Bird listing concerns voiced

Roswell — Landowners across eastern New Mexico want to know in the eyes of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service if the life of a bird is more valuable than their right to provide for their family

Those who fear their jobs and liberties were on the line united at Eastern New Mexico University's campus in Roswell to speak out against the possible listing of the lesser prairie-chicken as threatened on the federal register, saying its listing could possibly result in the downfall of the local economy.

"The U.S. government is going to pay attention to the jobs that matter," demanded U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., who was the first of about 30 to address USFWS officials on the stage of the Performing Arts Center auditorium.

Pearce said he did not want a repeat of what happened when the northern spotted owl was listed as endangered, claiming the listing caused 123 logging mills to shut down in New Mexico.

Christina Calloway: Portales News-Tribune

A crowd of nearly 200 from eastern New Mexico, including landowners, municipal and county leaders, and representatives of the oil and gas industry, attended the lesser prairie-chicken hearing held by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Tuesday night at Eastern New Mexico University's Roswell campus.

He said the agency's decision to list the owl has hurt the economy and 20 years after it was listed, the USFWS acknowledges the mills were not the problem.

He refuses to see the same thing happen with the lesser prairie-chicken.

"We're not going to watch our jobs go away and 20 years from now, you decide the fences (of ranchers and oil and gas companies) were not the problem," Pearce said to a standing ovation from a crowd of nearly 200.

USFWS representatives told the audience that while being tasked with the preservation of the lesser prairie-chicken, known for its spring mating display and living in grassland areas of five states, including New Mexico, they also have the responsibility to consider the concerns from the residents in areas the proposed listing will affect.

"I'm moved by the comments made by Mr. Pearce," said Benjamin Tuggle, the regional director of the USFWS. "We have not done the best job we could in the past. We are here to listen because as much as people think the EPA results in conservation, it's the people who carry out the conservation that make the difference."

Tuggle said concerned landowners can make an impact toward preventing the bird from being listed as they did with the dunes sagebrush lizard, a species that was once at risk for being listed.

"To take a proposed species as endangered, and prevent it from being listed, we couldn't have done it by ourselves," Tuggle said. "We listened to the people on the landscape because that's where conservation happens. It's not our intention to silence you ... it's our responsibility to make sure this species has a future."

The rest of the evening was filled with similar arguments in the form of speeches made by audience members suggesting the USFWS does not consider the economic impact of the proposed listing; that the science behind their proposal is wrong; and that the federal agency should allow the state to govern itself to prevent the bird from being listed because the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has a plan that will work.

"My main concern is for our citizens and the economy of our county," said Roosevelt County Commissioner Kendell Buzard, who added the commission adopted a resolution to oppose the listing of the bird. "We feel you have not taken the local effort into account."

Buzard said landowners have agreed to sign Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances (CCAA), a management plan that landowners agree to upfront to practice conservation methods, and he sees these actions as being more than adequate.

He asked that the USFWS support their conservation efforts, allowing a balance of a local approach without driving farmers and ranchers as well as the oil and energy industry out of business.

Curry County Commissioner Wendell Bostwick used numbers to get his point across on how the possible listing of the lesser prairie-chicken could cost the wind energy industry and future projects in eastern New Mexico because of the restrictions in permitting it will cause.

He presented a resolution from the Curry County Commission opposing the listing.

"Wind has the potential to produce 6,000 megawatts of wind energy," Bostwick said.

Bostwick said if 6,000 megawatts were developed at $2 million per megawatt, the cost for all infrastructure necessary, including wind towers, transmission lines and roads totals $12 billion.

"If only 25 percent of this was spent in this area, that would be $3 billion," Bostwick said. "If the lesser prairie chicken is listed as threatened and then endangered in this area, none of this will happen."

Tom Sidwell, a rancher and a member of the Quay County Natural Resources Committee, claimed the science behind their research was inaccurate because the USFWS said the sand shinnery oak habitat that the bird is accustomed to, covers about 50 percent of Quay County, but Sidwell said it's more like 1 percent in small pockets of the county.

"It's ridiculous," Sidwell said. "I believe the lesser prairie chicken is greatly affected by drought and fragmentation by the habitat. I did not come home to have my property rights violated by the federal government. I hope the line is drawn in the sand right here."

Richard Gilliland, an employee of an independent oil and gas company, proposed for every job lost in the farm and ranch industry as well as oil and gas because of the bird's listing, a federal employee should lose theirs as well to truly understand the economic impact.

Artesia resident Billy Drake was among the last to speak, but one of the most unforgettable voices of the evening, questioning if the USFWS were true Americans by valuing the bird over the rights of Americans to provide for their families.

Drake suggested that if the oil and gas industry suffers because of the proposed listing, the country will indirectly be giving its support to a middle-eastern country.

"They'll buy oil from someone else," Drake said. "You're giving our tax money to middle eastern countries that probably have anti-American agendas."

The last speaker, Portales resident Sharon Davis, said her family has been involved in conservation efforts of the lesser prairie chicken long before its considered listing.

She suggested landowners get a camera and photograph the chicken resting on things such as fences and windmills.

"Photograph the chicken resting on these things, help these people understand that the lesser prairie chicken and agriculture can exist side by side," Davis said.