45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2002

REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO DIRECT THE APPROPRIATE COMMITTEE TO STUDY PUBLIC LAND ACCESS TO WHITE'S PEAK.

WHEREAS, the state land office holds in title approximately eleven million acres of land in New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, the mandate of the state land office is to maximize revenue from the use of state trust lands; and

WHEREAS, the department of game and fish has the responsibility of managing wildlife on lands of the state, including state trust lands, and critical to that management is the ability to control populations through game hunting; and

WHEREAS, to provide that opportunity, the department of game and fish leases the state trust lands from the state land office for hunting, fishing and trapping; and

WHEREAS, despite the leases, public access to state trust lands is often an impediment to providing adequate opportunity to hunters; and

WHEREAS, private landowners hold many of the access rights through private land to state trust lands, and in order to protect private property, a study of potential private land trades or purchases by the state is needed;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico legislative council be requested to direct the appropriate committee to review the access to state trust lands on White's peak pursuant to the department of game and fish and state land office lease and study the feasibility of land trades and purchases; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the members of the New Mexico legislative council.