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|
SPONSOR: |
Jennings |
DATE TYPED: |
2/17/03 |
HB |
|
||
|
SHORT TITLE: |
Quantitative Forage Monitoring &
Assessment |
SB |
566 |
||||
|
|
ANALYST: |
L. Baca |
|||||
APPROPRIATION
|
Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
||
|
FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
|
|
|
|
$250.0 |
|
|
Recurring |
GF |
(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Relates to:
HB 95, Enhance Pecos River Basin
HB 124, Phreatophyte Eradication
and Control
Relates
to Appropriation for New Mexico State University in the General Appropriation
Act
Responses
Received From
Commission
on Higher Education (CHE)
New
Mexico State University, College of Agriculture & Home Economics (NMSU)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
Senate Bill 566
appropriates $250.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New Mexico
State University for expenditure by the Range Improvement Task Force (RITF) to
establish a monitoring team of impartial resource management experts to conduct
quantitative forage monitoring and assessments on public lands. The bill limits expenditures for
administrative fees to 5% of the appropriation.
Significant Issues
This request was not included in the list of
priority projects submitted by NMSU to the CHE for review.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of
$250.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any
unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2004
shall revert to the general fund. This
appropriation enhances the general fund appropriation for NMSU”s Agricultural
Experiment Station, according to NMSU.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
The term “administrative fees” is not defined in
the bill. Agreement on or a definition
of what constitutes administrative could forestall controversy over
administrative charges in the future.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
NMSU reports that forage has been steadily diminishing
in New Mexico over the last century.
This condition has been worsened by continued use and prolonged drought
conditions. This bill is a response to
requests from ranchers, industry representatives and community leaders for enhanced
range management assistance.
AMENDMENTS
The CHE suggests adding the following language for all new recurring higher education programs (assuming that funding will continue beyond 2003-2004):
“A plan for a program evaluation, including
specific program goals and criteria for assessing program effectiveness, shall
be submitted to the Legislative Finance Committee and the Commission on Higher
Education by October 1, 2004. An
assessment of the program will be completed prior to June 30, 2005, and
submitted to the Legislative Finance Committee and the Commission on Higher
Education.”
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
1.
What constitutes administrative fees?
2.
Isn’t the Agricultural Extension Service already
providing this type of assistance?
3.
How will this appropriation enhance the activities
already being carried out by the Agricultural Extension service?