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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Martinez
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
2/13/2007
HB
SHORT TITLE NMSU Vegetation Monitoring Study
SB 913
ANALYST Moser
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY07
FY08
$250.0
Non-Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicates: HB982
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 913 makes an appropriation of $250,000 from the General Fund to the Board of
Regents of New Mexico State University (NMSU) for expenditure for FY08 to assist the
livestock industry with vegetation monitoring studies by the College of Agriculture.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $250,000 contained in this bill is a non-recurring expense to the general
fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY08 shall revert to the
general fund.
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
NMSU reports that the College of Agriculture and Home Economics is aggressively involved in
finding solutions to current problems in New Mexico. Many of the research and community
educational programs are guided by community advisory groups, which help focus efforts on
improving the economic and environmental conditions and personal quality of life in
communities. For example, there is a program geared to bring together ranchers, especially those
using federal and state trust lands, as well as federal and state land management employees to
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Senate Bill 913 – Page
2
participate in a rancher initiated monitoring system. Ranchers and people interested in vegetation
management will be informed as to management options for locoweed and other poisonous
plants. State and federal land management agencies and sportsman groups are target audiences
that will be provided information regarding livestock and wildlife interactions and the carrying
capacity of rangelands. Certain plants and weeds become an increasingly dangerous problem in
the river valleys and rangelands. Rancher, farmers, environmental groups, wildlife management
agencies, and homeowners require training in the effects and control of noxious weed species.
The Range Improvement Task Force has a mission to improve rangelands and resource
management by addressing issues related to water, land title, and policy. Due to recent climate
change conditions, drought and flooding have highlighted a greater need for the Range
Improvement Task Force. This appropriation will support data driven monitoring of vegetation
aimed to improve rangelands and management of resources. As a result, this will assist the
livestock industry and other stakeholders to solve problems such as poisonous plants, climate
change, overgrazing, and grassfires.
This proposal was not submitted to the HED by NMSU and was not included in the department’s
funding recommendation for FY08.
GM/csd