For over fifty-five years, Dr. Sanford "Sandy" Schemnitz has been a friend and champion of the wilderness. A lifelong hunter, Sandy has brought his love of outdoor recreation and his commitment to wild land preservation to his work as a professor of wildlife sciences.
As an undergraduate forestry student at the University of Michigan, Sandy first got involved with the wilderness conservation movement as a logical extension of his extracurricular passions. "Since I was a boy," says Sandy, "I have always enjoyed the wilderness. It offers solitude and a chance to get away from the urban noise."
Like many other outdoorsmen, Sandy's concern for the wilderness stemmed not only from this strong philosophical commitment to a rural way of life but also from a sense of ethical responsibility to the land and its animals. "Wilderness indicates a healthy environment," explains Sandy. "It provides healthy vegetation, perpetuates wildlife populations, and maintains watersheds."
Sandy's understanding of this important relationship led him to pursue a doctorate in Wildlife Science, which he earned from Oklahoma State University in 1958. As a newly minted Ph.D., he went on to serve as an assistant and associate professor of Wildlife Resources at the University of Maine, before earning his full professorship in 1972.
In 1975, Sandy moved west and relocated to New Mexico, where he became the first head of the Department of Fishery and Wildlife Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Home Economics at New Mexico State University.
Over the course of his twenty-one year tenure as a professor at New Mexico State, Sandy developed a great love for the local landscape and the wild spaces of Doña Ana County. The region, which boasts an impressive array of quail, wild turkey, and other game birds, served to further invigorate his commitment to the outdoors. Teaching an extensive array of courses, dealing with wildlife management and public policy, Sandy eventually came in contact with the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, a grassroots conservation organization dedicated to preserving special places in the state.
"At that time," Sandy recalls, "they were asking for participation; they were interested in converting wilderness study areas into actual wilderness." After visiting the areas, where he was struck by "the spectacular mountains and wide-open public lands," Sandy joined up.
Ever true to his philosophy of wilderness support and moved by concern about future generations, however, Sandy also sought to address conservation issues from a hunter's perspective. Together with the leaders of fifteen other "hook and bullet" organizations, he helped form the Southwest Consolidated Sportsmen, a group devoted to perpetuating the wilderness that sustains outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen.
"Sandy more than most, understands the importance of protecting wild lands as the best way to ensure we can pass down the hunting traditions to the next generations," says Stephen Capra, executive director of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance. "His years as a professor and his experience as a sportsman give him enormous credibility on the wilderness issue. When Sandy signs on to something, others follow. He's really an icon, and a tremendous asset to our efforts to protect some of the area's special wild places."
With members ranging from the Doña Ana County Associated Sportsmen, to the Mesilla Valley Flyfishers, to the Picacho Gun Club, the Consolidated Sportsmen have been vocal in their support of proposed legislation and efforts to preserve, protect, and expand the Doña Ana Wilderness. "We hunters are the minority," explains Sandy. "But we have contributed a lot of time and money and effort." As president of the coalition, Sandy has led the push to prevent habitat destruction, illegal hunting, and the intrusive and detrimental use of off-road vehicles.
It is true that protecting the wilderness is not always a speedy process, but Sandy and his fellow New Mexicans are "gradually winning their battles." With this mindset, Sandy approaches the challenges of the coming years. "We're getting old," he admits with a slight chuckle, "we need new blood to replace some of this gray hair."
It is this drive, he explains, that motivates his strong involvement with the Consolidated Sportsman. "My grandson is a young hunter," says Sandy, "and I want him to be able to continue to enjoy outdoor sports." To that end, Sandy's grandson Aden and his hunting dog, Ace, appeared with him in an ad urging protection for some of Dona Ana County's natural gems-including Broad Canyon and the East Potrillo Mountains-sponsored by the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance and the Campaign for America's Wilderness.
Today, Sandy has more time than ever to help pass his message along. In 1996, he retired from his position as a full time professor, but just because he no longer brings his philosophy of wilderness support to the classroom, he has in no way slowed in his commitment to proper wild life and wild land management. As a Professor Emeritus, his research is geared towards improving and better understanding local wild turkey populations. In addition, Sandy is actively involved in the Northern Jaguar Project - a bi-national effort to preserve local jaguars - as well as other regional efforts to maintain indigenous wolves and falcons.
He still fears the encroachment of oil and gas industries into the New Mexican wilderness and worries about the future of the hunting community. But with his firm commitment to teaching others about the importance of conservation and stewardship, it's hard to imagine that Sandy Schemnitz will not remain a wilderness hero for generations to come.
