Column: Communication crucial, even when it's easy

I don't think I am alone when I say communication is crucial, especially considering how easy communicating should be in these days of technological advancements.

There are more people online, Facebooking, Twittering, YouTube-ing and God knows what other social medium.

Cell phones have 4G capabilities, which as far as I know allows me to get my Sports Center updates a lot quicker. They are lighter, higher in memory capacity and if you use them for 20 minutes straight you have just enough power to post a "my battery is about to die status."

Computers have evolved past the laptop. That's right laptops have now become an archaic tool. The newest and greatest among the technologically savvy are the tablets and iPad's — you know the flat monitor everyone is using to play Angry Birds Star Wars.

These wondrous portable wonders allow us to film, photograph and communicate with even more ease.

However, even with all the advancements and updates in technology, it appears the communication between special interest groups and governmental agencies are still at an all time low.

While I was attending a Quay County Commission meeting, which is one of my favorite meeting beats, there was a contradiction of efforts, which brought a smile to my face and a much-needed laugh on a 29-degree morning.

The commissioners were made aware of group's efforts to place the lesser Prairie Chicken as a threatened species. Placing the bird on the threatened list would have a lot of effects on wind energy developments and farming and ranching in Eastern New Mexico.

However, in that same meeting, just a few agenda items later, the commission was informed that a federal agency had intentions to expand the gray wolf's roaming territory to all counties and properties across the state south of Interstate 40.

Now, I'd like to get into a discussion on how exactly any agency state or federal plans on making a wild animal stay south of I-40 and not wander north. Maybe these are special wolves that adhere to the honor system. Maybe they installed a shock collar-type system along I-40 in which case some dogs taking a road trip through New Mexico are going to be in for a surprise.

We'll have to come back to that topic another day.

So, they want to expand the Gray Wolf's area, to the exact same area where the so-called threatened Lesser Prairie Chicken lives.

I admit, I'm not the brightest of crayons in the box, though my extensive knowledge of sometimes trivial and useless information has earned me nicknames such as "Toogle," courtesy of Khaeden Cox.

Correct me if I am wrong, though chickens are on a wolf's menu are they not? I know it's the wrong species though they always used to say "Don't put the fox to guard the chicken house."

A classic example of poor communication, two entities looking to preserve their respective wildlife interest on a collision course.

The only way this could get any funnier for me is if there was a small chicken wearing coveralls and a tiny baseball cap shouting, "The sky is falling!"

Thomas Garcia writes for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at:

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