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

SPONSOR Komadina

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2-1-2008

HB

SHORT TITLE Wild Horse Park Feasibility Study

SM 35

ANALYST Woods

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

NFI

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL OPERATING BUDGET IMPACT (dollars in thousands)

FY08

FY09

FY10 3 Year

Total Cost

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

Total

$25.0

1

NA

NA

$25.0

Non-

Recurring

General

Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates/Conflicts with/Companion to/Relates to: SJM 16.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Memorial 35 requests a study by the EMNRD State Parks Division (SPD) on the

feasibility of establishing a wild horse park in Sandoval County, NM, on lands owned by the

Bureau of Land Management. SPD is requested to present the study, with findings and

recommendations, to the appropriate interim legislative committees by November 1, 2008.

1

Cost projections are included in the agency response. See Fiscal Implications section for methodology.

Senate Memorial 35 – Page

2

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

EMNRD advises that a typical state park feasibility study costs SPD around $25,000 in

personnel and other costs (salary, travel, per diem, printing, etc.). This particular requested study

would require at least this amount, if not more, since the management of a wild horse park would

be a new concept with which SPD does not have familiarity or direct experience. SPD would

likely have to engage a consultant to collect data regarding potential visitation, research existing

literature regarding wild horse preserves in New Mexico and in other locations, and determine

management approaches and resource needs for such a park. Further, SPD does not have

available budget in FY08 to begin the study, SPD has not requested any funding in the FY09

budget to perform the requested study, and SM 35 does not include any appropriations to SPD in

order to conduct the study. If no funds are appropriated for either fiscal year, study costs would

have to come out of the FY08 and FY09 operating budgets for SPD.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

EMNRD indicates that SPD has no prior experience or expertise in the management of wild

horses, which can be a resource-intensive and highly complex responsibility for a land

management agency. Developing the new management capacity within SPD to handle this

project would be a challenge and likely involve significant cost. The time frame for completion

of the study only allows four months from the beginning of FY09 until the report is due to the

Legislature. This does not allow adequate time to prepare a thorough feasibility study so that the

Legislature can have solid information from which to make decisions regarding this proposed

new state park.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

EMNRD suggests that, currently, the agency does not have available resources to complete this

study in the timeframe allowed. In order to complete the study, SPD would have to divert

resources from other high priority projects already underway.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

EMNRD: “Nearly duplicates SJM 16 (only minor language changes)"

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

No state park feasibility study will be completed.

AMENDMENTS

EMNRD proposes: Page 3, line 16: Delete “November 1, 2008" and replace with “January 1,

2009."

BFW/mt