New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard testifying Thursday before Congress. Courtesy/NMSLO

STATE News:

SANTA FE — New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard provided testimony Thursday on proposed federal legislation to ban wildlife killing contests on public lands before the U.S. House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.

Commissioner Garcia Richard argued in support of H.R. 7398, saying that organized wildlife killing contests are unethical, indiscriminate killings not backed by sound conservation science.

Below is an excerpt from Commissioner Garcia Richard’s prepared testimony to the subcommittee:

“Wildlife killing contests are simply not a sound management practice. Indiscriminate and organized killing contests disrupt healthy and balanced ecosystems – they don’t serve any legitimate purpose. Just because a species is unregulated for game purposes, does not mean it is without value. Predators play an important role in maintaining ecosystem balance with prey, and healthy public lands depend on them. These types of contests aren’t about managing populations, protecting livestock, or traditional hunting values that are held dear to so many communities. This is generalized killing of species for the mere competition of killing. It is a cruel but also an ecologically damaging practice.” 

In 2019, Commissioner Garcia Richard issued an executive order banning organized wildlife killing contests on state trust lands in New Mexico. Shortly thereafter, New Mexico enacted a law prohibiting the practice and is now one of eight states to prohibit wildlife killing contests.

Commissioner Garcia Richard’s full written testimony is available here.