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A MEMORIAL
REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO APPOINT A
COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE NEED FOR AGRICULTURAL DISTRICTS AND
REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO ASSIST
IN THE STUDY.
WHEREAS, farming and ranching are the lifeblood of New
Mexico, with centuries upon centuries of Native American,
Hispanic and Anglo families making their living and their
lives from the land; and
WHEREAS, agriculture is vital to New Mexico's economy,
environment and culture and it is important to conserve,
protect, encourage, develop and improve agricultural land for
the production of agricultural products and to reduce the
loss to the state of its agricultural resources by limiting
the conversion of farmland or ranchland to development; and
WHEREAS, in many parts of the state, agricultural
resources are in danger from urban pressures, such as land
being taken out of production for development and
agricultural water rights being sold for urban uses; and
WHEREAS, thousands of agricultural acres each year are
prematurely or unnecessarily converted to urban uses and
farms and ranches are impinged upon by urban sprawl; and
WHEREAS, as urban centers expand, the resulting increase
in land values discourages investments in farm and ranch
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SM 49
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improvements;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE
STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico legislative council
be requested to appoint an interim committee to study the
need to protect agricultural resources in New Mexico through
the creation of agricultural districts, the use of
conservation easements, the limiting of eminent domain powers
and other methods; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico department of
agriculture be requested to assist the committee in its
study; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee report its
findings and recommendations to the first session of the
forty-ninth legislature; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
transmitted to the co-chairs of the New Mexico legislative
council.