SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 1

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2025

INTRODUCED BY

Michael Padilla

 

 

 

 

 

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE ENERGY, MINERALS AND NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO JOINTLY STUDY AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO EXPEDITE FOREST RESTORATION THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NEW MEXICO.

 

     WHEREAS, New Mexico's forests have a high risk of wildfire and require significant thinning and watershed restoration to reduce hazards and protect communities, source waters and ecosystems; and

     WHEREAS, forest and watershed restoration generates wood byproducts that are costly to process and remove without viable markets, which limits the pace and scale of restoration activities necessary to reduce wildfire risk; and

     WHEREAS, state incentives are needed to drive innovation in wood utilization, create markets that promote sustainable tree thinning and reduce the overall cost of forest and watershed restoration for the public good; and

     WHEREAS, recommendations are needed to encourage investment in the wood utilization sector and accelerate forest restoration and wildfire risk reduction statewide;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the energy, minerals and natural resources department and the economic development department be requested to study and jointly develop recommendations regarding:

          A. what business opportunities are missing in New Mexico that are needed to develop a fully functioning wood products economy, including to retain workforce and succession planning;

          B. what incentives, legal actions, financial mechanisms and partnerships are needed to reduce logistical costs of moving wood byproducts from remote forests to regional processing facilities and increase the economic viability of New Mexico's wood utilization sector;

          C. what programs, policies, laws and practices exist in other states that have successful wood utilization programs that can be adapted to New Mexico's unique economic and environmental context; and

          D. what new or existing state programs and incentives can be leveraged to foster industry expansion, attract capital investment, create jobs and ensure local and state contributions yield a strong return on investment through performance-based evaluations; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the energy, minerals and natural resources department and the economic development department report findings and conclusions to the appropriate interim legislative committees dealing with natural resources and economic development by September 1, 2025; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of energy, minerals and natural resources and the secretary of economic development for appropriate distribution.

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