0001| HOUSE BILL 961 | 0002| 43rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 1997 | 0003| INTRODUCED BY | 0004| G. X. MCSHERRY | 0005| | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| AN ACT | 0011| RELATING TO GAME AND FISH; ESTABLISHING A BIG GAME PARTNERSHIP | 0012| PROGRAM; PROVIDING FOR BIG GAME PARTNERSHIP LICENSES TO BE | 0013| ISSUED THROUGH AUCTIONS OR RAFFLES; CREATING THE BIG GAME | 0014| PARTNERSHIP FUND; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION. | 0015| | 0016| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: | 0017| Section 1. SHORT TITLE.--This act may be cited as the | 0018| "Big Game Partnership Act". | 0019| Section 2. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Big Game | 0020| Partnership Act: | 0021| A. "depredation" means damage to or undesirable use | 0022| of public or private property by big game; | 0023| B. "local depredation committee" means a committee | 0024| appointed by the state game commission to address local | 0025| depredation issues; and | 0001| C. "big game" means large wild ungulates which may | 0002| be hunted under regulations adopted by the state game | 0003| commission. | 0004| Section 3. PURPOSE--POWERS AND DUTIES--BIG GAME | 0005| PARTNERSHIP LICENSES.-- | 0006| A. The purpose of this section is to establish a | 0007| big game partnership program within the department of game and | 0008| fish and to authorize the department to enter into cooperative | 0009| agreements or contracts with other state agencies, federal | 0010| agencies, local depredation committees, or contracts with other | 0011| state agencies, federal agencies, local depredation committees, | 0012| individuals or corporations for the purpose of minimizing big | 0013| game depredation on public or private property. | 0014| B. Pursuant to regulations adopted by the state | 0015| game commission, the department of game and fish shall | 0016| establish a big game partnership program to limit big game | 0017| depredation on public and private lands. The big game | 0018| partnership program shall: | 0019| (1) undertake cooperative projects on private | 0020| and public lands to conserve, control and manage big game; | 0021| (2) use best management practices for big game | 0022| habitat; and | 0023| (3) annually conduct a performance evaluation, | 0024| including costs and accomplishments, of the big game | 0025| partnership program and report the results of this evaluation | 0001| to the state game commission. | 0002| C. The department of game and fish shall establish | 0003| procedures to approve cooperative projects for matching funds. | 0004| The department's share shall not exceed fifty percent of the | 0005| cost of any project. The department may accept private or | 0006| public grants or gifts and contributions of materials, | 0007| equipment or services to meet the matching funds provisions of | 0008| the big game partnership program. | 0009| D. Within one year of the effective date of this | 0010| act, the state game commission shall adopt regulations for the | 0011| big game partnership program and the issuance of special | 0012| licenses for the big game partnership program. The department | 0013| of game and fish may issue no more than two big game | 0014| partnership licenses per species per year for the purpose of | 0015| raising funds for the state's share of the big game partnership | 0016| program. The department may also authorize the issuance of one | 0017| big game partnership license for each local depredation | 0018| committee for the purpose of raising funds for the local | 0019| committee's share of the big game partnership program projects. | 0020| E. The state game commission shall prescribe by | 0021| regulation the form, species and number of big game partnership | 0022| licenses issued. The department shall issue the licenses by | 0023| auction or raffle. The department may designate an | 0024| incorporated nonprofit organization dedicated to wildlife | 0025| conservation or a local depredation committee to conduct the | 0001| auction or raffle. | 0002| F. Money generated by the auction or raffle shall | 0003| be divided between the nonprofit organization or local | 0004| depredation committee and the department of game and fish so | 0005| that the department receives at least ninety percent of the | 0006| money generated. All money collected by the department form | 0007| the issuance and sale of big game partnership licenses shall be | 0008| deposited in the big game partnership fund. Proceeds generated | 0009| by the local depredation committee auction or raffle shall be | 0010| designated in the big game partnership fund for approved | 0011| projects by that committee. | 0012| Section 4. BIG GAME PARTNERSHIP FUND CREATED-- | 0013| APPROPRIATION.--The "big game partnership fund" is created in | 0014| the state treasury. Money in the fund is appropriated to the | 0015| department of game and fish to minimize big game depredation | 0016| according to the provisions of the big game partnership | 0017| program. The state game commission shall have general control | 0018| over the collection and disbursement of all money collected or | 0019| received under state laws for the protection and propagation of | 0020| game and fish, which money shall be paid over to the state | 0021| treasurer to the credit of the big game partnership fund, and | 0022| the fund, including all earned income therefrom, shall not be | 0023| transferred to another fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered | 0024| balance or earned income from the money in the fund remaining | 0025| at the end of the fiscal year shall remain in the fund. | 0001| Disbursements from the fund remaining at the end of the fiscal | 0002| year shall remain in the fund. Disbursements from the fund | 0003| shall be by warrant drawn by the secretary of finance and | 0004| administration pursuant to vouchers signed by the director of | 0005| the department of game and fish. | 0006| Section 5. DELAYED REPEAL.--Sections 1 through 4 of this | 0007| act are repealed effective June 30, 2003. | 0008|  State of New Mexico | 0009| House of Representatives | 0010| | 0011| FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE | 0012| FIRST SESSION, 1997 | 0013| | 0014| | 0015| March 4, 1997 | 0016| | 0017| | 0018| Mr. Speaker: | 0019| | 0020| Your AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES COMMITTEE, | 0021| to whom has been referred | 0022| | 0023| HOUSE BILL 961 | 0024| | 0025| has had it under consideration and reports same with | 0001| recommendation that it DO PASS, amended as follows: | 0002| | 0003| 1. On page 2, line 10, after "committees," strike the | 0004| remainder of the line and all of line 11. | 0005| | 0006| 2. On page 4, line 5, strike "form" and insert in lieu | 0007| thereof "from". | 0008| | 0009| 3. On page 4, line 24, after "fund." strike the remainder | 0010| of the line and all of line 25. | 0011| | 0012| 4. On page 5, line 1, strike "the fund."., | 0013| | 0014| and thence referred to the APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE | 0015| COMMITTEE. | 0016| | 0017| Respectfully submitted, | 0018| | 0019| | 0020| | 0021| | 0022| | 0023| G. X. McSherry, Chairman | 0024| | 0025| | 0001| Adopted Not Adopted | 0002| | 0003| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0004| | 0005| Date | 0006| | 0007| The roll call vote was 7 For 0 Against | 0008| Yes: 7 | 0009| Excused: Abeyta, Porter | 0010| Absent: None | 0011| | 0012| | 0013| | 0014| G:\BILLTEXT\BILLW_97\H0961 | 0015| State of New Mexico | 0016| House of Representatives | 0017| | 0018| FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE | 0019| FIRST SESSION, 1997 | 0020| | 0021| | 0022| March 10, 1997 | 0023| | 0024| | 0025| Mr. Speaker: | 0001| | 0002| Your APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, to | 0003| whom has been referred | 0004| | 0005| HOUSE BILL 961, as amended | 0006| | 0007| has had it under consideration and reports same with | 0008| recommendation that it DO PASS, amended as follows: | 0009| | 0010| 1. On page 4, line 13, strike "is appropriated" and insert | 0011| in lieu thereof "shall be subject to appropriation by the | 0012| legislature". | 0013| | 0014| Respectfully submitted, | 0015| | 0016| | 0017| | 0018| | 0019| | 0020| Max Coll, Chairman | 0021| | 0022| | 0023| Adopted Not Adopted | 0024| | 0025| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0001| | 0002| Date | 0003| | 0004| The roll call vote was 13 For 0 Against | 0005| Yes: 13 | 0006| Excused: Coll, Marquardt, Salazar, Watchman | 0007| Absent: None | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| | 0011| G:\BILLTEXT\BILLW_97\H0961 | 0012| | 0013| FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE | 0014| FIRST SESSION, 1997 | 0015| | 0016| | 0017| March 15, 1997 | 0018| | 0019| Mr. President: | 0020| | 0021| Your CONSERVATION COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred | 0022| | 0023| HOUSE BILL 961, as amended | 0024| | 0025| has had it under consideration and reports same with | 0001| recommendation that it DO PASS, and thence referred to the | 0002| FINANCE COMMITTEE. | 0003| | 0004| Respectfully submitted, | 0005| | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| __________________________________ | 0010| Michael S. Sanchez, Chairman | 0011| | 0012| | 0013| | 0014| Adopted_______________________ Not | 0015| Adopted_______________________ | 0016| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0017| | 0018| | 0019| Date ________________________ | 0020| | 0021| | 0022| The roll call vote was 8 For 1 Against | 0023| Yes: 8 | 0024| No: Griego | 0025| Excused: Kysar | 0001| Absent: None | 0002| | 0003| | 0004| H0961C01 | 0005| | 0006| FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE | 0007| FIRST SESSION | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| March 19, 1997 | 0011| | 0012| | 0013| SENATE FLOOR AMENDMENT number _______ to HOUSE BILL 961, as | 0014| amended | 0015| | 0016| Amendment sponsored by Senator Timothy Z. Jennings | 0017| | 0018| | 0019| 1. On page 5, between lines 4 and 5, insert the following | 0020| new section: | 0021| | 0022| "Section 5. A new section of Chapter 17, Article 2 NMSA | 0023| 1978 is enacted to read: | 0024| | 0025| "[NEW MATERIAL] LANDOWNER TAKING--CONDITIONS--DEPARTMENT | 0001| RESPONSIBILITIES.-- | 0002| | 0003| A. A landowner or lessee, or employee of either, may | 0004| take or kill animals on private land, in which they have an | 0005| ownership or leasehold interest, including game animals and other | 0006| quadrupeds, game birds and fowl, that present an immediate threat | 0007| to human life or an immediate threat of damage to property, | 0008| including crops; provided, however, that the taking or killing is | 0009| reported to the department of game and fish within twenty-four | 0010| hours and before the removal of the carcass of the animal killed, | 0011| in accordance with regulations adopted by the commission. | 0012| | 0013| B. A landowner or lessee, or employee of either, may | 0014| take or kill animals on private land, in which they have an | 0015| ownership or leasehold interest, including game animals and other | 0016| quadrupeds, game birds and fowl, that present a threat to human | 0017| life or damage to property, including crops, according to | 0018| regulations adopted by the commission. The regulations shall: | 0019| | 0020| (1) provide a method for filing a complaint to the | 0021| department by the landowner or lessee, or employee of either of | 0022| them, of the existence of a depredation problem; | 0023| | 0024| (2) provide for various departmental | 0025| interventions, depending upon the type of animal and depredation; | 0001| | 0002| (3) require the department to offer at least three | 0003| different interventions, if practical; | 0004| | 0005| (4) require the department to respond to the | 0006| initial and any subsequent complaints within ten days with an | 0007| intervention response to the complaint, and to carry out the | 0008| intervention, if agreed upon between the department and the | 0009| landowner, within five days of that agreement; | 0010| | 0011| (5) permit the landowner or lessee to reject for | 0012| good cause the interventions offered by the department; | 0013| | 0014| (6) require a landowner or lessee to demonstrate | 0015| that the property depredation is greater in value than the value | 0016| of any wildlife-related income or fee collected by the landowner | 0017| or lessee for permission to take or kill an animal of the same | 0018| species, on the private property or portion of the private | 0019| property identified in the complaint as the location where the | 0020| depredation occurred; and | 0021| | 0022| (7) permit the landowner, lessee or employee, when | 0023| interventions by the department have not been successful and | 0024| after one year from the date of the filing of the initial | 0025| complaint, to kill or take an animal believed responsible for | 0001| property depredation. | 0002| | 0003| C. For purposes of this section: | 0004| | 0005| (1) "commission" means the state game commission; | 0006| | 0007| (2) "department" means the department of game and | 0008| fish; and | 0009| | 0010| (3) "intervention" means a solution proposed by | 0011| the department to eliminate the depredation. | 0012| | 0013| | 0014| D. Regulations to implement this section shall be adopted | 0015| by the commission and become effective by July 1, 1997."". | 0016| | 0017| 2. Renumber the succeeding section accordingly. | 0018| | 0019| | 0020| | 0021| | 0022| | 0023| | 0024| __________________________ | 0025| Timothy Z. Jennings | 0001| | 0002| | 0003| | 0004| | 0005| | 0006| Adopted ___________________ Not Adopted _______________________ | 0007| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| Date _________________ | 0011| |