0001|                          HOUSE MEMORIAL 23
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0002|     43rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 1997
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                             GARY K. KING
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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|                              A MEMORIAL
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0011|     REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE TO IMPLEMENT BEST
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0012|     MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO RESTORE THE WATERSHEDS UNDER ITS
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0013|     JURISDICTION.
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0014|     
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0015|          WHEREAS, water is a vital resource of the state of New
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0016|     Mexico; and
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0017|          WHEREAS, historically those watersheds managed by the
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0018|     United States forest service once produced the most pristine
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0019|     and highest quality water; and
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0020|          WHEREAS, the organic legislation that created the forest
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0021|     service mandates it to protect watersheds for the purpose of
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0022|     water production and delivery; and
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0023|          WHEREAS, lands managed by forest service are producing
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0024|     only seventy percent of historic amounts of water due to past
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0025|     management practices; and
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0001|          WHEREAS, a thirty percent increase of water from forest
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0002|     service lands would benefit the entire water system in the
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0003|     state; and
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0004|          WHEREAS, the state of New Mexico has liability for the
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0005|     delivery of water to other entities for which it has incurred
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0006|     present and will incur future expenses; and
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0007|          WHEREAS, numerous state agencies and departments are
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0008|     struggling with present and future shortages of water; and
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0009|          WHEREAS, past management practices by the forest service
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0010|     have resulted in a dramatic loss of wildlife habitat leading to
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0011|     historic levels of depredation of private property; and
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0012|          WHEREAS, the people and wildlife of the state of New
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0013|     Mexico would benefit from additional water gained through a
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0014|     change in the management of the watersheds by the forest
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0015|     service; and
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0016|          WHEREAS, the forest service has incurred some measure of
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0017|     liability for the water problems of New Mexico because of past
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0018|     watershed management practices;
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0019|          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF
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0020|     REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the United
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0021|     States forest service be requested to immediately implement
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0022|     best management practices to effect restoration of the
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0023|     watersheds; and
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0024|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be
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0025|     transmitted to the New Mexico congressional delegation.
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0001|                                                              State of New Mexico
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0002|                      House of Representatives
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0003|   
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0004|                      FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
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0005|                        FIRST SESSION, 1997
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0006|   
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0007|   
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0008|                                                  March 15, 1997
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0009|   
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0010|   
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0011|   Mr. Speaker:
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0012|   
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0013|        Your AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES COMMITTEE,
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0014|   to whom has been referred
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0015|   
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0016|                      HOUSE MEMORIAL 23
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0017|                               
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0018|   has had it under consideration and reports same with
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0019|   recommendation that it DO PASS.
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0020|   
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0021|                                 Respectfully submitted,
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0022|   
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0023|   
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0024|   
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0025|                                 <u>                                
</u>    |
<u></u>0001| <u>  
</u>    |
<u></u>0002| <u>                                </u>                             G. X. McSherry, Chairman
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0003|   
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0004|   
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0005|   Adopted <u>                    </u>     Not Adopted <u>                    
</u>    |
<u></u>0006| <u>   </u>
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0007|             (Chief Clerk)                       (Chief Clerk)
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0008|   
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0009|                        Date <u>            </u>
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0010|   
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0011|   The roll call vote was<u> 6 </u> For<u> 0 </u> Against
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0012|   Yes:      6
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0013|             Excused:  Garnenez, Johnson, Townsend
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0014|             Absent:   None
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0015|   
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0016|   
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0017|   C\OFFICE\WPWIN\WPDOCS\HM023AG.1
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