The Nature Conservancy, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Acquire Gila River Property

SILVER CITY, NEW MEXICO — June 27, 2007 — The Nature Conservancy of New Mexico, in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, recently acquired 168 acres in the Cliff-Gila valley in Southwestern New Mexico that supports a number of globally rare species.

The property, located 25 miles northwest of Silver City the Cliff-Gila valley, includes more than a mile of the Gila River and supports critical populations of several indigenous New Mexico fish species, including federally and state protected spikedace and loach minnow. Over the past 50 to 75 years, the ranges of both species have collapsed substantially and the Gila River supports one of the few surviving populations of each. The property also provides vital habitat for the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher, yellow-billed cuckoo and other endemic, rare and declining species. Over the course of the past 25 years, the Conservancy has conserved more than 12 miles of the Gila River, and has protected more than 65,000-acres within the Gila River watershed.

“This property is extraordinarily rich biologically,” said Terry Sullivan, the Conservancy’s New Mexico State Director. “The Gila River is one of the last undammed rivers in the West and along the river in the Cliff-Gila valley you can find an amazing diversity of plants, animals and aquatic life. This is one of the few places in the American southwest where natural river processes still function and it is vitally important to protect it.”

The property was previously owned by Fred McCauley. “It was a pleasure to work with Mr. McCauley on this project – he was extremely fair and very interested in the long term protection of his property,” said Robert Findling, the Conservancy’s Director of Conservation Projects.

“The property will be fenced and rested in order to allow the riparian vegetation to recover, which will take year or two.” Findling added.

The land purchase was partially funded through the state’s Natural Lands Protection Act, which provides for the joint acquisition of unique and ecologically significant lands in New Mexico.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 14 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 83 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. The New Mexico program has been active since 1973 and preserved more than 1.4 million acres throughout the state. Our main office is in Santa Fe, with satellite offices in Albuquerque, White Sands and Silver City.