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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Komadina

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/21/07

3/1/07 HB

SHORT TITLE Native American Wild Horse Herd management

SM 17/aSRC

ANALYST Weber

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Indian Affairs Department (IAD)

Department of Game and Fish (DGF)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of SRC Amendment

The Senate Rules Commitment amendment makes two minor changes in language that do not

change the impetus of the memorial.

Synopsis of Original Bill

Senate Memorial 17 encourages New Mexico’s Indian Nations, Tribes, and Pueblos to alter their

management and promotion of horses. First, it suggests that Tribal governments manage herd

populations by injecting wild equine with porcina zona pellucida, a form of birth control.

Second, it encourages Tribes to move excess animals to wild horse preserves. Finally, it

encourages Tribes to use wild horse populations to attract tourism

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

No fiscal impacts are noted.

Senate Memorial 17/aSRC – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The Indian Affairs Department comments that the memorial encourages tribal governments in

New Mexico to control wild horse populations by administering the porcina zone pellucida

vaccine (“PCV"), a form of birth control. The vaccine can be administered by the United States

Humane Society at a cost of around thirty-five dollars. The bill does not make mention of other

costs associated with injecting PCV, such as rounding up and controlling wild animals. For

Tribes faced with limited resources and a myriad of more pressing commitments, the costs

associated with the recommended program may prove prohibitive.

The other activity encouraged by SM 17 is using horse populations on Tribal lands to entice

tourists. The Memorial suggests that such tourism dovetails with popular interest in “old West"

themes. Often, such characterizations and perceptions of Indian people are driven by stereotypes

and not reflective of the true historical and cultural legacy of Native Americans.

1

It is important

that tourism in Indian country not serve as a vehicle for perpetuating such inaccurate notions

Game and Fish cautions that animal used birth control used must be species specific. Birth

control that is not specifically targeted has the potential to also affect native wildlife species

found in the area.

Depending on where the wild horse herds are located, the type of activity, and the time of year an

activity is to take place, care should be taken that the associated tourism activity is not contrary

to management of native wildlife species found in the area. For example, an activity that occurs

in late spring or early summer may cause undue stress to calving or fawning ungulate species.

Game and Fish can provide input to Tourism as activities are planned.

MW/mt

1

Hollinshead, Keith. 1991. “‘White’ gaze, ‘red’ people — Shadow visions: the disidentification of ‘Indians’ in

cultural tourism." Leisure Studies, 11(1): 43-64.