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|
SPONSOR: |
Nunez |
DATE TYPED: |
01/23/02 |
HB |
50 |
||
|
SHORT TITLE: |
Salt Cedar & Phreatophyte Management |
SB |
|
||||
|
|
ANALYST: |
Baca |
|||||
APPROPRIATION
|
Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
||
|
FY02 |
FY03 |
FY02 |
FY03 |
|
|
|
|
$300.0 |
|
|
Recurring |
General Fund |
(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Relates
to HB 21
Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources
Department (EMNRD)
Department of Agriculture (NMDA)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
House Bill 50 appropriates $300.0 from the
general fund to the Board of Regents at New Mexico State University to support
soil and water conservation districts’ efforts to manage salt cedar and other
phreatophytes to restore native vegetation and enhance water supplies.
Significant
Issues
The EMNRD and the NMDA analysis state the
importance of restoring native vegetation to enhance water supplies. Stands of non-native salt cedar trees are
vulnerable to wildfire and are actually invigorated when burned. Bosque fires often damage native riparian
vegetation. Removing non-native
vegetation should enhance the use of water supplies and reduce the risk of
wildfires.
According to EMNRD, enactment of this bill will
indirectly benefit the Forestry Division’s efforts to restore the health of
riparian ecosystems. Also, removing
stands of salt cedar and replacing them with native vegetation will reduce the
risk of wildfires and make fire suppression less costly.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation
of $300.0 contained in this bill is a
recurring expense to the general fund.
Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY2003
shall revert to the general fund.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
The program will be
administered by NMSU.
RELATIONSHIP
House Bill 50 relates
to House Bill 21. House Bill 21
appropriates funds to control salt cedar growth in Northeast New Mexico.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
The following
information is provided for information only.
It is not intended as a commentary on the merits of the bill.
The
request was not included in NMSU’ budget request, and, consequently, was not reviewed
by the CHE.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
1.
Is this appropriation request the only viable source of
funding to deal with this issue?
2.
What other sources of funding might be “tapped”?
3. Have efforts been made to obtain funding
from sources other than the state legislature?
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