0001| HOUSE BILL 884 | 0002| 43rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 1997 | 0003| INTRODUCED BY | 0004| WILLIAM E. PORTER | 0005| | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| AN ACT | 0011| RELATING TO AGRICULTURE; PROVIDING FOR NOXIOUS WEED MANAGEMENT; | 0012| IMPOSING POWERS AND DUTIES; ENACTING SECTIONS OF THE NMSA 1978; | 0013| MAKING AN APPROPRIATION. | 0014| | 0015| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: | 0016| Section 1. SHORT TITLE.--This act may be cited as the | 0017| "Noxious Weed Management Act". | 0018| Section 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.-- | 0019| A. The legislature finds that noxious weeds have | 0020| caused extensive economic damage in New Mexico. Specifically, | 0021| the presence and spread of noxious weeds: | 0022| (1) decreases land values and productivity, | 0023| forces out nutritious forage for livestock and often causes the | 0024| death of livestock and crops; | 0025| (2) harms the environment by crowding out | 0001| native vegetation and endangered species, increasing fire | 0002| danger and increasing water usage; and | 0003| (3) increases government and industrial costs | 0004| by increasing highway cleanup costs, decreasing the lease value | 0005| of state and federal public lands and curtailing the hunting, | 0006| fishing and recreational use of the land. | 0007| B. It is the purpose of the Noxious Weed Management | 0008| Act to improve the state economy and environment by managing, | 0009| controlling and eradicating noxious weeds in New Mexico. | 0010| Section 3. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Noxious Weed | 0011| Management Act: | 0012| A. "advisory committee" means the noxious weed | 0013| management advisory committee; | 0014| B. "director" means the director of the New Mexico | 0015| department of agriculture; | 0016| C. "landowner" means a person who holds title to | 0017| real property, is the holder of a right-of-way easement or is a | 0018| designated land manager; | 0019| D. "noxious weed" means a plant species that is not | 0020| indigenous to New Mexico and that has been targeted pursuant to | 0021| the Noxious Weed Management Act for management or control | 0022| because of its negative impact on the economy or the | 0023| environment; | 0024| E. "person" means an individual or other legal | 0025| entity, excluding a governmental entity; and | 0001| F. "public land" means land controlled or | 0002| supervised by an agency of government. | 0003| Section 4. DUTIES OF DIRECTOR--NOXIOUS WEED MANAGEMENT | 0004| ADVISORY COMMITTEE--NOXIOUS WEED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.-- | 0005| A. The director shall appoint a noxious weed | 0006| management advisory committee consisting of representatives of | 0007| state and federal government entities, landowners and the | 0008| public. | 0009| B. The director, after consultation with the | 0010| advisory committee, shall develop an integrated noxious weed | 0011| management program. To carry out such a program, the director, | 0012| after conferring with the advisory committee, shall: | 0013| (1) select the species of weeds to be | 0014| targeted as noxious weeds for control or eradication pursuant | 0015| to the Noxious Weed Management Act; | 0016| (2) determine the methods to be used to | 0017| control noxious weeds; and | 0018| (3) develop publications to educate the | 0019| public on the problem of noxious weeds, appropriate preventive | 0020| or control measures and any other matters germane to noxious | 0021| weed management and control. | 0022| C. The director may use and cooperate with any | 0023| existing noxious weed control program that is available and | 0024| appropriate for the purposes of the Noxious Weed Management | 0025| Act. | 0001| D. The advisory committee members shall serve | 0002| without compensation. | 0003| Section 5. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM.--The director shall | 0004| administer the provisions of the Noxious Weed Management Act | 0005| subject to the directives, policies and regulations of the | 0006| board of regents of New Mexico state university. | 0007| Section 6. LANDOWNERS--RIGHTS--AGREEMENTS.-- | 0008| A. If the director or his designee becomes aware of | 0009| the presence of noxious weeds on nonpublic land, the director | 0010| shall notify the landowner of the noxious weeds and the methods | 0011| for controlling them. However, nothing in the Noxious Weed | 0012| Management Act shall be construed to permit the director or his | 0013| designee to enter nonpublic land except at the invitation of | 0014| the landowner. | 0015| B. Upon the request of a landowner, the director | 0016| shall develop a noxious weed control or eradication program | 0017| suited to the landowner's needs. | 0018| C. Whenever the director becomes aware of the | 0019| presence of noxious weeds on public land, he shall inform the | 0020| governmental entity of the species found on land under the | 0021| entity's jurisdiction. When possible and practicable, the | 0022| director shall consult with the governmental entity in | 0023| developing a management plan for the control or eradication of | 0024| the noxious weeds. | 0025| D. The director may develop and implement | 0001| cooperative agreements with appropriate federal and state | 0002| agencies, the commissioner of public lands and Indian tribes | 0003| and pueblos to carry out the provisions of the Noxious Weed | 0004| Management Act. | 0005| Section 7. APPROPRIATION.--Fifty thousand dollars | 0006| ($50,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the New | 0007| Mexico department of agriculture for expenditure in fiscal year | 0008| 1998 to implement the provisions of the Noxious Weed Management | 0009| Act. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the | 0010| end of fiscal year 1998 shall revert to the general fund. | 0011| Section 8. SEVERABILITY.--If any part or application of | 0012| the Noxious Weed Management Act is held invalid, the remainder | 0013| or its application to other situations or persons shall not be | 0014| affected. | 0015|  State of New Mexico | 0016| House of Representatives | 0017| | 0018| FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE | 0019| FIRST SESSION, 1997 | 0020| | 0021| | 0022| March 6, 1997 | 0023| | 0024| | 0025| Mr. Speaker: | 0001| | 0002| Your AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES COMMITTEE, | 0003| to whom has been referred | 0004| | 0005| HOUSE BILL 884 | 0006| | 0007| has had it under consideration and reports same with | 0008| recommendation that it DO PASS, and thence referred to the | 0009| APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE COMMITTEE. | 0010| | 0011| Respectfully submitted, | 0012| | 0013| | 0014| | 0015| | 0016| | 0017| G. X. McSherry, Chairman | 0018| | 0019| | 0020| Adopted Not Adopted | 0021| | 0022| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0023| | 0024| Date | 0025| | 0001| The roll call vote was 4 For 2 Against | 0002| Yes: 4 | 0003| No: Dana, Johnson | 0004| Excused: Abeyta, Garnenez, Townsend | 0005| Absent: None | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| G:\BILLTEXT\BILLW_97\H0884 |