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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Feldman

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1-22-07

2-6-07 HB

SHORT TITLE Native Animal Species Conservation Funding

SB 176a/SFC

ANALYST Woods

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

NFI

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates HB83

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Game and Fish (DGF)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of SFC Amendment

Senate Finance Committee amendment to Senate Bill 176 amends to legislation to reflect the fol-

lowing language:

1. On page 6, line 9, before the semicolon, insert “; to pay for depredation caused by

any of the native animal species".

Synopsis of Original Bill

Senate Bill 176 provides for the authority to expend money from the game protection fund, the

habitat management fund, and other sources for habitat conservation of native animal species. It

additionally reconciles multiple amendments to the same section of law in Laws 2005.

Senate Bill 176a/SFC – Page

2

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The Department of Game and Fish (DGF) indicates that this bill will provide an opportunity for

the department to be eligible for federal funding leveraging and native wildlife grants. These

funds will assist the agency in improving conservation programs by extending key conservation

practices to all native wildlife species.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DGF notes that this bill will ensure that all native wildlife species are clearly contained within

Game Commission authority to conduct a full range of habitat management and information pro-

grams to promote their conservation. This bill will not extend regulatory authority to additional

species not already regulated by statute.

Under current statutory authority, the State Game Commission has the authority to expend funds

only to conduct studies, conduct management programs, and acquire habitat for wildlife species

that are under specific regulatory authority. This includes game animals and threatened or en-

dangered wildlife species only. Current approaches to wildlife management recognize the holis-

tic or ecosystem approach to management as being beneficial to a suite of species without spe-

cific focus on any individual species. Even in cases where a specific species is emphasized, it is

widely recognized that many benefit.

DGF adds that New Mexico’s recent effort to complete a Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation

Strategy for New Mexico reflects the “comprehensive" approach where habitats are the focus

rather than the specific species. To adequately support this approach under the State Wildlife

Grant program, the State Game Commission requires the ability to put resources toward all na-

tive wildlife species in New Mexico. Also, efforts to pass a Land, Wildlife, and Clean Energy

Act further emphasize the need to ensure that the state wildlife agency has clear authority to im-

plement the conservation actions provided for in that Act. Additional regulatory authority may

be considered controversial governmental action by agricultural, industrial, and commodity in-

terests.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Duplicates HB83

BW/mt