>Does anyone find this helpful?
>
>Joe
I found it very helpful!
I've received 2 automated "I'm busy go fly a kite" replies and the 2 following replies.
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Thank you for your email.
Senator Jennings wanted to be sure you knew he received your email, and will take it into consideration when he votes on SB 196.
Regards
Michaelene
Michaelene M. Kyrala
Leadership Analyst
Senator Timothy Z. Jennings
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Thank you for your thoughts and concerns about hunting opportunity in New Mexico, and Senate Bill 196.I believe that the future of hunting for all of us across the nation depends first on ensuring that the great American tradition of hunting opportunity is accessible for all citizens, not just the wealthy or well-connected. Many average citizens in New Mexico are dropping out of hunting altogether and we are losing a tradition and connection to the land because it has become so difficult for a resident of average means to obtain a big-game hunting license in their own state. That is why I believe residents of New Mexico deserve 90 percent of big game licenses. A 90 percent guarantee for residents is standard in the majority of western states, and it is also not as restrictive to non-residents as some states in the Midwest and other places are with re-established elk herds, and is not as restrictive as states such as Oregon that guarantee residents 95 percent of deer and elk drawings and 97 percent of antelope and black bear. A 90 percent quota on big game draw hunts for resident hunters is the most common practice in western states and has been in place for years in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Utah. While my first priority is to ensure adequate local opportunity to pass on our hunting traditions, I do also believe that non-residents should not be overly restricted. My legislation, as originally written, permitted 10 percent of big game draw licenses to go to non-residents and did not mandate that anyone hire an outfitter. The issue we are now working through in the New Mexico legislature is how to deal with the outfitter set aside that was established in New Mexico law in 1997 at a level of 12 percent. This set-aside mandates that a substantial number of hunters must hire an outfitter in order to get access to a hunting license. In the past this mandate has overly restricted New Mexico residents to just 78 percent of big game licenses, a number so low that it actually gives our state residents lower odds of getting a license than non-residents in over two-thirds of our big game hunts. Amendments were added to Senate Bill 196 that have re-established the outfitter set-aside and reduced it to 8 percent, but now the set-aside has overly restricted non-residents to just two-percent of licenses. It is important to note that the Senate Conservation Committee was just laying the groundwork for a final bill. I am now committed to work to improve the status of non-resident hunters like you, as two-percent is too low for non-residents who are not forced to hire an outfitter. The outfitter set-aside mandate is a problem and a difficult issue to solve for both resident and non-resident hunters who love New Mexico.
Thank you again for taking the time to write on this important issue.
Respectfully,
Senator George K. Mu?oz
NM State Senator District 4
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