No longer would elk and antelope roam free in one state, then cross a border and be hunted - if a new Western governors initiative develops as planned.

Colorado and New Mexico on Friday became the first states to team up in the effort to create interstate wildlife corridors.

Govs. Bill Ritter and Bill Richardson signed an agreement pledging increased collaboration to identify and protect routes and increase data-sharing on elk, deer, grouse and other species.

The broader initiative, involving 19 states, emerged in Western Governors' Association forums over the past year and is on the agenda for the governors meeting this month in San Diego. Federal officials in June agreed to support the creation of corridors.

"Wildlife is one of the most important resources in the West," Ritter said. "It is part of our heritage, and its protection should be part of our legacy."

Ritter's pact with Richardson calls for using the best mapping systems available to inform land-use planning and development.

Tribal consultations are envisioned with the Jicarilla Apache Tribe, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Tribe.

Governors were motivated in part by concerns about energy-industry impact amid widespread oil and gas drilling and power-grid construction, said Madeleine West, program manager for the Western Governors' Association.

"You can direct development to those less-critical areas," West said.

"(Today) if you are an elk, you don't know where the border is. But you may be managed differently depending on which side of the border you are on," she said.

From the Sangre de Cristo to the San Juan mountains, there may be opportunities to link existing pristine habitat, she said. "A lot of that information is just not known yet. It is hard to identify corridors if you are just looking in your own state."

Southern Colorado landowner Louis Bacon, who is battling a proposed power-grid expansion near his ranch, welcomes the governors' creation of corridors.

"We look forward to working with the Colorado Department of Wildlife and New Mexico," Bacon said, "to achieve this vital goal."

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