New Mexico and Colorado plan wildlife corridor
Posted : Dec 5, 2009 6:23 AM
Updated: Dec 5, 2009 6:24 AM
Key wildlife migration corridors between New Mexico and Colorado will be identified and protected as part of an initiative announced Friday by the governors of both states.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Gov. Bill Ritter of Colorado finalized a memorandum of understanding pledging to work together to protect corridors used by elk, deer, pronghorn, bighorn sheep and other species that cross between the two states. The governors say the states' economies benefit significantly from hunting, fishing and tourism that the region's wildlife supports.
A 2006 survey shows hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers spent $823 million in New Mexico and $3 billion in Colorado that year. Ritter says wildlife is one of the most important resources in the West and it's part of the region's heritage.
