0001|                       HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 12
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                          RAYMOND G. SANCHEZ
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|                                   
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0009|     
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0010|                           A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0011|     REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND
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0012|     FISH TO DECLARE THE APPROPRIATE DAY AS WHOOPING CRANE DAY.
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0013|     
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0014|          WHEREAS, the tall, stately whooping crane, Grus
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0015|     amaericana, with its immaculate white feathers, standing five
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0016|     feet high with a wingspan of seven and one-half feet, is the
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0017|     largest bird in North America, and there are few whooping
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0018|     cranes alive in the wild, including the few at the bosque del
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0019|     Apache; and
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0020|          WHEREAS, whooping cranes are well known as an endangered
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0021|     species, so their presence in New Mexico will help promote
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0022|     tourism to New Mexico, and New Mexico families like to go to
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0023|     the bosque to see these beautiful birds; and
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0024|          WHEREAS, Kent Clegg, an Idaho rancher, wildlife biologist
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0025|     and pilot, and his crew, Errol Spaulding, Scott MacBush, Peter
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<center>- 1 -</center>

0001|     Clegg, Tom Stehn and James D. Lewis, by ultra-light plane,
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0002|     recently led a band of four whooping cranes and eight sandhill
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0003|     cranes on an eight hundred mile journey from Idaho to the
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0004|     Bosque del Apache national wildlife refuge in New Mexico; and
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0005|          WHEREAS, the people who made this historic journey are
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0006|     concerned about the plight of endangered whooping cranes and
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0007|     are working to establish a new flock of the birds in the
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0008|     southwestern United States; and
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0009|          WHEREAS, the Wild Friends want to educate young people
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0010|     and adults about the need to respect and save endangered
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0011|     species like the whooping cranes; and
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0012|          WHEREAS, the people of New Mexico want to properly thank
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0013|     a great man for setting a good example of ranchers and
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0014|     conservationists working together to help mother nature; and
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0015|          WHEREAS, the people of New Mexico admire Mr. Clegg's
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0016|     kindness, courage and determination, and he and his crew
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0017|     should be recognized for their noble effort to save our
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0018|     nation's wildlife; and
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0019|          WHEREAS, the actions of Mr. Clegg and his crew may
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0020|     inspire others to follow in Mr. Clegg's footsteps to work to
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0021|     save more endangered species;
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0022|          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
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0023|     STATE OF NEW MEXICO that Kent Clegg and his crew members,
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0024|     Errol Spaulding, Scott MacBush, Peter Clegg, Tom Stehn and
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0025|     James D. Lewis be commended and recognized for their historic
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<center>- 2 -</center>

0001|     effort to bring rare whooping cranes to the Bosque del Apache
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0002|     national wildlife refuge in New Mexico; and 
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0003|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the governor, with the
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0004|     assistance of the department of game and fish, be requested to
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0005|     declare the appropriate day as whooping crane day; and
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0006|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
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0007|     transmitted to the governor and to the director of the
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0008|     department of game and fish.
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0009|                                  
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0010|          
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