Contact: Jen Clanahan,
Rocky Mountain Director (303) 775-3539; (720) 565-8630

For Immediate Release

Sandia-Manzano wildlife corridor key part of new conservation blueprint connecting Mexico, U.S., Canada
"Three Countries, One Connection"

SANTA FE, NM -- The Wildlands Project today unveiled the first conservation initiative designed to connect and span the three countries along the "Spine of the Continent"--the Rocky Mountains from northern Mexico to the Yukon in Canada.

A key portion of this new conservation blueprint includes the highlands of central New Mexico, an ecoregion containing a critical wildlife habitat linkage that scientists have identified for protection in order to maintain the integrity of the grand-scale, 4000-mile international wildlife corridor proposed by the Wildlands Project.

In the New Mexico Highlands region, protection of the key wildlife linkage between the Sandia and Manzano Mountain ranges east of Albuquerque - Tijeras Canyon - has been identified as top priority by scientists, including the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. This wildlife pathway, already nearly severed by Interstate 40, is a key natural corridor for bears, mountain lions, and other species, many of which are being killed in vehicle collisions while attempting to traverse this highway barrier. Without immediate conservation action, this vital connection may be permanently lost.

"Conservation biologists now agree that protecting isolated pockets of habitat isn't enough to protect our bears, jaguars, birds and other wildlife - the only way to protect them is to practice conservation on a continental scale," says Wildlands Project Executive Director, Leanne Klyza Linck. Maps of the Sandia-Manzano Linkage and the New Mexico Highlands Wildlands Network were released as part of the Wildlands Project's "Endangered Linkages" campaign at a press conference in Santa Fe on September 23.

The initiative provides important direction for large landscape planning in North America by identifying a connected network of public and private lands that make up what Wildlands Project scientists refer to as the Spine of the Continent "megalinkage." The Wildlands Project has mapped the wildlife habitat linkages along the Rockies as part of its science-based plan to provide wildlife with the room they need to roam, to find food and mates, and to survive.

The Wildlands Project's vision for a Spine of the Continent Megalinkage will become successful only if the regional Wildlands Networks that make up this megalinkage become reality. The New Mexico Highlands Wildlands Network is a critical component in this process, and protection of its Sandia-Manzano Wildlife Linkage is a top priority for achieving connectivity both in the New Mexico Highlands and along the Spine of the Continent.

"Our challenge now is to move from theory to implementation," said Wildlands Project Rocky Mountain Director, Jen Clanahan. "And that will only happen by working in partnership with groups on the ground - other conservation groups, land trusts, private landowners, and government agencies. To succeed, we must create a network of people willing to protect these networks of land," she stated. The Wildlands Project will begin its conservation campaign by focusing efforts on saving endangered linkages - the most threatened regional wildlife corridors between protected areas - and by enlisting and involving communities in this practical and solution-oriented approach.

To promote the effort, the Wildlands Project has produced maps and conservation plans for the following regions: Sky Islands of southern Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico; New Mexico Highlands; the Southern Rockies; and the Heart of the West region in southern Wyoming. These plans in turn connect with the ongoing conservation planning initiative in the Yellowstone to Yukon region of western Canada.

Research and planning for the Spine of the Continent project has taken more than 10 years and has involved hundreds of scientists, conservationists, private citizens, and outdoor groups, along with local, state and federal agencies.

For more information, go to www.wildlandsproject.org/roomtoroam. For complimentary B-Roll footage, including description of campaign and multiple regional film clips, contact Jen Clanahan at 303-775-3539.