HOUSE MEMORIAL 6

46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2004

INTRODUCED BY

Donald L. Whitaker

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE CARSON NATIONAL FOREST SUPERVISOR TO WITHDRAW PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CARSON NATIONAL FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE JICARILLA RANGER DISTRICT.

     WHEREAS, the United States depends upon the availability of energy supplies to protect the health and safety of its citizens, to provide for the payment for services such as education and infrastructure, to provide for economic stability and to provide for continued economic progress and growth; and

     WHEREAS, the state of New Mexico is a national leader in the production of natural gas and oil, which has benefited the citizens of this state through the payment of taxes and royalties, the creation of jobs and the provision of supplies and services used by that industry and has benefited the nation by supplying needed energy resources; and

     WHEREAS, significant reserves of oil and natural gas are located on federal lands controlled by the United States forest service of the department of agriculture and the bureau of land management of the department of the interior; and

     WHEREAS, lands controlled by the forest service in the San Juan basin of northwest New Mexico located within the Jicarilla ranger district of the Carson national forest contain more than one trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas resources; and

     WHEREAS, the staff of the Carson national forest is proposing to eliminate development access to more than two-thirds of the natural gas resources in the Jicarilla ranger district; and

     WHEREAS, the bureau of land management has recently completed an extensive planning process and has published a revised resource management plan for the entire New Mexico portion of the San Juan basin, including the Jicarilla ranger district; and

     WHEREAS, the forest service has recently published its own draft environmental impact statement, which has not adequately addressed the responsible development of energy resources within the Jicarilla ranger district and has not coordinated its regulation of development with the bureau of land management resource plan; and

     WHEREAS, the draft environmental impact statement threatens to reduce the available supply of natural gas from the Jicarilla ranger district by more than sixty-eight percent, and this reduction threatens the availability of revenue to fund education, health and safety programs that would benefit the citizens of New Mexico and threatens economic stability and job growth in New Mexico's less advantaged and poorest rural areas; and

     WHEREAS, it is possible to regulate the development of natural gas reserves using methods that are prudent for the health and safety of citizens to provide for the multiple use of federal lands; to provide energy supplies for the benefit of the citizens of New Mexico and the nation and to provide needed revenues for governmental operations and economic growth;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the Carson national forest and forest service of the United States department of agriculture be encouraged to withdraw the pending proposal to change the Carson national forest management plan for the Jicarilla ranger district and the draft environmental impact statement issued to support that proposal; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Carson national forest and forest service of the United States department of agriculture be encouraged to study alternatives that will increase the availability of energy resources from the Jicarilla ranger district; increase local, state and federal government revenues from those resources; increase the economic and job growth resulting from energy production; ensure the use of the Jicarilla ranger district for multiple purposes; and appropriately protect the environment of New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the forest service of the United States department of agriculture and the bureau of land management of the United States department of the interior be encouraged to take the steps necessary to more efficiently and effectively regulate federal lands and natural resources for the benefit of citizens of New Mexico and the nation; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor; the attorney general; the commissioner of public lands; the supervisor of the Carson national forest; the regional forester of United States forest region III; the chief of the United States forest service; the secretary of the United States department of agriculture; the state director of the bureau of land management of the United States department of the interior; the director of the bureau of land management; the secretary of the United States department of the interior; the director of the White House task force on energy project streamlining; the chair of the United States committee on energy and natural resources; the chair of the United States house committee on resources; members of the New Mexico congressional delegation; the chair of the United States senate committee on agriculture, nutrition and forestry; and the chair of the United States house committee on agriculture.

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