SENATE BILL 524

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2011

INTRODUCED BY

Carlos R. Cisneros

AN ACT

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE; PROVIDING FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF THE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION COMMISSION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 73-20-28 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 137, Section 4, as amended) is amended to read:

     "73-20-28. SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION COMMISSION MEMBERS.--There is created a "soil and water conservation commission" to be composed of seven appointed members and five ex-officio members. The seven appointed members shall be selected by [and serve at the pleasure of] the governor and be confirmed by the senate. Six of the appointed members shall be supervisors [and shall be selected and appointed from a panel of three candidates] currently serving in an elected position on a district board. One supervisor from each region [compiled by the districts of each region and presented by the president of the New Mexico association of conservation districts] shall be appointed from a list of candidates submitted by the districts of each region to the director of the department. One appointed member shall be selected at large and shall be a person interested and active in the conservation or development of natural resources in New Mexico. The five ex-officio members shall serve without vote and shall include:

          A. the governor or [his] the governor's designee;

          B. the associate director of the cooperative extension service of New Mexico state university or [his] the associate director's designee;

          C. the associate director of the agricultural experiment station of New Mexico state university or [his] the associate director's designee;

          D. the state conservationist of the natural resources conservation service of the United States department of agriculture or [his] the state conservationist's designee; and

          E. the president of the New Mexico association of conservation districts or [his] the president's designee."

     SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2011.

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