Ecos Protest Grazing
In Wilderness Area

SANTA FE — Two New Mexico environmental activist groups have filed protests with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management over a decision to allocate forage in a wilderness study area on six grazing allotments.

The Forest Guardians and Animal Protection of New Mexico filed a formal protest in August with the BLM's decision to allocate more than 99 percent of the available forage on six grazing allotments in the Ladrones Mountains wilderness study area.

Ladrones Peak and the surrounding area, says John Horning with the Forest Guardians, are home to 30 desert bighorn sheep and herds of antelope, deer and elk. They also contain unique plant life.

Horning says the Rio Salado, just south of Ladrones Mountain, is potential habitat for the officially "endangered" Southwest Willow Flycatcher.

"Allocating 99 percent of the forage in the 60,000 acre area to cattle means less food for other wildlife including deer and elk," Horning says, "which compete directly with cattle for forage."

The groups say they will challenge the BLM in court if it ignores their protests.

Horning says that smaller populations of deer and elk may mean that mountain lions will prey on bighorn sheep on Ladrones Mountain.

In July, the New Mexico Game Commission approved a plan to increase mountain lion hunting in the Ladrones, Peloncillos, Mananzo and Big Hatchet Mountains. The four New Mexico mountain ranges are home to desert bighorn sheep populations. There are an estimated 250 bighorn sheep in the state.