OTTERS

Amigos Bravos has been instrumental in the formation and work of New Mexico Friends of River Otters, which is reintroducing the river otter to New Mexico. For more information Click Here.

TAOS NOXIOUS WEED CONTROL COMMITTEE

Amigos Bravos facilitates the work of the Taos Noxious Weed Control Committee. Through these efforts, we have been instrumental in developing and distributing educational materials for area residents to help them identify noxious plant material and control it with non-chemical means of control.

FINTROL

Amigos Bravos Board member Jon Klingel has helped us research and develop an internal policy (52 KB pdf) urging caution in the use of Fintrol, a chemical agent used to kill non-native fish in an effort to restore native fish populations.

SILVERY MINNOW

The disappearance of the Río Grande silvery minnow is a critical indicator of a collapsed natural system. The demise of the sole remaining native minnow species is – like the canary in the mine – a signal of imminent danger posed by development and river management trends. By acting to save the Río Grande silvery minnow, we may well be saving the health, social fabric, and economic sustainability of all communities in the middle Río Grande valley.

The Río Grande Silvery Minnow was listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act in 1994.

Amigos Bravos was part of the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service's team that developed the Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Recovery Plan. Finalized on July 8, 1999, the Plan is presently under revision; Amigos Bravos is represented in the revision process by John Pittenger of Blue Earth Consultants.

Court case history …

For more information, see Judge Parker's landmark decision in the case

RIO GRANDE SILVERY MINNOW et al., plaintiffs,
vs.
John W. Keys III et al., Federal Defendants, MIDDLE RIO GRANDE CONSERVANCY DISTRICT et al., Defend ants - Intervenors.

• And the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in June 2003:
• Letter to Senators/Representatives regarding Senator Domenici's rider which would exempt almost every harmful activity along the Middle Rio Grande from Endangered Species Act coverage, further endangering not just the silvery minnow, but the Middle Rio Grande itself.
• Species Exemption 'Bad Precedent', by Ben Neary, The Santa Fe New Mexican, Wed., October 1, 2003
• Pete, Pull Back From Pillage Policy, The Santa Fe New Mexican, Wed., October 1, 2003
• Pete, Jeff Take Aim at Our Water Future, The Santa Fe New Mexican Editorial, Wed., October 22, 2003
• Congress OKs Energy-Water Bill Including Minnow Language The Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, Wednesday, Novemeber 19, 2003