The United States Army has reversed course on some of its regulations for the recently designated New Mexico National Defense Area (NMNDA). The new military base was designated this spring after the U.S. Department of the Interior transferred 109,651 acres of federal public lands along the southern border to the Department of War in the name of clamping down on illegal immigration.
The NMNDA was put under the jurisdiction of Fort Huachuca, an Army Base in southern Arizona. At the time, Field & Stream reported on a Department of Defense statement that outlawed “hunting and hiking” on the new military base, which comprises a narrow strip of land along the border. Still, some conservationists lamented the impact that would’ve had on hunting access in the region, particularly for Gould’s turkeys, Mearns quail, and Coues deer, not to mention other recreational uses.
However, in a recent press release, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish announced that it “has been working with the U.S. Army to allow recreational and licensed hunters access to these areas.” As a result, the U.S. Army has released a memorandum establishing required protocols for the public to legally access the newly-designated land.
The Department of War (formerly the Department of Defense) will require land users to apply for a visitor access badge, which, among other things, requires passing a background check. Hunters will also need to comply with all state laws, wear blaze orange garments and hats (regardless of weapon), and refrain from shooting within ¼ mile of buildings, vehicles, people, or the border wall. The use of trail cameras and drones is also forbidden within the NDA for security reasons.
The restrictions are in line with those in place at other military sites that allow hunting in the region, such as White Sand Missile Range. Recreational users can find the exact boundaries of the New Mexico National Defense Area using a Bureau of Land Management ArcGIS map.
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According to Fort Huachuca Garrison Commander Col. Michael J. Childs, the new regulations were instituted “to ensure sustainable management of natural resources, particularly wildlife, on military installations, while also balancing all recreational activities … these regulations aim to protect natural resources, promote ethical hunting practices, and maintain a safe environment for all personnel and activities.”
