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Legislature approves important habitat measure
The Legislature adjourned its 30-day session after paving the way for a new funding source that could provide millions of dollars for wildlife habitat protection projects in the future. Senate Bill 186, the Natural Heritage Conservation Act, was a highlight of the 30-day legislative session, passing in the final hours and with the help of a concerted effort by sportsmen like you.
New Mexico hunters and anglers had hoped to see more positive legislation affecting wildlife, habitat and opportunity come out of Santa Fe this year. But because 30-day sessions focus mainly on budget issues, it was little surprise the Legislature did not approve more bills of interest to sportsmen. Here’s what lawmakers did accomplish in the last 30 days:
Passed Senate Bill 186. Sportsmen helped push this one over the finish line by contacting their legislators in the final hours of the session and encouraging support for the bill. Gov. Bill Richardson has signed the bill into law.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Carlos Cisneros of Questa, creates the Natural Heritage Conservation Fund, which eventually will be able to receive grants, donations and other sources of revenue such as conservation bond measures. As the fund grows, it can be used for watershed and habitat conservation projects. More important, it will attract matching funds from other sources to broaden its reach. Wyoming established a similar fund in 2005 called the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust. Since then the trust has spent $14 million to enhance and conserve wildlife habitat and natural resources, and gets $6.50 in matching funds for every dollar it spends. New Mexico currently misses out on about $20 million per year of federal matching funds for conservation projects due to lack of a non-federal match, according to a report several years ago by the Department of Game and Fish. SB 186 is a small but important first step in working to take advantage of conservation dollars and investing in our wildlife and natural resources.
Tabled House Bill 73. This was sportsmen’s biggest disappointment of the session, and would have given New Mexico a long-overdue reform of the state depredation law. The bill was written by the Department of Game and Fish and was a high priority of Gov. Richardson. Sponsored by Rep. Mimi Stewart of Albuquerque, the bill would have ended the senseless slaughter of big game and improved depredation assistance to landowners who need it. HB 73 passed its first committee, but then was sidetracked into the House Business and Industry Committee at the request of Rep. Debbie Rodella of Espanola. Although some committee members appeared sympathetic to the reform effort, the bill was tabled and thus killed for the year.
Sportsmen will continue working to reform the depredation statute, but an overhaul will have to wait until at least the 2011 legislative session.
Approved several discounts for hunting and fishing licenses. House Bill 37 gives members of the U.S. armed forces a discount on deer and small game licenses, while Senate Bill 193 offers free fishing licenses to disabled veterans and active-duty personnel who are participating in certain rehabilitation programs that involve fishing. Both go to Gov. Richardson for his signature. But the governor may want to take a closer look at House Bill 116, which offers free small game and fishing licenses to New Mexico residents on active military duty and home on leave of 30 days or less. The bill was approved, but if signed into law would cause the Department of Game and Fish to lose more than $400,000 in federal matching revenue. While the bill is certainly well-intentioned, the governor might want to send the idea back to the Legislature for further consideration to make sure federal matching funds are not lost as an unintended side-effect.
Approved House Joint Memorial 56. The bill requests the Department of Game and Fish to study the consolidation of hunting and fishing licenses and stamps. The measure notes that New Mexico has more than 30 classes of hunting and fishing licenses, not to mention various stamps and special use permits. The measure now goes to Richardson for approval.
Several bills of interest didn’t get far, including House Bill 51, which would have required anglers in the San Juan River quality waters to purchase an additional $5 stamp ($10 for nonresidents). The new stamp would raise about $355,000 a year for habitat improvement projects, but some anglers were concerned that a plan had not been identified, and questioned whether the projects would actually work. The bill was ultimately pulled from consideration in committee by the sponsor, Rep. Tom Taylor of Farmington, who instead introduced House Memorial 59, which called for the Department of Game and Fish to work with interested stakeholders and land management agencies in the San Juan basin to investigate potential funding sources to protect the valuable trout fishery. The memorial was stuck in committee when the session ended.
Also stuck was Senate Memorial 16, which asked the game department and the State Game Commission to study methods and programs to increase the number of hunting licenses available for New Mexico residents.
While state finances were the top priority in this session, the Legislature failed to approve a budget bill, including a budget for the Department of Game and Fish. Gov. Richardson already has called for a special session beginning Wednesday, Feb. 24.
It isn’t clear what will happen with the department budget, though there seemed to be general agreement during the regular session on a 3 percent increase for the upcoming fiscal year. The proposed budget increase, to nearly $38.5 million, would help cover the additional cost of off-highway vehicle education and higher department operating costs, according to the department.
We’ll keep you posted on the special session, too. New Mexico sportsmen need to stay involved to ensure our hunting and fishing traditions continue, and NMWF encourages sportsmen to talk directly with their own legislators. Tell them you’re a hunter and angler and that you hope they will represent your interests in Santa Fe. For a list of legislators’ contact information, click here.