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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Gutierrez
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
1-30-07
3-11-07 HB 445/aHAGC/aHENRC
SHORT TITLE Conservancy District Immunity Exclusion
SB
ANALYST Woods
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY07
FY08
NFI
NFI
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of HENRC Amendment
EMNRD notes that House Energy and Natural Resources Committee amendment to House Bill
445 amends Section 41-4-6 NMSA 1978 to add a new subsection, 41-4-6(C), that would exclude
irrigation and conservancy districts from the waiver of liability under 41-4-6(A), to the extent
such districts authorize any part of their property to be used as part of trails within a state park,
the state trail system or a trail established and managed by a local public body. The amendment
placed on the bill also requires, that in order for the district to receive this immunity, the district
and the trail managing entity must enter into a written agreement, that the trail managing entity
must agree to assume the operation and maintenance of that portion of the district’s property
used for the trail, and that the trail managing entity shall be subject to liability as provided in the
Tort Claims Act.
EMNRD indicates that he amendment to Section 41-4-6 makes clear that if a district allows a
portion of its property to be used for a trail, then it retains its immunity, but the entity operating
or maintaining the trail (for example, the state or a local public body) could continue to be liable
for any damages that arise from use of the trail, pursuant to Section 41-4-6(A). A management
agreement stating that the state agency or local public body is assuming the operation and
maintenance obligations is required.
EMNRD adds that HB 445a retains liability for such trails with the entity actually managing the
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House Bill 445/aHAGC/aHENRC – Page
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trail for recreation. The State Trails System Act actually already has a provision that relieves
from liability (except for gross negligence) any “person or corporation" that grants a trails right-
of-way to EMNRD (16-3-9 NMSA 1978), and HB 445a would grant more protection to
irrigation and conservancy districts.
EMNRD concludes that HB 445a will augment EMNRD’s State Parks Division’s (SPD)
performance in providing recreation to the public by facilitating development and utilization of
trails in state parks and as part of the statewide trails system. Increasing the number and length
of trails will have a positive impact on visitation and revenue, two SPD performance measures.
The amendment adds no appropriation to the legislation.
Synopsis of HAGC Amendment
House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee amendment to House Bill 445 reflects the
following language:
1. On page 2, line 13, strike “liability" and insert in lieu thereof “immunity".
The amendment adds no appropriation to the legislation.
Synopsis of Original Bill
House Bill 445 seeks to amend Section 41-4-6 NMSA 1978 to add a new subsection, 41-4-6(C),
that would exclude irrigation and conservancy districts from the waiver of liability under 41-4-
6(A), to the extent such districts authorize any part of their property to be used as part of trails
within a state park, the state trail system or a trail established and managed by a local public
body.
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
EMNRD notes that trails are the number one recreation priority that New Mexico citizens
identified in the 2004 State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. Trails are popular in both
urban and rural locations across the state; improve community quality-of-life; stimulate
economic development and create jobs; tie into efforts to improve public health and fitness; and
enhance conservation and recreation programs. Networks of canals, levees, ditches, paths and
roads within irrigation and conservancy districts in New Mexico currently comprise large,
informal trail systems in many portions of the state, particularly along the Rio Grande Valley.
These networks have been used for generations, but are mostly not open to public access for
recreation by irrigation and conservancy districts.
EMNRD states that concerns raised by irrigation and conservancy districts about potential
liability associated with public access for recreation prevents districts from permitting portions of
their ditch networks to be utilized in trail systems that would have extensive public benefits.
Several new, popular projects, including the “Ditches to Trails" project in Bernalillo County, the
“Rio Grande Trail" (an effort to stitch together a multi-use trail paralleling long stretches of the
river), and efforts to create more public trails along ditch systems in Dona Ana County are
currently stymied by this liability situation. Moreover, currently, irrigation and conservancy
districts retain immunity for damages arising out of the operation or maintenance of works used
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House Bill 445/aHAGC/aHENRC – Page
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to divert or store water. These works include canals, ditches and drains along which trails can or
could exist. If any irrigation or conservancy district were to allow a trail to be established along
one of its canals, ditches or drains, then concern has been raised by districts that the district may
be deemed to have lost their immunity if a district’s permission to allow trail use on its property
means is construed to mean it is operating a public park.
EMNRD indicates that the amendment to Section 41-4-6 makes clear that if a district allows a
portion of its property to be used for a trail, then it retains its immunity, but the entity operating
or maintaining the trail (for example, the state or a local public body) would continue to be liable
for any damages that arise from use of the trail, pursuant to Section 41-4-6(A). HB445 therefore
enhances the ability of the state and local governments to provide more trails for the citizens by
providing a mechanism to irrigation and conservancy districts to allow portions of their property
to be used for public trails. Enactment of HB445 would remove a major impediment to these
key players participating in trails projects and would be a catalyst for getting trail networks that
already exist along the Rio Grande and in other places opened to public use. HB445 would
retain liability for such trails with the entity actually managing the trail for recreation. The State
Trails System Act actually already has a provision that relieves from liability (except for gross
negligence) any “person or corporation" that grants a trails right-of-way to Energy, Minerals and
Natural Resources Department (EMNRD). (16-3-9 NMSA 1978) HB445 would grant similar
protection to irrigation and conservancy districts.
PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS
EMNRD suggests that HB445 will augment EMNRD’s State Parks Program performance in
providing recreation to the public by facilitating development and utilization of a trails in state
parks and as part of the statewide trails system. Increasing the number and length of trails will
have a positive impact on visitation and revenue, two State Parks Division performance
measures.
CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP
Duplicates SB486
WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL
EMNRD observes that the State Trails System Act designates EMRND as the lead agency to
administer trails at the state government level. Progress statewide on some major trails projects
would continue to struggle because of the impediments posed by the existing liability situation
for irrigation and conservancy districts.
BFW/mt