A federally mandated plan identifying species in New Mexico that need focused conservation efforts due to climate change and other threats is now open for public comment.
The State Wildlife Action Plan aims to update the criteria for which species qualify, expand the list to include pollinating insects and better utilize data to inform decisions.
Usually revised every 10 years, these State Wildlife Action Plans are designed to keep local species off of the federal Endangered Species List through monitoring and pinpointing ways to potentially improve degrading habitat.
This is primarily done by compiling the most up-to-date information on species and best management practices – which slowly evolve over time with continued scientific research.
However, these plans are not regulatory in nature.
“This is a document that allows us to get federal funding for species of greatest conservation need,” said Stewart Liley, the wildlife division chief with the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish at a department commission meeting last August. He said it provides about $1 million dollars a year and is required by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a state to be eligible for funding.
Officials evaluate the following criteria to decide whether a species falls can be considered“of greatest conservation need”:
- Climate Change Vulnerability – Species that are less likely to adapt to a changing climate.
- Decline – Species with declining or recently reduced population numbers.
- Disjunct – Species that are geographically isolated from others of their kind.
- Endemic – Species found only in New Mexico.
- Keystone Species – Species that have a disproportionately large impact on their ecosystems.
- Vulnerability – Species that are especially sensitive to changes in their habitat.
- Core Range – Species that primarily live in New Mexico; this is a requirement for inclusion on the list.
Under the new plan, the state is proposing to revamp the categories where they place these species to best weigh where these federal dollars are spent.
These categories range from species currently receiving conservation attention, to those where any action is likely to have a substantial positive impact, to species that need more data to understand their needs.
The proposed plan has 499 separate species on the list, with a dramatic increase in birds and the addition of new pollinator insects.
While not physically imperiled, the American beaver has scored itself a place on the list because it has benefited so many other species in riparian areas, another focus of the revision.
“Riparian areas in the state of New Mexico are so important for so many of these species of greatest conservation need,” Liley said. “They're not a huge proportion of our state, but they proportionately hold a significant amount of our species of greatest conservation needs.”
It’s unclear how proposed funding cuts and workforce reductions in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by President Donald Trump will impact these conservation efforts.
The White House's FY2026 budget request includes reductions in funding for ecological services and grants to both states and environmental organizations. The document claims these initiatives are “non-essential” and waste taxpayer dollars on species better managed locally.
Historically, Game and Fish funding primarily came from hunting and fishing license fees, which were just raised for the first time in over 20 years. The state’s Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund also provides the department almost $2.7 million annually to support these species.
New Mexico’s State Wildlife Action Plan is open for public comment until June 9th, 2025.
