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House Bill 366, introduced by Rep. Matthew McQueen, Rep. Christine Chandler and Rep. Roberto Gonzales, bans the use of traps, snares, and poisons on New Mexico’s public lands—unless it meets a listed exception.
This is a reasonable solution that will protect wildlife, companion animals, and citizens enjoying New Mexico’s public lands from unnecessary and accidental suffering, injuries, and deaths—and better align the management of wildlife with modern conservation practices and New Mexico voters’ humane values—while still allowing certain key tools for ranchers and government agencies to protect public health and livestock. It will also help mitigate the emotional and financial strain of dealing with the loss or injury of an animal because of the jaws of a trap, a snare, or poisons.
New Mexico’s tourism and outdoor recreation economy is damaged by the threat of traps, snares, and poisons on public land. According to the 2011 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Survey of Wildlife-associated Recreation, wildlife-watchers in New Mexico spent $327 million on their activities (increased since 2006) versus trappers spending only $3.5 million (reported in a 2013 NM Department of Game & Fish-commissioned analysis). The #NewMexicoTrue campaign could be destroyed if a tourist’s dog were injured or killed on our public lands.
They are completely unrelated to species population control or disease control and are not necessary to manage carnivore species to protect livestock. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture estimates that carnivores kill only 0.18% of the total U.S. cattle inventory and 4% of the sheep inventory. Many non-lethal methods—pens, sheds, visual deterrents, guard animals, and cage traps—are effective and widely available.
Eight (8) other states ban leghold traps, 14 ban body-gripping traps, and 20 ban snares. Neighboring states Colorado and Arizona banned traps on public land in the mid-1990s, and they see less livestock depredation than New Mexico.
These cruel and outdated devices do not belong on our public land. Our families and companion animals deserve to be safe from traps and poisons while exercising the right to enjoy our public lands.
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Thank you for your interest in this issue and Animal Protection Voters' efforts. While this particular initiative doesn't target leaders representing your district, there are many other ways you can support us!
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