Mule Deer Buck @joshmettenphoto
Do you have any thoughts on this post?
Conservation Opportunities Outlined in New Mexico’s Migration Action Plan
Now is the time for sportsmen and sportswomen to step up and ensure this work moves forward
In 2019, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law the Wildlife Corridors Act, a first-of-its-kind piece of state legislation. The law mandated that New Mexico’s agencies develop monitoring protocols, analyze economic benefits, identify movement barriers, and create maps to better conserve migratory habitats used by big game animals like elk, mule deer, and pronghorn.
Following the Wildlife Corridors Act’s directive, the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish just released the Wildlife Corridors Action Plan. Among other things, the plan highlights 10 wildlife-vehicle collision hotspots, five of which were identified using collision data and five of which were identified using ecological data such as GPS, telemetry, and linkage modeling. In addition, the plan provides project recommendations and cost-benefit analysis for each project.
Across New Mexico over the course of one year, there are roughly 1,200 wildlife-vehicle collisions costing nearly $20 million in total, a figure that does not incorporate the economic impact of loss of work, school, or productivity resulting from these accidents. Roadways also contribute to habitat fragmentation, disrupting migratory movements and impeding access to the important seasonal habitats on which wildlife rely for their survival.
The Wildlife Corridors Action Plan takes a significant step to address these issues by identifying those sites where wildlife-vehicle collisions are most likely to occur and where potential future projects could most effectively mitigate and reduce these incidents. The plan does not, however, fund these projects or delineate a timetable for their completion. With $350 million of federal infrastructure funding available over the next 5 years and the state enjoying a revenue surplus, New Mexico is well-positioned to compete for and leverage state and federal funding to complete this work.
With such an opportunity on the table, it is critical that New Mexico sportsmen and sportswomen step up and get involved. Right now, NMGF and NMDOT are accepting public comments on the Wildlife Corridors Action Plan until March 12, 2022. It is important that members of our community share their local knowledge and experiences with planners. It is equally important to ensure that the plan uses ecological data and corridor models to enhance, restore, and conserve connectivity on these landscapes beyond collision hotspots.
Beyond commenting on the plan, sportsmen and sportswomen need to contact our state legislators and the governor’s office and communicate the importance of funding these projects. Safe passage for our wildlife is a significant investment: projects such as these range in cost from $17 to $45 million each and take years to plan and build. Research shows, however, that these highly effective infrastructure investments save millions in costs through accidents averted and lives saved.
There can be no better investment than in the safety of our roads and our treasured wildlife.
For more information on the Wildlife Corridors Action Plan, visit https://wildlifeactionplan.nmdotprojects.org/.
Comments on the plan can be submitted between January 12, 2022, and March 12, 2022 via:
- Email: wildlife.corridors@state.nm.us
- Phone: (505) 470-3656)
- Mail: Draft Wildlife Action Plan (Attn: Matthew Haverland), 1120 Cerrillos Rd, Rm 206, P.O. Box 1149, Santa Fe, NM 87505
TRCP Welcomes Four New Board Members
Their leadership and expertise will help steer the organization for the next three years and beyond
Washington, D.C. — The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is pleased to announce the onboarding of four new directors to its leadership team. Shawn Gorman, Rue Mapp, Sanjay Patel, and Simon Perkins bring a diverse set of experience to the TRCP’s Board of Directors.
“We’re thrilled to welcome these industry leaders and dedicated advocates to our Board at a time when the conservation community has become so influential and effective at securing bipartisan-backed conservation solutions,” says Whit Fosburgh, TRCP’s president and CEO. “We have even more opportunity to advance conservation in the years ahead, and Shawn, Rue, Sanjay, and Simon will have a strong impact as the Board works to set up our organization for success and empower our staff.”
Learn more about our newest Board members below and see the full roster here.
Shawn Gorman, Executive Chairman of L.L.Bean, Inc.
Shawn Gorman serves as executive chairman of L.L.Bean, a family-owned outdoor retailer that was founded by his great-grandfather, Leon Leonwood (“L.L.”) Bean, in Freeport, Maine in 1912. Previously, Gorman served the business in various roles in marketing, communications, and customer operations for more than 20 years. In addition to leading L.L.Bean’s Board of Directors, Gorman oversees the company’s audit and Board compensation committees and is a member of L.L.Bean’s governance committee.
Outside L.L.Bean, Gorman serves as chairman of the John T. Gorman Foundation and on the boards of the Outdoor Industry Association and University of New Hampshire Foundation. He is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Brooks School in North Andover, Mass., and recently joined the steering committee of the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters organization. He is also a former vice chair of the United Way of Greater Portland.
Gorman grew up in Exeter, New Hampshire and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from UNH in 1989. He has also completed executive programs at the Wharton School of Business and the Kellogg School of Management. Like his great-grandfather was, Gorman is an avid outdoorsman, and enjoys spending time outside with friends and family.
Rue Mapp, Founder & CEO of Outdoor Afro
Rue Mapp is the founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro, a national not-for-profit organization with offices in Oakland, Calif., and Washington, D.C. She oversees a carefully selected and trained national volunteer leadership team of nearly 90 men and women from 30 states around the U.S. and has successfully connected thousands of people, especially from the Black American community, to nature and the benefits of spending more time outdoors. Since Outdoor Afro’s inception in 2009 as a blog, Mapp has captured the attention and support of millions through a multimedia approach that is grounded in personal connections and community organizing.
In 2010, Mapp participated in the America’s Great Outdoors Conference at the Obama White House and subsequently took part in a think-tank to inform the launch of the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” initiative. She has been recognized with numerous awards and distinctions including: The Root 100, as one of the most influential African Americans in the country in 2012 and 2016; the Outdoor Industry Inspiration Award; the National Wildlife Federation Communication award, received alongside President Bill Clinton; and one of America’s 20 Most Influential Moms as named by Family Circle Magazine. In 2020, Outdoor Afro was also chosen to be highlighted and visited by Oprah on her 2020 Vision Tour. She has served on the Boards of the Outdoor Industry Association and The Wilderness Society. In 2014, she was appointed to the California State Parks Commission by Governor Jerry Brown. She has also been named a National Geographic fellow and a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated.
As a graduate of UC Berkeley with a degree in Art History, Mapp’s skills and background make her a unique voice in the effort to enlighten a diverse community on the wonders and benefits of the outdoors. She resides in Vallejo, Calif., and is the proud mother of three young adults.
Sanjay Patel, Chairman International and Senior Partner of Private Equity at Apollo Management
Sanjay Patel is chairman international and senior partner of private equity at Apollo Management in New York City, where he is responsible for helping to build and develop Apollo’s international businesses. He was formerly head of their European division and managing partner of Apollo European Principal Finance based in London. He joined Apollo Management in 2010 as head of international private equity. He is a member of the firm’s management committee and investment committees. Patel started his career at Goldman Sachs in 1983 and spent 17 years working in European and Indian private equity for their Principal Investment Area in New York and London. Previously, he was president of Greenwich Street Capital from 1998 to 2003.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Tegra Apparel and is a member of the Financial Sector Forum for the Bank of England. He is also a member of the Board of Overseers for Harvard University and the Stanford Graduate School of Business Advisory Council. He serves on the Investment Committee of the Eton College Foundation and is the chair of the Eton Development Committee.
Patel received his AB and SM engineering degrees, magna cum laude, from Harvard College and received his MBA degree from Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar. He was educated at Eton College in the UK, where he was a King’s Scholar concentrating on American foreign policy and international economics.
Simon Perkins, President of The Orvis Company
Simon Perkins is president of Orvis, representing the third generation of the Perkins family to lead the company since 1856—he is the son of Leigh “Perk” Perkins, former Orvis CEO, and grandson of Leigh H. Perkins, who purchased The Orvis Company in 1965. Simon joined Orvis in 2012 and has filled leadership roles across merchandising, adventures, and brand marketing teams. As vice president of brand marketing and chief operating officer, he oversaw the execution of the company’s long-term strategic planning and has championed projects aimed at diversifying the sport of flyfishing, such as the 50/50 On the Water initiative and the Breaking Barriers Award, which highlights individuals broadening the flyfishing audience.
Perkins has served on the Boards of the National Wildlife Refuge Association and Trout Unlimited Headwaters. He has been a driver of Orvis’s involvement in advocacy for conservation projects in locations such as Bristol Bay, Alaska and Florida’s Everglades. Before joining Orvis, Perkins spent 11 years as an upland hunting and flyfishing guide in Montana, sharing his love of the outdoors, fishing, and hunting with clients.
In the Arena: Jared Ungar
TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.
Jared Ungar
Hometown: Canton, Georgia
Occupation: Low voltage technician
Conservation credentials: Recently awarded the first-ever Corey Rockwell Bird Dog, Literary, & Conservation Development Award
Jared Ungar represents the bright future of grouse hunting and conservation awareness in America. As the Minority Outdoor Alliance’s first-ever scholarship honoree, Ungar will get the support he needs to train his first Brittany spaniel puppy, while developing an outdoor writing portfolio with the help of an industry mentor. We’re honored to give him a platform to share his experience along the way.
Here is his story.
My cousin John was the first person to take me out hunting when I was 13, but it wasn’t until almost 10 years later that I figured out bird hunting over a dog is what lights my fire. I realized it when I was sitting in a treestand waiting for a whitetail to cross my path—I couldn’t help but think, “I could be hunting birds with my dog Colt right now.”
For better or worse, that was the last time I went deer hunting.
The first bird I harvested with Colt gave me one of my most memorable outdoor adventures. I had just driven from Georgia to Pennsylvania to pick up Colt after he’d been away training for a few months. On my way back, I decided to visit a good friend, Tom, in New Jersey and we ended up spending the day at his hunting club with our Brittanys. It did not disappoint, and I can’t think of a better person to have shared that moment with.
If I could hunt or fish anywhere, I’d chase sharpies in Montana. In every video I’ve watched of sharptail hunters, it’s just clear that they’re having the most fun. And Montana has been a place I’ve wanted to experience for a long time. There is a feeling I get in the mountains—the landscape consumes me and my body feels just a little bit lighter. I’ve only experienced this when trying to comprehend the sheer size of the snowy caps that seem to be a world away and right on top of you at the same time.
The reason I try to be involved in conservation is not complicated: I get to enjoy the outdoor resources that so many people have worked hard to make sure that I have. And I have an obligation to pay that forward.
I think the biggest conservation challenge we’re facing is finding people who are interested enough to learn about hunting, fishing, and conservation. There needs to be enough of us to push policies that will benefit everyone who enjoys the outdoors.
As I grow in my writing, I hope that its reach will grow as well. And I hope that anyone reading will keep in mind that I’m just a bird hunter putting my thoughts on paper. Y’all are just as capable of making memories and sharing your adventures in the outdoors with dogs and friends.
Follow Jared @BrittanyBentBirdBound on Instagram. All photos by @androstheo. Do you know someone “In the Arena” who should be featured here? Email info@trcp.org for a questionnaire.
Interior Cancels Hardrock Mining Leases in the Boundary Waters
A broad coalition of groups commended the administration’s action to ensure long-term protections for this bucket-list paddling, fishing, and hunting destination
Hunters and anglers are applauding the Department of the Interior’s decision to cancel two federal hardrock mineral leases located in the Superior National Forest within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness watershed, citing the importance of sustaining the Boundary Waters’ recreational, economic, and fish and wildlife values.
Sportsmen and sportswomen also commended federal agencies’ reinterpretation of the legal “m-opinion” that underpinned several previous agency decisions to allow for sulfide-ore copper mining permits and leases to be granted within the watershed. Thousands of members of organized hunting, fishing, and conservation groups support this decision, which is an important step in the effort to permanently protect the Boundary Waters watershed from the negative impacts of hardrock mining.
Over 250,000 people recently commented in a federally led process to set aside the over 225,000 acres in the Superior National Forest from destructive hardrock mining, with the public input overwhelmingly in favor of the area’s long-term conservation. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is America’s most-visited wilderness area, which supports a regional economy highly dependent on access to public lands.
“Today’s announcement by the Biden administration is the right decision for the Boundary Waters and for the outdoor community that has worked so hard to protect it for future generations,” says Lukas Leaf, executive director of Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters. “Spending time outdoors is what rejuvenates and energizes us. The importance of preserving places like the Boundary Waters that provide that experience is immeasurable. We appreciate these steps taken by federal land management agencies that lay out the correct process by which we can protect our priceless public lands and waters. Now we must build on this momentum and achieve permanent protection for the BWCA.”
“We applaud the administration’s decision to cancel the hardrock mineral leases upstream of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area,” says Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “The Superior National Forest was originally set aside by President Theodore Roosevelt to conserve this remarkable landscape, and today’s announcement renews the opportunity to permanently safeguard the Boundary Waters as a renowned canoeing, fishing, and hunting destination.”
Downstream of the mining leases are sensitive populations of native lake trout that are significant not only to anglers, but also as part of Minnesota’s natural heritage, says John Lenczewski, executive director of Minnesota Trout Unlimited. “Today’s decision is an important step to help ensure that populations of these unique fish remain healthy long into the future,” he says.
Local hunters and anglers have been vocal in their opposition to the leases for years. “We have worked hard to press decision-makers to ensure we keep these waters clean and safe,” says Matt Lee, chair of Minnesota Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. “I would like to thank all of our members—who have reached out to the last three administrations—with the goal of ensuring that these lands and waters are protected for future generations. We look forward to our continued work with the administration and congressional leaders to implement permanent conservation measures for the Boundary Waters.”
Other leaders in the hunting and angling community also reacted positively to the announcement:
“With memories of my family’s trip to the Boundary Waters this summer still fresh in my mind, I had the great pleasure of telling my kids today that an imminent threat no longer exists,” says BHA President and CEO Land Tawney. “We join a thunderous applause in thanking the administration for rescinding the leases that never should have been issued in the first place – and we look forward to continuing to work with Congress to assure the long-term protection of the Boundary Waters watershed.”
“The reasons to safeguard the magnificent Boundary Waters, America’s most popular wilderness area, are as crystal clear as the pristine waters of the Rainy River Watershed,” says Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “The Boundary Waters are a natural treasure that is simply too important to risk – and the costs for people and wildlife too steep. The Biden administration’s decision will safeguard essential habitat for hundreds of wildlife species and protect thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of economic benefits that depend upon the Boundary Waters’ world-class camping, hiking, paddling, fishing, and hunting.”
Securing permanent protections for the Boundary Waters was on TRCP’s list of top priorities for the Biden Administration. Learn more about this issue on our blog.
Top photo courtesy of Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters
HOW YOU CAN HELP
From now until January 1, 2025, every donation you make will be matched by a TRCP Board member up to $500,000 to sustain TRCP’s work that promotes wildlife habitat, our sporting traditions, and hunter & angler access. Together, dollar for dollar, stride for stride, we can all step into the arena of conservation.
Learn More
You have Successfully Subscribed!
