0001|                    SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 9
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0002|     42ND LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SPECIAL
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0003|     SESSION, 1996
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0004|                         INTRODUCED BY
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0005|                           JOHN PINTO
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0006|     
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0007|                                
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0008|     
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0009|     
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0010|     
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0011|                        A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0012|     IN SUPPORT OF THE NAVAJO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY AND ITS
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0013|     REQUEST FOR FEDERAL FUNDING TO COMPLETE THE NAVAJO INDIAN
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0014|     IRRIGATION PROJECT.
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0015|     
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0016|       WHEREAS, the Navajo agricultural products industry, a
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0017|     farming and agribusiness enterprise located south of Farmington,
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0018|     was formed in 1970 to develop the Navajo nation's economy; and
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0019|       WHEREAS, the Navajo agricultural products industry's
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0020|     customers include major food companies in the United States and
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0021|     internationally, and their "Navajo Pride" brand has gained
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0022|     excellent consumer acceptance as a high quality product; and 
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0023|       WHEREAS, the Navajo agricultural products industry is a
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0024|     diverse, profitable business enterprise that directly
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0025|     contributes over thirty-five million dollars ($35,000,000)
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0001|     annually to the regional economy, and the Navajo agricultural
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0002|     products industry-related activities employ four hundred full-time employees annually and one thousand two hundred seasonal
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0003|     employees; and 
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0004|       WHEREAS, the Navajo agricultural products industry's future
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0005|     projects include continued crop diversification and a food
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0006|     processing plant that would include modern storage and
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0007|     processing facilities to accommodate customer packaging
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0008|     preferences and peak market demands; and 
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0009|       WHEREAS, the Navajo agricultural products industry relies
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0010|     on water provided by the Navajo Indian irrigation project to
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0011|     cultivate seventy thousand acres, but since the overall
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0012|     completion schedule for the project has been delayed by at least
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0013|     fifteen years, the Navajo agricultural products industry is
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0014|     unable to cultivate its remaining forty thousand acres; and
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0015|       WHEREAS, delay of the irrigation project would have a
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0016|     tragic, negative impact on the Navajo agricultural products
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0017|     industry and the Navajo nation's plans for a self-sustaining
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0018|     economy in northwestern New Mexico; and 
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0019|       WHEREAS, the management board of the Navajo agricultural
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0020|     products industry has requested assistance and support from the
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0021|     United States congress and the president of the United States in
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0022|     securing funding for the Navajo Indian irrigation project and
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0023|     timely completion of the project;
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0024|       NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
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0025|     STATE OF NEW MEXICO that it hereby applaud and support the
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0001|     Navajo agricultural products industry's work and the Navajo
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0002|     nation's efforts to provide a self-sustaining economy in
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0003|     northwestern New Mexico; and 
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0004|       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislature urge the United
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0005|     States congress and the president of the United States to
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0006|     appropriate forty-six million five hundred thousand dollars
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0007|     ($46,500,000) in the budget for fiscal year 1997 to continue
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0008|     block 8 construction and begin construction of the Ojo reservoir
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0009|     dam and pump stations of the Navajo Indian irrigation project
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0010|     and subsequent annual appropriations for timely completion of
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0011|     the project; and 
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0012|       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislature request from
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0013|     the United States congress and the president of the United
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0014|     States a supplemental appropriation of seven million dollars
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0015|     ($7,000,000) for the budget for fiscal year 1997 the canal
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0016|     operation and maintenance; and 
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0017|       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislature request from
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0018|     the United States congress and the president of the United
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0019|     States a supplemental appropriation of two million dollars
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0020|     ($2,000,000) for the fiscal year 1996 budget for the frozen
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0021|     potato processing facilities infrastructure from the economic
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0022|     development administration of the United States department of
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0023|     commerce; and
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0024|       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be
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0025|     transmitted to the New Mexico congressional delegation, the
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0001|     president of the United States, the Navajo agricultural products
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0002|     industry management board of directors, the president of the
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0003|     Navajo nation and the Navajo nation council.
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0004|                              
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