He new mexico state game commission owns approximately 20,000 acres of land in southeastern new mexico, which are managed by the department of game and fish (department) for the benefit and…

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish received a $1 million Formula Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 2 under the Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education and Safety program (CFDA 15.611). The funding will support projects to remove, modify, and install wildlife-friendly fencing on approximately 20,000 acres of wildlife management areas in southeastern New Mexico owned by the New Mexico State Game Commission and managed by the Department of Game and Fish. The fencing improvements aim to reconnect grassland habitats for species like pronghorn, while conserving lesser prairie chicken habitat through boundary fencing to exclude trespassing livestock. Work will be completed between August 1, 2022 and December 31, 2026.

He new mexico state game commission owns approximately 20,000 acres of land in southeastern new mexico, which are managed by the department of game and fish (department) for the benefit and conservation of lesser prairie chickens (tympanuchus pallidicinctus). Prior to acquisition by the department, this land was used for sheep, goat, and cattle ranching, or were previous farmlands, and were fenced with net-wire or 7-strand barbed-wired fences to contain livestock. These fences fragmented the landscape and negatively impacted wildlife movements especially that of pronghorn. There is a need to improve habitat connectivity and help expand the range of grassland dependent wildlife species such as pronghorn through the removal and modification of fences. Additionally, there is a need to continue to conserve lesser prairie chicken habitat by fencing the boundaries of several of these wmas in order to exclude trespass livestock. These boundary fences will be composed of wildlife friendly wires to allow the continued movement of wildlife. The purpose of this project will be to remove, modify, and install wildlife friendly fence on wildlife management areas in southeastern new mexico for the continued conservation of prairie chicken habitat as well as to reconnect grassland habitats.