Fiscal impact reports (FIRs) are prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) for standing finance
committees of the Legislature. LFC does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of these reports if they
are used for other purposes.
F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Wirth/Hamblen
LAST UPDATED
ORIGINAL DATE 2/28/2025
SHORT TITLE Beaver Population & Management Plan
BILL
NUMBER Senate Memorial 3
ANALYST Gaussoin
ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL OPERATING BUDGET IMPACT*
(dollars in thousands)
Agency/Program
FY25 FY26 FY27
3 Year
Total Cost
Recurring or
Nonrecurring
Fund
Affected
EMNRD
Indeterminate
but minimal
Indeterminate
but minimal
Indeterminate
but minimal
Nonrecurring General Fund
DGF
Indeterminate
but minimal
Indeterminate
but minimal
Indeterminate
but minimal
Nonrecurring
Game
Protection Fund
SLO
Indeterminate
but minimal
Indeterminate
but minimal
Indeterminate
but minimal
Nonrecurring
Land
Maintenance
Fund
Parentheses ( ) indicate expenditure decreases.
*Amounts reflect most recent analysis of this legislation.
Relates to an appropriation in the General Appropriation Act
Sources of Information
LFC Files
Agency Analysis Received From
State Land Office Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Agency Analysis was Solicited but Not Received From
Department of Game and Fish
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Senate Memorial 3
Senate Memorial 3 asks the Department of Game and Fish (DGF), Forestry Division of the
Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD), and the State Land Office
(SLO) to work jointly on a statewide beaver management plan and present their findings to the
appropriate legislative committee or committees by October 1, 2025.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
Memorials contain no appropriation, but studies can represent a cost to state agencies. The
Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department indicates it would need additional staff to
work on the management plan, including legal counsel, while the State Land Office reports it can Senate Memorial 3 – Page 2
absorb the additional staff time within its existing budget. The Department of Game and Fish,
which has existing staff with wildlife expertise, did not provide analysis. It is likely that all the
agencies can develop a management plan within existing resources.
The House version of the General Appropriation Act includes $10.5 million from the
government results and opportunity fund to be spent over three years on the conservation of
species, including the American beaver.
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
The Department of Game and Fish includes the American beaver on its list of “species of
greatest conservation need” in the draft of the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan because it is a
keystone species with an important impact on environment and is threatened by climate change
and declining populations.
North American beavers, which disappeared from many New Mexico areas because of extensive
trapping in the 1800s, contribute to healthy ecosystems and watersheds through dam building
and associated wetlands, which the memorial says increases groundwater percolation and raises
groundwater tables and storage. The memorial says beaver ponds and their wetlands mitigate
erosion from heavy rainfall, filter out contaminants, enhance riparian zone resiliency, and
support plant, fish and wildlife populations.
The Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department suggests a management plan may be
unnecessary because of the beaver’s inclusion in the action plan: “Beaver management
provisions may be incorporated into this plan, in subsequent revisions, which may not require a
stand-alone beaver management plan.”
Further, the department notes, while the Forestry Division operates under a 10-year Forest
Action Plan, scheduled to be revised in 2030, that includes consideration of watershed health and
restoration, wildlife management is not within the scope of the division. It notes both the
Environment Department (NMED) and the Office of the State Engineer have roles in water
source protection and management and should be considered as partners in developing a beaver
management plan: “Notably, NMED has extensive experience with beaver and beaver dam
analogue projects, developing technical expertise that balances the ecological benefits of beaver
activity with human and infrastructure needs to maximize restoration outcomes.”
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
While the State Land Office manages 9 million surface acres of trust land, the agency reports it
has very few tracts that support beavers or their habitat. While it considers its role as a consulting
agency appropriate, it suggests it should not be the lead agency.
The Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department reports its Forestry Division is already
stretched thin with its wildfire prevention and response duties and it “does not currently have the
capacity or technical expertise from existing staff to coordinate this effort.” The department also
raises concerns about producing the report by the October deadline because the wildfire season is
expected to extend into the fall.
Senate Memorial 3 – Page 3
CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP
SM3 relates to an appropriation in the House version of the General Appropriation Act, which
includes $10.5 million from the government results and opportunity fund to be spent over three
years on the conservation of species, including the American beaver.
ALTERNATIVES
EMNRD indicates the memorial is not needed because beaver management could be part of the
Department of Game and Fish’s 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan, and the state already has a
Forest and Watershed Advisory Board that recommends high-priority forest and watershed
restoration projects that include water source protection and fish and wildlife habitat
conservation:
Furthermore, [the Forestry Division] hosts the State Forest and Watershed Health
Coordinating Group, a multi-stakeholder body comprised of federal, state, tribal, local
governments, nongovernmental organizations, forest and watershed collaborative groups,
private industry and other watershed and associated forest and habitat related
stakeholders. This robust stakeholder group represents approximately 50-80 different
agencies, organizations, governments, entities, and stakeholders to provide guidance and
collaborative statewide strategies to collectively mitigate forest and watershed health
concerns and prioritize and implement fire hazard reduction and watershed restoration
work across the state.
HG/hj/SL2