0001|                            HOUSE BILL 349
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                             JOE M. STELL
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|                                   
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0009|     
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0010|                                AN ACT
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0011|     RELATING TO AGRICULTURE; ENACTING THE NOXIOUS WEED MANAGEMENT
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0012|     ACT; REPEALING SECTIONS OF THE NMSA 1978; MAKING AN
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0013|     APPROPRIATION.
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0014|     
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0015|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0016|          Section 1.  SHORT TITLE.--This act may be cited as the
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0017|     "Noxious Weed Management Act".
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0018|          Section 2.  FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.--
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0019|               A.  The legislature finds that noxious weeds have
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0020|     caused extensive economic damage in New Mexico.  Specifically,
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0021|     the presence and spread of noxious weeds:
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0022|                    (1)  decreases land values and productivity,
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0023|     forces out nutritious forage for livestock and often causes
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0024|     the death of livestock and crops;
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0025|                    (2)  harms the environment by crowding out
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0001|     native vegetation and endangered species, increasing fire
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0002|     danger and increasing water usage; and
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0003|                    (3)  increases government and industrial costs
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0004|     by increasing highway cleanup costs, decreasing the lease
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0005|     value of state and federal public lands and curtailing the
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0006|     hunting, fishing and recreational use of the land.
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0007|               B.  It is the purpose of the Noxious Weed
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0008|     Management Act to improve the state economy and environment by
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0009|     managing noxious weeds in New Mexico.
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0010|          Section 3.  DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Noxious Weed
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0011|     Management Act:
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0012|               A.  "director" means the director of the New Mexico
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0013|     department of agriculture;
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0014|               B.  "landowner" means a person who holds title to
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0015|     real property, is the holder of a right-of-way easement or is
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0016|     a designated land manager; 
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0017|               C.  "noxious weed" means a plant species that is
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0018|     not indigenous to New Mexico and that has been targeted
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0019|     pursuant to the Noxious Weed Management Act for management or
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0020|     control because of its negative impact on the economy or the
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0021|     environment; and
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0022|               D.  "public land" means land controlled or
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0023|     supervised by an agency of government.
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0024|          Section 4.  DUTIES OF DIRECTOR--NOXIOUS WEED MANAGEMENT
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0025|     PROGRAM.--
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0001|               A.  The director shall coordinate integrated
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0002|     noxious weed management programs.  To carry out such programs,
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0003|     the director shall:
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0004|                    (1)  select the species of weeds to be
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0005|     targeted as noxious weeds for control or eradication pursuant
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0006|     to the Noxious Weed Management Act;
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0007|                    (2)  identify the methods to be used to
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0008|     control noxious weeds; and
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0009|                    (3)  develop publications to educate the
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0010|     public on the problem and prevention of noxious weeds.      
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0011|               B.  The director may use and cooperate with any
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0012|     existing noxious weed control program that is available and
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0013|     appropriate for the purposes of the Noxious Weed Management
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0014|     Act.
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0015|          Section 5.  ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM.--The director
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0016|     shall administer the provisions of the Noxious Weed Management
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0017|     Act subject to the directives, policies and regulations of the
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0018|     board of regents of New Mexico state university.
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0019|          Section 6.  LANDOWNERS--RIGHTS--AGREEMENTS.--
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0020|               A.  If the director or his designee becomes aware
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0021|     of the presence of noxious weeds on nonpublic land, the
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0022|     director shall notify the landowner of the noxious weeds and
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0023|     the methods for controlling them.  However, nothing in the
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0024|     Noxious Weed Management Act shall be construed to permit the
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0025|     director or his designee to enter nonpublic land except at the
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0001|     invitation of the landowner.   
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0002|               B.  Upon the request of a landowner, the director
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0003|     shall develop a noxious weed control program in cooperation
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0004|     with the landowner.
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0005|               C.  Whenever the director becomes aware of the
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0006|     presence of noxious weeds on public land, he shall inform the
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0007|     governmental entity of the species found on land under the
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0008|     entity's jurisdiction.  When possible and practicable, the
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0009|     director shall consult with the governmental entity in
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0010|     developing a management plan for the control of the noxious
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0011|     weeds.
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0012|               D.  The director may develop and implement
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0013|     cooperative agreements with appropriate federal and state
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0014|     agencies, the commissioner of public lands and Indian nations,
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0015|     tribes and pueblos to carry out the provisions of the Noxious
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0016|     Weed Management Act.
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0017|          Section 7.  APPROPRIATION.--Eighty-five thousand dollars
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0018|     ($85,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the New
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0019|     Mexico department of agriculture for expenditure in fiscal
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0020|     year 1999 to implement the provisions of the Noxious Weed
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0021|     Management Act.  Any unexpended or unencumbered balance
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0022|     remaining at the end of fiscal year 1999 shall revert to the
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0023|     general fund.
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0024|          Section 8.  REPEAL.--Sections 76-7-1 through 76-7-30 NMSA
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0025|     1978 (being Laws 1959, Chapter 243, Sections 1 through 22 and
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0001|     Laws 1963, Chapter 203, Sections 1 through 8) are repealed.
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0002|          Section 9.  SEVERABILITY.--If any part or application of
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0003|     the Noxious Weed Management Act is held invalid, the remainder
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0004|     or its application to other situations or persons shall not be
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0005|     affected.
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0006|                              
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