Bear Canyon Arroyo would seem an ideal wildlife corridor between the Sandias and Rio Grande.

» State should move in to help black bear survive in Sandias | ABQ Journal By Harrison H. Schmitt / Former U.S. Senator on Sun, Jul 14, 2013

For thousands of years, bears could migrate from the Sandias into the Rio Grande valley for water and alternate food sources.

Today, when bears try to do this, they find our homes, commerce, fences and streets between the mountains and the river. The bears also encounter excited, unprepared homeowners.

Some residents contact wildlife officials to remove the bears, unknowingly giving a possible death sentence to these hungry and thirsty foragers.

The remarkable black bear, prominent figure of Native American lore, is a tri-athlete in its own right. These animals can turn on a dime and run at incredible speeds, climb trees with little exertion and swim effortlessly in lakes and rivers. The giant paws can carry its large mass silently through the night with little or no trace. …

As a friend pointed out, “The state that saved Smokey Bear should now come to the rescue of his relatives.”

I live at the base of the Sandias at the edge of Black Bear country. Our family wants the state animal to stay healthy and survive for coming generations. New Mexicans will have heavy hearts if the Sandia Mountain black bear population disappears due to inaction and lack of perspective and common sense.

The governor and other state officials need to act and act quickly. Time is running out for the bears.

» State should move in to help black bear survive in Sandias | ABQ Journal