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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Lundstrom
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
3/12/2007
HM 99
SHORT TITLE Wild Horse Preservation Commission
SB
ANALYST Schuss
ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL OPERATING BUDGET IMPACT (dollars in thousands)
FY07
FY08
FY09 3 Year
Total Cost
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
Total
Unknown Unknown Unknown Recurring General
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Memorial 99 requests that the Governor establish a commission for the preservation of
wild horses.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
House Memorial 99 does not contain an appropriation, but there is an implied cost to the general
fund to establish the Wild Horse Preservation Commission, and for the Commission to carry out
its prescribed activities and initial study proposed by HM 99.
HM 99 also requests that the Wild Horse Preservation Commission manage the Heil Trust Fund
for Wild Horses.
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
House Memorial 99 states that there are wild horses currently living on public lands in New
Mexico. A wild horse preserve could prompt local economic development by drawing tourists
into a region to see nondomesticated horses in a natural state and a wild horse preserve could
link historic and cultural tourism to attract visitors. A wild horse preserve could serve as a
valuable resource for educational and youth-oriented organizations.
HM 99 notes that in other areas of the country there exists successful wild horse preserves with
herds ranging in size from one hundred sixty to six hundred fifty horses with preserves from
pg_0002
House Memorial 99 – Page
2
three hundred twenty to nine thousand acres in size. There is currently no facility for caring for
feral and abandoned horses in McKinley county and a horse rescue facility in McKinley county
would reduce the property damage and public nuisance caused by wild horses in McKinley
county and could prepare wild horses for adoption.
The House of Representatives of the State of New Mexico requests that the Governor establish a
commission for the preservation of wild horses and that the commission for the preservation of
wild horses have as its primary purpose the preservation of viable herds of wild horses on public
lands.
HM 99 states that the activities of the commission for the preservation of wild horses include
promoting the management and protection of wild horses, acting as a liaison between the state,
the public and parties interested in the preservation of wild horses, advising the Governor on
issues affecting wild horses, developing and coordinating projects to study wild horses and their
habitat, making information about wild horses available to the news media and the general
public, managing the Heil Trust Fund for Wild Horses and reporting to the legislature on the
commission’s activities.
HM 99 further requests the commission to conduct a study regarding the establishment of horse
rescue facilities and report its findings and recommendations to the appropriate Interim
Legislative Committees.
BS/mt