New Mexico governor pans Forest Service amid wild cow fight

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s governor has stepped into the fight over how federal land managers are eradicating wild cows in the Gila Wilderness. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued a statement Friday as the U.S. Forest Service conducted an aerial shooting operation aimed at killing as many as 150 “unauthorized” cows. She says she’s disappointed in the Forest Service’s lack of meaningful engagement with stakeholders on such a controversial issue. The Forest Service disputed the governor’s claims, saying they have been talking to stakeholders for several years. Federal officials and environmentalists say the animals damage habitat for other species. Ranchers say the cows could have been rounded up and removed.