Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Forest Service shooting of feral cattle in the Gila Wilderness, which began today:

“While I understand the challenge the U.S. Forest Service is rightly trying to solve, I am disappointed in their lack of meaningful, long-term engagement with New Mexico stakeholders on controversial matters like this one. Whether debating prescribed burns or wildlife management, it is imperative that New Mexicans who live and work in and near impacted areas are allowed the time to be meaningfully involved in these decisions. When that does not occur, it fosters a continued climate of distrust and hinders progress toward our shared goals of a healthy environment and a thriving rural economy. I have expressed these concerns to U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of Agriculture leadership and I implore the federal government to do better. As it stands, they are failing New Mexicans.”

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