New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

New Mexico Senate Bill SM3 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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28	28	SENATE MEMORIAL 3
29	29	57
30	30	TH LEGISLATURE
31	31	- STATE OF NEW MEXICO -
32	32	FIRST SESSION
33	33	, 2025
34	34	INTRODUCED BY
35	35	Peter Wirth
36	36	A MEMORIAL
37	37	RECOGNIZING THE WATERSHED HEALTH BENEFITS OF NORTH AMERICAN
38	38	BEAVER POPULATIONS; REQUESTING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A STATEWIDE
39	39	BEAVER MANAGEMENT PLAN.
40	40	WHEREAS, New Mexico has an arid climate that is typified
41	41	by long periods of limited precipitation interspersed by
42	42	infrequent heavy rainfalls or sudden snowmelts that are
43	43	difficult for soil to absorb, leading to harmful runoff; and
44	44	WHEREAS, the scarcity of water has made the considered use
45	45	and conservation of water resources a foundational element in
46	46	both New Mexico's culture and its economy; and
47	47	WHEREAS, for centuries, New Mexico's communities have
48	48	based their livelihoods and many cultural traditions on
49	49	irrigated agriculture; and
50	50	WHEREAS, New Mexico's rugged landscapes, containing
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78	78	diverse populations of wildlife, have attracted generations of
79	79	hunters and nature enthusiasts and are among the key
80	80	attractions for the state's tourism industry; and
81	81	WHEREAS, New Mexico is experiencing a multiyear drought
82	82	that is creating exceptional strains on farmers and the state's
83	83	wildlife resources; and
84	84	WHEREAS, maintaining, or restoring, upper watershed health
85	85	is an important element in assisting New Mexico's communities,
86	86	industries and wildlife to meet water scarcity challenges; and
87	87	WHEREAS, watershed health and restoration efforts
88	88	typically require coordination among private businesses and
89	89	organizations, as well as local, state, tribal and federal
90	90	agencies; and
91	91	WHEREAS, numerous state agencies participate in ongoing
92	92	watershed restoration efforts; and
93	93	WHEREAS, the dams, ponds and associated wetlands created
94	94	by the North American beaver are known to increase ground water
95	95	percolation, which raises local ground water tables and
96	96	storage; and
97	97	WHEREAS, beaver dams and ponds and their associated
98	98	wetlands attenuate erosion, instream silt loading and other
99	99	harmful effects associated with heavy rainfalls and sudden
100	100	snowmelts; and
101	101	WHEREAS, beaver ponds and their associated wetlands act as
102	102	contaminant sinks and filters, enhancing downstream water
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131	131	quality; and
132	132	WHEREAS, during extended periods of drought, beaver ponds
133	133	and their associated wetlands greatly enhance the resiliency of
134	134	riparian zones, including riverine plant communities and fish
135	135	and wildlife populations; and
136	136	WHEREAS, the department of game and fish has developed
137	137	guidance for individual landowners regarding how to relocate
138	138	beaver families to their land and how to mitigate or avoid
139	139	problems created by beavers already on their land; and
140	140	WHEREAS, New Mexico would benefit from a strategic plan
141	141	for statewide beaver management designed to capture the full
142	142	watershed benefits of beaver populations and minimize conflicts
143	143	with other land uses, such as agriculture and the development
144	144	of transportation infrastructure; and
145	145	WHEREAS, the state of Utah adopted a statewide beaver
146	146	management plan developed in a process that involved a wide
147	147	range of public and private landowners, users and managers;
148	148	NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE
149	149	OF NEW MEXICO that the department of game and fish, the
150	150	forestry division of the energy, minerals and natural resources
151	151	department and the state land office be requested to develop
152	152	recommendations jointly on how New Mexico may proceed to
153	153	develop a statewide beaver management plan. The
154	154	recommendations should include which agency should take the
155	155	lead role for development, which stakeholder groups should be
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184	184	included in the development and a time line and budget; and
185	185	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department of game and
186	186	fish, the forestry division of the energy, minerals and natural
187	187	resources department and the state land office be requested to
188	188	present their recommendations jointly to the appropriate
189	189	interim committee or committees by October 1, 2025; and
190	190	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
191	191	transmitted to the director of the department of game and fish,
192	192	the secretary of energy, minerals and natural resources, the
193	193	commissioner of public lands and the co-chairs of the New
194	194	Mexico legislative council.
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