Range Program Manager Daniel Ginter will speak to Senator Martin Heinrich about composting applications on the Santa Ana Pueblo on September 10th. (Mike Sandoval / For the )
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SANTA ANA PUEBLO – Once absent from the pueblo country north of Bernalillo, wild turkey and pronghorn roam next to elk, deer and mountain lions.
Glenn Harper, the area and wildlife area manager at Santa Ana Pueblo, said that his team’s work over the past two decades shows that it is possible to reintroduce species important to the tribe.
“Over time, the landscape has changed, and whoever manages this landscape has changed,” said Harper. “But everyone needs wildlife to keep their traditions alive.”
Reintroduction involved capturing animals from other parts of New Mexico and planting additional forage.
The Pueblo’s Natural Resources Department draws funds from the tribal budget and federal grants.
The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, sponsored by U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, DN.M., would channel approximately $ 97.5 million annually to tribes like Santa Ana Pueblo and $ 1.3 billion to states for wildlife conservation.
Heinrich said about $ 28 million would go to projects in New Mexico each year.
“We can still try to (sort of) manage once it’s an emergency, once something is identified as threatened or endangered,” he said. “Or we can make a sustainable upfront investment and prevent these species from getting into a crisis in the first place.”
State wildlife agencies such as New Mexico Game and Fish would manage the funds to manage “species in greatest need of protection.”
The Wildlife and Fish Species Action Plan lists over 200 species in this category along with ideal areas for projects that could protect them.
Some of the animals are unique to New Mexico. Others play a crucial role in their ecosystems or have lost their habitat due to forest fires or water scarcity.
Existing laws have traditionally directed taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to recreational fishing and big game restoration.
Ross Leon plants indigenous plants in the Bosque des Santa Ana Pueblo on September 10th. (Mike Sandoval / For the )
“But there was never any dedicated funding for any of the other wild animals,” said Heinrich. “This really opens up the possibility of managing everything from bumblebees to bison.”
Monitoring wildlife populations is a top priority at Santa Ana.
The Pueblo’s Livestock and Wildlife Acts, passed in the early 2000s, help protect herds and their habitat by establishing grazing and hunting boundaries.
But nearby Interstate 25 and Highway 550 are major obstacles for wildlife as vehicles kill hundreds of animals each year.
Harper said migration corridor projects could benefit from additional federal funding.
“The closer we get into urban development, the narrower we become this corridor, and we end up with a very small piece of space for these animals to cross,” said Harper.
The Bosque des Pueblo can be an ideal habit for endangered birds like the southwestern willowcatcher when the Rio Grande flows high.
Additional funding could help the tribes adapt to a fluctuating river in the face of the mega-drought and climate change, said Nathan Schroeder, director of the Santa Ana restoration department.
“Even trees that have their roots in the river die,” says Schroeder. “That changes what we want to plant.”
The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act was introduced to the Senate in mid-July and referred to an environmental committee.
Theresa Davis is a member of the Report for America Corps, a water and environmental researcher for the .
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