Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a proposed rule to list the lesser prairie chicken under the Endangered Species Act. A 12-month fact-finding process is currently underway. If the chicken is listed as endangered next year in New Mexico, this could result in a series of rules, which would be highly prohibitive to industry operators and ranchers.
Thankfully, Carlsbad has a service that has been addressing this issue for many years in a way that is both protective of species in the area and local business interests.
CEHMM has developed a number of what are called Candidate Conservation Agreements with industry members and ranchers. It’s a sort of insurance policy for environmental regulation. Members agree to certain collaborative conservation efforts, but in turn they are not impacted by any more prohibitive rules that might be introduced. CEHMM’s agreements were developed through years of cooperation between regulators and industry members, and they are generally considered an excellent compromise.
Currently, CEHMM has 42 enrollees representing industry operators and 72 representing ranchers. Together, this covers about 4 million acres throughout the area. CEHMM also assists with brush control, habitat restoration and reclamation efforts. For more information, please contact Emily Wirth at (575)- 885-3700. Or Emily.wirth@cehmm.org.
For more information, please visit https://www.cehmm.org/
We try to make sure that local businesses are aware of economic recovery efforts LEDA Recovery Grants. House Bill 11 set aside $200 million to New Mexico small businesses who are experiencing financial hardships due to the pandemic. Grant applications are due by June 15. Unlike a loan, a grant does not need to be paid back. Please call (505)- 992-9696 if you have any questions.
Don’t forget that the Carlsbad Automotive Restoration Society is having a Car Show at the Carlsbad Beach from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. There won’t be any judging or trophies this year, but they will have vendors present and it promises to be a great time. We hope to see you there.
COVID-19 update: All New Mexico counties are now operating at the “Turquoise” Level. According to Wednesday’s state update, Eddy County has a “Cases Per 100,000” of 2.8 and a positivity rate of 1.34%. Also, about 56 percent of New Mexico residents eligible have been fully vaccinated. The state goal is to hit 60 percent by the end of the month. Eddy County’s fully vaccinated rate is still reported at 33%, according to the DOH.
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway