.10% Contracts:

$359,104

1.36% Investment Income:

0.19% Interest:

$710

$5,124

3.14% Cell Phone Tower Lease:

$11,863

RE VE N U E

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017

THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS

FOUNDATIONS: Fidelity Charitable Trust McCune Foundation Turner Foundation Western Conservation Foundation PEW Charitable Trust National Wildlife Federation Wallace Genetic Foundation Conservation Lands Foundation New Belgium BNSF Santa Fe Community Foundation Frost Foundation

DONORS: William Bramble Carolyn Stupin Steve Childers John McCawley Blair Wolf Jim Byrd Arvid Lundy Mario Mejia George Lawes Daniel McGuire Marilyn Forbes Peter Lupsha Zane Dohner Thomas Lentz John Crenshaw

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017

BOARD OF DIRECTORS John Crenshaw

DIRECTORS AT LARGE

Jim Bates Bruce Wilder Blair Wolf John McCawley JoAnn Melchor Carmichael Dominguez

PRESIDENT

Steve Henry

VICE PRESIDENT

Don Faraone TREASURER

Bill Bramble SECRETARY

STAFF MEMBERS Garrett VeneKlasen

Todd Leahy

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Sophie Shemas

Wendy Sandidge

Susan Calt

Susan Torres

OFFICE MANAGER

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Andrew Black

Gabe Vasquez

PUBLIC LANDS FELLOW

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS & EDUCATION

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

SOUTHERN NM OUTREACH COORDINATOR

6100 Seagull St. NE, Suite B-105

Email: nmwildlife@nmwildlife.org

Albuquerque, NM 87109

Phone: 505-299-5404

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017