San Juan Stamp Dies in Legislature

A bill to raise money for habitat improvement projects on New Mexico’s trophy class, trout stream, the San Juan River, stalled during the 30-day legislature session but its sponsor says he’ll continue to work on the measure and may try again next year.

“This was a good healthy start, it showed there was a lot of support for the idea of improving habitat on the river,’ said Rep. Tom Taylor, R-San Juan on the last day of the 30-day session. “But the question is just how do you do that.”

House Bill 51, as introduced, would have created a new habitat stamp for anglers fishing the trophy waters of the San Juan River. It would have added an extra $5 cost to a fishing license for state residents and $10 for out of state residents and was expected to raise up to about $325,00 a year during its ten year life span.

The bill was backed by Governor Bill Richardson and state Game Commission Chairman , Jim McClintic, with support from the San Juan  River Guides Association and New Mexico Trout.

Proponents argued the money was needed to make improvements to fish habitat, angler access and other amenities on the river which contributes $30 to $40 million dollars annually to the state’s economy.

The Governor had sought and obtained $250,000 from the legislature last year for habitat improvements to the river but then froze those funds along with all other capital improvement projects due to the state’s massive budget shortfall.

House Bill 51 opponents such as Trout Unlimited and the San Juan Quality Waters Coalition raised questions regarding the cost to anglers, plans for use of the money, effectiveness of habitat improvements and jurisdictional issues.

Taylor said he will continue to work on the measure during the interim with all interested parties and may seek another way to fund improvements.

“I’m not a big fan of raising fees in the first place,” he said.

This article also appeared in the Santa Fe New Mexican

Annual Hunting and Fishing Show Brings Outdoors Enthusiasts Together

    Mark Chavez, Feb. 2008.

Just when it seems the winter blues may never end the annual hunting and fishing show arrives to boost our outdoor spirits and tide us over till spring.

“I love it,” says chainsaw artist, Mark Chavez, 52 of Albuquerque, who will be performing his craft for the crowds at the state fairgrounds in Albuquerque this Valentine’s Day weekend.  “I’ve met a lot of cool outdoorsmen here and it’s great fun for the family.”

This years’ show kicks off at noon on Friday and runs through Sunday at 5 p.m. and will feature many new exhibits and provide plenty of kicks for the kids, says promoter Bob Gerding of Bob Gerding’s Outdoor Adventures.

“We’re really emphasizing kids’ activities to make it a real family affair,” says Gerding who is in his 12^th year of bringing the outdoors inside.

Kids can learn how to handle a weapon safely and shoot straight at the show’s adult supervised BB gun range inside  Gerding’s Hunting and Fishing Show at the Manuel Lujan Complex on the fairgrounds.

Kids can also pick up the knack of handling a fishing rod at the bait casting pool where children with an eye for the prize can win fishing outfits and other prizes, Gerding says.

Kids under age 12 get into the show for free while adults pay $8 each and parking at the fairgrounds is $4.

Chavez the wood sculptor says he plans on displaying an elaborate wooden bench featuring elk, bear, owl and trout carved into it.

“I’m still working on burning elk hoof prints into the seat,” he said.”It’ll make a nice addition for someone’s lodge or game room.”

In addition to performance artists like Chavez visitors to the show will find an array of interesting exhibits and plenty of seminars.

Aspiring anglers will find a casting pool and expert anglers to teach them the craft of casting with a fly rod or a spin casting rig and those wishing to the learn the art of outdoor cooking will find expert’s armed with cast iron skillets and plenty of recipes.

There’ll be a turkey calling contest, raffles for all sorts of goodies and services and door prizes too, said Gerding.

Show co-sponsor 94 Rock where Gerding can be heard on most Thursday mornings talking fishing with dee jay T.J.Trout, will be giving away guided fishing trips including a Tiger Muskie expedition to Bluewater Lake and a day on the private waters of Brush Ranch on the Pecos River.

Visitors will also find amazing displays of stuffed animals at taxidermy booths and enticing photographs or videos from lodges in thrilling locations like Alaska, Montana, Oklahoma and even Africa.

There’ll be jewelers and knife makers on site selling goods with an outdoor theme for those seeking a special Valentine’s Day gift for their loved ones.

And the hall will be crammed full of the latest models of recreational vehicles including campers, trailers, off road motorcycles and all terrain vehicles, Gerding says.

There’ll be informational booths sets up by outdoor advocacy groups like New Mexico Trout, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Becoming an Outdoor Woman in New Mexico.

The outdoor woman’s organization sponsors a three day series of workshops at the National Rifle Association’s Whittington Center in Raton where women of all ages can learn outdoor skills like map and compass reading, shooting, cooking, fishing and wildlife photography and calling.

There’s even an introduction to camping class for single moms so they can expose their kids to the outdoor life and all it has to offer, says Leilani McGranahan, Coordinator for the organization.

“It’s a sure fire cure for cabin fever,” Gerding says of his show.

Show times are noon to 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb 12^th, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13^th and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb 14^th.  Entrance is $8 for adults, free for kids age 12 and under and parking at the fairgrounds is $4.

“If You Go”

Those traveling to the show from Santa Fe can make a day of it on Saturday by taking the train out of Santa Fe to downtown Albuquerque and boarding a bus headed by the fairgrounds.

The weekend rate for the train is $5 for a day pass with trains leaving downtown Santa Fe at 8:10 a.m. and 11:25 a.m. on Saturday, according to the schedule and fares posted at www. nmrailrunner.com. The return train leaves the downtown Albuquerque station at 4:41 p.m. with the last train out at 7:54 p.m.

Any number of Albuquerque city buses run by the sprawling state fairgrounds from the train depot downtown including the Route 66 bus which heads up Central Ave. with a stop at San Pedro where one can walk a short distance to the entrance most convenient to the show.

 A day pass on the bus costs $2 and the Rt. 66 bus runs every 15 minutes, all day until around 9 p.m., well after the last train has left town.  For further information about bus routes and schedules all the city's help line at (505) 768-2000 or visit the Abq Ride website at www.cabq.gov/transit.

Those who wish to drive from Santa Fe can head south on 1-25 and take Central Ave. east to San Pedro and then head north to the entrance. The Fairgrounds in located between Lomas and Central and San Pedro and Louisiana and there are any number of alternative routes one can take through the city.

For a more scenic trip try driving down to Albuquerque on State Road 14 through Madrid and Cedar Crest and then cross under I-40 and head west on the frontage road which eventually turns into old Route 66, now known as Central Ave. Follow into the city and take San Pedro to the entrance for the show where parking is $4.

Legislature Considers San Juan Stamp to Generate Habitat Improvement Funds

A new user fee for anglers who fish the San Juan River’s trophy, trout waters overcame its first hurdle in the Legislature this week with passage of House Bill 51 by the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee.

Under the proposed law a new habitat stamp would be added to state fishing licenses for those who wish to fish the San Juan River’s quality waters.

 

State residents would be charged an extra $5 a year on top of the usual cost of an annual fishing license while out-of-state anglers who want to the fish the state’s top trout fishery would have to pay an extra $10.

The stamp requirement would expire after ten years under a sunset provision and is estimated to generate between $225,000 to 325,000 a year.

Money generated from the extra stamp charge would be earmarked exclusively for habitat improvement projects on the San Juan River’s quality waters, where some say the fishing quality has declined in recent years.

The stamp idea grew out of stakeholder meetings last year to address issues regarding the fabled, blue ribbon trout stream including complaints about the degradation of fish habitat due to silt and sediment accumulation brought on by federally mandated, lower water releases from the dam at Navajo Lake.

The legislation comes on the heels of the loss of $250,000 in state capital outlay funds appropriated for habitat improvements on the river last year and supporters of the bill say it’s only appropriate for users of the river to now shoulder the burden for the improvements.

“We support it, there’s just no other way in this economic climate,” says Rudy Rios, president of New Mexico Trout. ” It’s a small price to pay for the quality they’re (anglers) getting.”

One priority project on the books that has been waiting on funding is diversion of a wash that drains directly into the top end of the river and is a major contributor of silt and sediment to the river at highly popular Texas Hole.

Other projects under consideration include increasing access and improving fish habitat in other sections of the river to reduce overcrowding and pressure on the more popular areas, says State Game Commission Chairman Jim McClintic.

“We want to make this one of the finest fisheries in the U.S.A.,” McClintic told members of the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee during their hearing of the bill at the state capitol on Thursday (Jan 28).

Angling on the San Juan River contributes anywhere from $20 million to $40 million to the state’s economy each year, according to the state Department of Game and Fish.

McClintic said in an interview prior to the committee meeting that he saw no other way to raise the funds needed for those improvements that anglers wanted.

“The people who use it should have to pay for it,” he said.

Greg McReynolds of Trout Unlimited complained that the extra charge to anglers would make it harder to raise fees in the future to support other initiatives like native trout restoration. He also argued for a shorter sunset provision of three years and asked that there be more public involvement and a clearer plan of action before proceeding.

“We may support this bill later,” he told the committee.

Larry Johnson of the San Juan River Guides Association and owner of Soaring Eagle Lodge says the stamp idea enjoys broad support among fishing guides, fly shops, and other business owners on the San Juan River at Navajo Dam.

“My clients tell me another $10 isn’t going to kill them especially after all the money they spent to come fish here in the first place,” Johnson says.

About 70 percent of those fishing the river come from out of state, according to state Department of Game and Fish statistics.

The bill enjoys the support of Governor Bill Richardson, according to his spokesperson, Alarie Ray-Garcia, because it provides targeted funding, is paid for by the anglers who fish the river, it allows the Department of Game & Fish to address recent concerns regarding fish habitat, angler access, and siltation and also allows the department to conduct habitat and fishery studies.

House Bill 51, sponsored by House Minority Leader Tom Taylor, R-San Juan, is slated to go next before the House Energy Minerals and Natural Resources Committee.

This article appeared also appeared in the Santa Fe New Mexican .

Cerrillos Hills State's Newest park

The coyotes started howling just as we crested the hill on this warm, sunny afternoon at the new Cerrillos Hills State Park south of Santa Fe.

But it was the panoramic views that captured our attention as the pack yipped and howled in what sounded like the next draw over.

Views that stretched for miles taking in snow capped mountain ranges, flat topped mesas and rolling pinon and juniper studded hills.

Here the ground was warm and dry, the trails clear and well maintained and the silence deafening.

“It’s one of the best things about this place,” says Sarah Wood, manager of the state’s newest park. “We’ve got five miles of good trails, great winter hiking and incredible views.”

Located just outside the historic mining town of Cerrillos, just 25 miles south of Santa Fe off State Rd. 14, management of the park was assumed from Santa Fe County by the State Parks Division of the state Energy, Mineral’s and Natural Resources Department in August.

Many of the state’s 36 state parks administer public lands for other agencies and generate much of their operating funds through user fees.

Much of Cerrillos Hills State Park’s existing trails, interpretive signs, a restroom and other features were already in place due primarily to the volunteer efforts of  the Cerrillos Hill’s Park Coalition along with assistance from the county and has been open to the public since 2003.

Granted some $1.4 million in legislative appropriations in recent years, State Parks acquired a .67 of an acre parcel of land in downtown Cerrillos for $672,000 upon which to construct a community and visitor center, according to Marti Niman, State Park’s spokesperson.

But plans for the community and visitor center have since ground to a halt after Governor Bill Richardson ordered a freeze on all capital outlay projects while he and the state legislature work on a fix for the state’s $650 million budget shortfall.

State Parks was however, able to renovate a house on the land for use as an office which sits just down the street from a historic landmark at the entrance to town, Mary’s Bar.

During a recent visit Wood said she hoped the park would draw more visitors to the old mining town and boost economic development for the rural area.

“We already get quite a few visitors,” she says “But we’re seeing even more mountain bikers, hikers and horseback riders as the word gets out.”

Wood noted that she spends a lot of time now notifying visitors that a $5 day use fee is required to utilize the park. It had been free to use before. A yearly pass can be for $40 at the office or by mail.

The park has recently played host to astronomy events, nature tours and other events to draw visitors and will conduct even more activities in the future, Wood said.

Wood, 47, of Los Alamos, has been with State Parks for eight years. She holds a Masters Degree in Biology from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces and a Bachelors Degree in Biology from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

Wood formerly held the position of Northwest and Northeast Regional Educational Coordinator for State Parks where she oversaw educational and interpretive programs including star parties, wildlife tracking, plant and fauna identification and history programs for school groups and the public.

This is her first posting as a State Park Manager and is excited about the opportunity and possibilities considering the area’s natural and historical attractions and its proximity to a major tourism destination such as Santa Fe.

Less than a half hour away from Santa Fe, the park not only provides visitors with wide open spaces to enjoy but also a glimpse back in time of an era long ago.

Along many of the trails visitors will find numerous sealed mines, most with interpretive signs providing information about the region during its boom town days.

Cerrillos once was a town bustling with hotels, saloons and other businesses to support those who mined the hills during the 1800s for gold, silver, turquoise, zinc and  lead.

But today one finds mostly dusty streets, old boarded up store fronts and plenty of dogs roaming about the once busy town.

However, upon closer inspection visitors to Cerrillos will find some diehard businesses remain including the fun and informative, Casa Grande Petting Zoo and Turquoise Mining Museum, an intriquing What Not Shop and Mary’s Bar, a classic New Mexico drinking establishment.

The town also boasts a wonderful old church, some galleries and plenty of Old West atmosphere, the likes of which drew movie makers to the rural community to make films such as “Young Guns,”one and two.

All worth visiting while taking in the new state park’s great outdoor recreational opportunities which also includes a horseback riding concession, Broken Saddle Riding Co, that’ll take riders into the park and surrounding public lands.

It should be noted that Cerrillos lacks a restaurant but food and drink can be had in the funky little town of Madrid located just three miles down the road from Cerrillos, where one can eat, drink and shop.

This article also appeared in the Santa Fe New Mexican.

If You Go:

Those traveling out to Cerrillos Hills Park can make a roundtrip adventure of it by taking I-25 south to exit 267 located at the top of La Bajada Hill, just past the rest area.

Go under the highway and then head straight for the mountains on Santa Fe County Road (SFCR) 57, also known as Waldo Canyon Road.

This paved road turns to dirt after about a mile and one might see the Roadrunner train along the way. About six miles later one comes upon the old railroad siding of Waldo where the ruins of massive coke furnaces can be seen by the railroad tracks. The stop features the shade of several aging cottonwood trees and ruins of old buildings. Amtrak and freight trains still operate on these tracks, trespassing is prohibited and caution is advised.

The road then cuts through a narrow, twisty gorge and eventually comes out at Cerrillos where one takes a left onto SFCR 59, which leads up past the village cemetery to the Cerrillos Hills State Park kiosk. The office is located in downtown Cerrillos on Main Street.

Upon leaving town, visitors can head back to Santa Fe through Cerrillos on State Road 14 and take SFCR 45, also known as Bonanza Creek Road, just outside of Lone Butte, for a scenic side trip into the foothills and past the Bonanza Creek movie ranch where from the road visitors can sometimes see movie sets. Stay on SFCR 45 to the frontage road at I-25 and follow it north back to State Road 14 and on into Santa Fe.

Dates Change, Plan Stays the Same, San Juan River and Navajo Lake to Close

Despite a change of state employee furlough dates Navajo Lake and the quality waters of the San Juan River will still be closed for five days in the next four months beginning with a shut down on Thursday, Christmas Eve Day and again on Friday, Jan. 15, 2010.

Three other days furlough dates have since been changed to allow the parks to close on several Tuesdays in February and March while all other state employees will continue to be furloughed over several Fridays in March, April and May.

The changes were made to allow parks across the state to remain open during busy weekends and holidays.

Yet perhaps nowhere will the impact of the closures be felt more, regardless of the dates,than in the small community of Navajo Dam where virtually every business in town is dependant upon Navajo Lake state park for their livelihood.

The park and its year-round, trophy-class trout fishery draws anglers from all over the world and contributes an estimated $30 million to the state’s economy annually.

But many businesses including fishing guides, fly shops, hotels and restaurants are also being forced to take Christmas Eve day off along with the state’s employees because of the state’s furlough plan.

The park and 34 others across the state will be closed a total of five days in the next four months and any day the river and the lake at Navajo Dam are closed essentially puts locals out of business.

“It’s just plain stupid,” says Chuck Rizuto, one of the longest serving guides on the river and owner of a lodge, fly shop and guide service. “They haven’t even bothered to think about what this will do to our tourism.”

What Rizuto finds particularly galling is the fact that the park will have a skeleton crew on duty on Thursday to keep people out.

And then the following morning on Christmas Day they’ll have another skeleton crew come back in to open the park gates again.

“It just doesn’t make sense,” he says. “Why not just leave it open if they're going to have to these guys down there anyhow.”

And that’s the problem many who work on the San Juan River are having with the state’s furlough plan.

“This is ridiculous,” says Larry Johnson of the San Juan River Guides Association. “If anybody in private business ran things this way they’d go broke.”

Johnson, in a letter to state parks director, Dave Simon, said he understood the state’s need to reduce costs in the face of budget shortfalls.

But Johnson argued that the closing of the state park which includes Navajo Lake and the quality waters of the San Juan River will not only cost the state much needed revenue from lost user’s fees, but also harm local businesses dependent upon park visitors for income.

“I don’t understand why they can’t just keep the park open with a skeleton crew instead of closing it for an entire day,” Johnson said.

That’s exactly what they’re doing in Colorado where state employee furloughs have also been ordered to cut costs due to budget shortfalls.

“Our state parks are a part of everyday life for many people here,” said Deb Frazier, spokeswoman for Colorado State Parks. “And it seemed to us that the best solution was to keep them open with skeleton crews on duty.”

And that’s exactly what Johnson and others on the San Juan River have been lobbying New Mexico’s State Parks to do.

“I’m aware of and share the concerns of the guides and businesses on the San Juan,” Dave Simon, Director of State Parks says. “I sympathize with them but that (skeleton crews) wasn’t an option that was made available to us.”

Simon says after Governor Bill Richardson issued his executive order calling for the
furlough days, his parent agency immediately sought a way to keep the parks open.

Simon says he never spoke directly to Richardson about the furlough plan but that his boss, Secretary of Energy Minerals and Natural Resources, Joanna Prukop, argued his agency’s case for keeping the parks open.

Prukop was unavailable for comment and is slated to retire Dec. 31st.

Simon says his understanding of the situation was that Governor Richardson wanted to reduce the “complexity” of the furlough plan, which is why the state parks weren't allowed to use skeleton crews to keep them open.

Simon says his understanding of the furlough plan was it was designed to maximize savings by having as many state employees off, and their offices closed, on the furlough days.

The plan is estimated to save the state about $11 million while the overall budget shortfall is pegged somewhere at about $650 million.

The governor’s spokesman, Gilbert Gallegos, said the governor’s furlough plan was devised to limit exceptions to the rules but he praised Richardson’s willingness to allow the state parks to close on alternate days to reduce the impact of the shut down.

There were to be few if any exceptions to the plan except for situations impacting the public’s health, safety and welfare, Gallegos Said.

Gallegos declined to address questions regarding why staggered schedules couldn't be employed to allow the state parks to remain open with skeleton crews in place.

"I don’t have anything more to add, except this: Had Governor Richardson signed the budget proposal passed by the Legislature during the special session, the state would have had to close state parks, which would have had a truly devastating impact on local economies," Gallegos wrote in response to questions submitted by Outdoors New Mexico .

The governor's original furlough plan called for most of the closings to fall on Fridays before other holidays thus creating four day weekends for furloughed state employees.

But the original plan came at a great inconvenience to the public.

For instance, a park such as Elephant Butte Lake State Park, which sees upwards of 100,000 visitors over the Memorial Day weekend would have been closed to early birds who showed up on Friday to find a camp site.

Gallegos said Richardson showed “great flexibility” in allowing state parks to change their closure dates to allow the parks to close on Tuesdays in February and March instead, while the rest of the state employees had to adhere to the other schedule.

State parks will be closed Thursday, December 24, 2009, Friday, January 15, 2010, Tuesday, February 9, 2010, Tuesday, March 2, 2010, and Tuesday, March 23, 2010.

All other state offices will be closed Thursday, December 24, 2009, Friday, January 15, 2010, Friday, March 5, 2010, Friday, April 2, 2010, and Friday, May 28, 2010.
(for more info see press release).

But some businessmen at Navajo Dam find the alternate schedule of little consolation considering that any day the river and lake is closed they’re essentially out of business.

“I book some of my biggest trips in March, during the week,” says Rizuto. “That’s when most out-of-state tourists want to come, to avoid the weekend crowds. What am I supposed to tell them, the river’s closed for a day?”

Many Navajo Dam Businesses were equally upset that much of the planning for the closures was kept under wraps and done without public involvement (see related story ).

Sen. Steve Scharer, R-San Juan says the state parks and businesses at Navajo Dam are simply pawns in the governor’s ongoing battle with the legislature over the budget.

“This just another case of his total disregard for the citizens,” he said. “He doesn’t care about them. It’s all about him.”

Scharer said that by closing revenue generating state parks and doing the same to related businesses is counterproductive to the state’s economy and senseless considering the minimal budget savings it produces.

The furloughs are another in a series of moves crafted by Richardson to address the budget shortfall including a state hiring freeze, layoffs of political appointees and suspension of all capital outlay spending including his own $250,000 allocation for habitat improvement projects on the San Juan River at Navajo Dam.

That money was earmarked for a diversion at Rex Smith Wash at Texas Hole to keep silt and sediment from washing into the river and destroying fish habitat.

The Governor's furlough plan comes on the heels of his veto of a legislative budget fix offered during a special session last fall including a 7.6-percent across the board budget cut and a reduction of politically appointed positions within state government.

In the meantime state park rangers will be on duty during the state park closure dates to keep trespassers out and will issue citations if necessary, Simon says.

Anyone convicted of criminal trespass while hunting or fishing could see their fishing privileges administratively revoked for up to three years.

Governor Bill Richardson issued the following press release on Feb. 5, 2010

Governor Bill Richardson Announces State Parks Will  Remain Open During Furloughs

SANTA FE- Governor Richardson today announced that all New Mexico State Parks will
remain open during the remainder of state employee furlough days. Governor Richardson
announced the change after receiving dozens of requests from New Mexico residents, local
municipalities and businesses asking to keep parks open because of concerns about the negative
economic impact closures could have on local economies.

“New Mexico State Parks offer fabulous scenery, a variety of family-friendly activities and are
great tourist magnets that drive economic development in our local communities,” Governor
Richardson said. “This plan will not only enable the state to continue saving money but will keep
our parks open for everyone to enjoy.”

Listening to constituent concerns, Governor Richardson worked with State Parks and the State
Personnel Office to come up with the plan that will still require State Park employees to take
three remaining furlough days. Those employees who are needed to work to keep parks open on
designated furlough days, will be required to take alternate furlough days.
                                                                        ##