HOUSE BILL 504

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2011

INTRODUCED BY

Dennis J. Kintigh

AN ACT

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE; PROVIDING FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF THE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION COMMISSION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 73-20-28 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 137, Section 4, as amended) is amended to read:

     "73-20-28. SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION COMMISSION MEMBERS.--There is created a "soil and water conservation commission" to be composed of seven appointed members and five ex-officio members. The seven appointed members shall be selected by [and serve at the pleasure of] the governor and be confirmed by the senate. Six of the appointed members shall be supervisors [and shall be selected and appointed from a panel of three candidates] currently serving in an elected position on a district board. One supervisor from each region [compiled by the districts of each region and presented by the president of the New Mexico association of conservation districts] shall be appointed from a list of candidates submitted by the districts of each region to the director. The director shall solicit comments regarding the candidates from the president of the New Mexico association of conservation districts prior to submission of the list to the governor. One appointed member shall be selected at large and shall be a person interested and active in the conservation or development of natural resources in New Mexico. The five ex-officio members shall serve without vote and shall include:

          A. the governor or [his] the governor's designee;

          B. the associate director of the cooperative extension service of New Mexico state university or [his] the associate director's designee;

          C. the associate director of the agricultural experiment station of New Mexico state university or [his] the associate director's designee;

          D. the state conservationist of the natural resources conservation service of the United States department of agriculture or [his] the state conservationist's designee; and

          E. the president of the New Mexico association of conservation districts or [his] the president's designee."

     SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2011.

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