Speak Up for All Animals Along the Rio Grande!

In December, after receiving complaints from people in the area, New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard made the commonsense decision to not allow trapping or hunting on 212 acres of State Trust Land along the Rio Grande in the South Valley, an area directly next to the new Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, and its easily accessible parking. 

Read the press release here, and view the map below indicating the now closed area—which represents a heavily-populated urban area incompatible with hunting and trapping activity. 

Some pro-trapping and pro-hunting groups have voiced tremendous opposition to the modest protections the Land Commissioner gave to the community, going so far as to deny that trapping and hunting poses a danger to neighboring residents in an urban area. 

The Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge is the first urban wildlife refuge in the Southwest, and the neighboring Rio Grande Bosque is home to an array of beloved wildlife who are cherished by outdoor enthusiasts, nature lovers, eager students learning about beauty in their own back yard, families walking with their companions, and visitors to our land of enchantment. 

Please, take action for animals and our community to support the State Land Office decision to not allow trapping or hunting in this special area.