New Mexico will continue to uphold
two of its oldest — and bloodiest — traditions. State
Sen. Steve Komadina, R-Corrales, introduced a bill earlier this
year that would have outlawed cockfighting and dogfighting. But the
state’s Senate Conservation Committee rejected the bill,
upholding New Mexico’s standing as one of only two states in
the nation where cockfighting remains legal. (HCN, 10/9/00: New
Mexico’s secret sport: Cockfighting in the land of enchantment).
In February, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service announced that the western sage grouse will not
be protected under the Endangered Species Act (HCN, 2/4/02: Last
dance for the sage grouse?). In May 2001, the agency acknowledged
that the Columbia Basin population of the birds should be
protected. But now, listing has been put off “due to higher
priority listing actions.”
Mormons
re-enacting pioneer treks along historical trails in
Wyoming may be reined in (HCN, 9/30/02: This land holds a story the
church won’t tell). To deal with the growing numbers of handcart
pullers across public lands, the Bureau of Land Management is
preparing a plan that will set limits for the number of trekkers,
provide public toilets and limit motorized support vehicles.
As this winter’s snowpack
disappoints skiers across the West, reservoir levels
continue to drop (HCN, 8/19/02: The Great Western Apocalypse). Lake
Powell, on the Arizona-Utah border, is 87 feet below the high-water
mark — its lowest level since 1973. Reservoirs in
Idaho’s Upper Snake River system are at 65 percent of
average, Colorado’s McPhee Reservoir is at 58 percent and the
Rio Grande’s Elephant Butte Reservoir is at 29 percent.
Colorado continues to seek creative
solutions to keep its Front Range cities flush with
water. The state Senate’s Agriculture, Natural Resources and
Energy Committee approved $500,000 to study the “Big Straw” and
$190,000 to study the feasibility of “logging for water” (HCN,
9/16/02: Drought unearths a water dinosaur) and (HCN, 12/23/02:
Logging for water creates a buzz).
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline The Latest Bounce.
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