Rare mouse threatens to intensify NM drought fight

A battle that started over access to a small spring in the mountains of Southern New Mexico could end up expanding to other areas of this drought-stricken state if federal land managers are forced to fence off more sources of water to protect a rare mouse. Cal Joyner, the head forester for U.S. Forest Service lands in New Mexico and Arizona, is trying to get district rangers and ranchers talking now, but he concedes tensions could grow if more pressure is put on the region’s dwindling water resources. “Now we are really struggling to figure out what are we going to be able to do to best balance the needs of habitat protection and allow for livestock grazing,” Joyner told The Associated Press in an interview. Officials with the Lincoln, Santa Fe and Carson national forests have already sent letters to ranchers, warning that drought will likely continue to result in less forage on grazing allotments on national forest land and less water in streams and springs this season. The letters talk about the lack of moisture but don’t mention the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse, which federal wildlife managers have proposed to list as an endangered species. Along with the impending listing, the federal government wants to set aside critical habitat for the mouse along streams and wetlands in a dozen counties in New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado. Federal wildlife managers say more fencing will likely be needed on the Lincoln and Santa Fe forests in New Mexico and Arizona’s Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest to keep livestock away from wetlands once the tiny rodent is listed...more