City of Santa Fe latest NM government body to endorse trapping ban

Advocates hail recent anti-trapping resolutions

SANTA FE- On Tuesday, September 27, the Santa Fe City Council unanimously endorsed a citizen resolution to ban the use of leg hold, snare, and other traps on public lands. The resolution bill was sponsored by Councilors Chris Calvert and Patti Bushee, who has had two of her dogs caught in traps around Christmas one year, as well as Santa Fe Mayor David Coss.

“Santa Fe City Council has now joined many other town, city and county governments around the state in voicing support for a publicly endorsed ban on public lands trapping,” said Teresa Seamster, Executive Committee member Northern NM Group of Sierra Club. “The actions of elected officials to support a ban on these types of traps are a positive move forward.”

Similar resolutions have been passed unanimously or near-unanimously in the past year by eleven other local governments, including the Town of Silver City, The Animal Service Center of Mesilla Valley (operated by Las Cruces and Dona Ana County), Town of Mesilla, Dona Ana County, City of Las Cruces, City of Deming, San Pedro Neighborhood Association, and the
City and County of Taos. Most recently, on September 19, the Albuquerque City Council passed a memorial to endorse a trapping ban on public lands by a 7-1 vote (with one absent councilor).

Phil Carter, Wildlife Campaign Manager for Animal Protection of New Mexico (APNM), testified on behalf of the Albuquerque City Council bill. Said Carter in response to a question of why local governments should address trapping: “We believe that the state Game Commission has ignored the public’s concerns on trapping and that voters are now turning to elected officials to respond.

”Prior to the New Mexico Game Commission’s July 21 meeting, New Mexico citizens mailed and emailed over 12,000 comments to the Commission asking for a trap ban on public lands. However, the Commission ignored public concerns and instead voted unanimously to expand trapping opportunities across New Mexico.

In September, Trap Free New Mexico (a coalition of organizations including APNM, Sierra Club, WildEarth Guardians, and Born Free USA—and private citizens) organized the People’s Forum on Public Lands Trapping in Albuquerque. The event drew over 120 attendees from across the state, with 40 testifying on trapping issues. All speakers opposed the practice of trapping on public lands.

A 2005 poll by Research & Polling, Inc. of Albuquerque found that 63% of New Mexicans support restricting or banning public lands trapping.

For more information, please contact:

Phil Carter, Animal Protection of New Mexico 505-967-5297, or
Teresa Seamster, Northern NM Group, Sierra Club 505-983-2703