0001|                       SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 10
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                          ROMAN M. MAES III
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
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0008|     
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0009|     
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0010|                           A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0011|     SUPPORTING A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF CREATING A
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0012|     REGIONAL AIRPORT TO SERVE MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES IN
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0013|     NORTHERN NEW MEXICO.
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0014|     
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0015|          WHEREAS, the largest airport in New Mexico is the
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0016|     Albuquerque international sunport located in that city; and
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0017|          WHEREAS, Albuquerque is over eighty-five miles from
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0018|     Espanola, Los Alamos, Las Vegas or Taos; and
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0019|          WHEREAS, people traveling for business or pleasure to the
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0020|     northern part of the state must build into their schedules
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0021|     significant amounts of time to drive to and from Albuquerque
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0022|     to use that airport; and
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0023|          WHEREAS, the culture and history of New Mexico draw many
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0024|     thousands of visitors each year into the state and into the
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0025|     northern New Mexico region who compete with the business
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0001|     population on a limited network of interstate highways and
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0002|     state and county roads, thereby creating a significant amount
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0003|     of stress on that transportation system; and
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0004|          WHEREAS, a viable resolution to this dangerous and
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0005|     escalating highway overcrowding may be the development of a
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0006|     regional airport to serve northern New Mexico's businesses,
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0007|     residents and tourists and to attract potential businesses;
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0008|     and
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0009|          WHEREAS, a regional airport site should be carefully
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0010|     chosen based on a variety of criteria, including the ecosystem
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0011|     of each prospective area, the proximity of each area to
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0012|     municipalities, the geographical feasibility of each
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0013|     prospective site and many other factors, while maintaining and
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0014|     enhancing the quality of life for local residents and
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0015|     augmenting New Mexico's overall transportation infrastructure,
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0016|     which will lead to a stronger, more diverse regional economy;
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0017|          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
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0018|     STATE OF NEW MEXICO that governmental entities in northern 
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0019|     New Mexico, including Los Alamos national laboratory, conduct  
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0020|     a study to determine the feasibility of building a regional
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0021|     airport in northern New Mexico; and
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0022|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study be coordinated by
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0023|     Los Alamos national laboratory personnel in cooperation with
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0024|     the university of New Mexico, public and private economic
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0025|     development groups and interested citizens; and
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0001|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the findings be presented to
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0002|     the appropriate interim legislative committee no later than
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0003|     October 1, 1998; and
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0004|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
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0005|     sent to the director of Los Alamos national laboratory, the
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0006|     board of regents of the university of New Mexico, the
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0007|     governing bodies of Espanola, Los Alamos, Taos and Las Vegas
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0008|     and the board of county commissioners where each municipality
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0009|     is located.
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0010|                              
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