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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 3/5/07 HM 63

SHORT TITLE NM Defense Installations & National Guard

SB

ANALYST Peery-Galon

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates Senate Memorial 64 – Defense Installations & National Guard.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Responses Received From

Veterans’ Services Department

Office of Military Base Planning

No Response Received From

Department of Military Affairs

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Memorial 63 calls for the state of New Mexico to recognize and appreciate the important

and continuing contributions of the four major active military installations in our state, along

with the contributions of the New Mexico National Guard. Also, the memorial calls for the state

of New Mexico to recognize and appreciate the people who work or live at those four

departments of defense military installations, along with the people of the New Mexico National

Guard.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The Office of Military Planning reports the following significant issues implicit in the memorial:

•

New Mexico’s outstanding weather, varying terrain, air space, varied research and

development, test and evaluation capabilities, supportive population, and low population

density are all key factors in ensuring that the state will continue to be an important

component of the Department of Defense’s capability.

•

There have been five base closure rounds since 1988. During the last two rounds, New

House Memorial 63 – Page

2

Mexico was targeted for a significant realignment of Kirtland AFB (1995), Cannon AFB

was slated for closure (2005), and the Army Research Laboratory at White Sands Missile

Range (2005) was slated for closure. Due to a lot of hard work by the communities, the

congressional delegation, and the governor, New Mexico was able to overturn the

Department of Defense recommendations.

•

As a result of New Mexico’s advocacy during the last round of base closures, at least two

New Mexico’s military installations will experience force and personnel growth. As the

new Special Operations Wing becomes active at Cannon AFB, it is expected that there

will be 1,000 to 2,000 more personnel assigned than currently. New Mexico will be

proud to host more Air Force Special Operations Forces than any other state, considering

the 58

th

Special Operations Wing at Kirtland and the new 16

th

Special Operations Wing at

Cannon.

•

An important factor in preserving our military installations is the priority of avoiding

encroachment. The governor issued an Executive Order in August, 2004 (EO-04-046)

titled “Land Use Planning and Military Installation Compatibility." This executive order

directs all state agencies to work closely with their local military installations, and

requests all other municipal and local government entities to work closely with their local

military installations to ensure land-use planning considers the military mission.

•

Currently, the Mid-Region Council of Governments is preparing to conduct a joint land

use study in coordination with Kirtland Air Force Base and the Department of Defense’s

Office of Economic Adjustment which will address land-use planning issues in the

Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Sandoval County, Valencia County and Torrance

County areas. Further, the State Land Office is working closely with White Sands

Missile Range, Holloman Air Force Base, and Fort Bliss (89% of Ft. Bliss is in New

Mexico) to ensure compatible land use planning.

•

The memorial addresses the contribution of families. It is important that New Mexico’s

communities continue to recognize the unique demands of service life imposed on

military families, and that they work to make their transitions to their communities as

smooth as possible.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The Office of Military Base Planning is charged with supporting New Mexico’s military

installations. The Office of Military Base Planning will continue to work closely with

community military partnering organizations in support of Cannon Air Force Base, Holloman

Air Force Base, Kirtland Air Force Base, and White Sands Missile Range.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

House Memorial 63 is a duplication of Senate Memorial 64 – Defense Installations & National

Guard.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

The Veterans’ Services Department states “it is important that the state of New Mexico realize

the importance that our military installations play in our country, state, and the local areas." The

Veterans’ Services Department notes the military installations impact the local economies with

federal dollars along with high paying jobs.

RPG/mt