0001| SENATE MEMORIAL 21
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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| CARLOS R. CISNEROS
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0008|
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0009|
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0010| A MEMORIAL
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0011| REQUESTING THE AIR FORCE TO STOP LOW-ALTITUDE TRAINING FLIGHTS
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0012| OVER NORTHERN NEW MEXICO AND REQUESTING CONGRESS TO PROHIBIT
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0013| SUCH TRAINING PROCEDURES OVER POPULATED AREAS.
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0014|
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0015| WHEREAS, a recent marine corps training flight over Italy
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0016| resulted in the deaths of twenty civilians when the aircraft
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0017| severed the cables of a mountain gondola; and
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0018| WHEREAS, two years ago a navy flyer crashed near
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0019| Canjilon, destroying his aircraft and causing his death; and
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0020| WHEREAS, one year ago an air force flyer with several
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0021| bombs on board crashed his aircraft into a mountain near
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0022| Eagle, Colorado; and
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0023| WHEREAS, in the last few years, the air force has
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0024| experienced an inordinate number of in-flight accidents,
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0025| leading to a brief period of suspension of all flights to
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- 1 -
0001| investigate the cause of these crashes and review flight
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0002| protocols and maintenance procedures throughout the service;
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0003| and
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0004| WHEREAS, public hearings were recently announced and held
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0005| to seek information on potential low-altitude training
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0006| missions over northern New Mexico; and
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0007| WHEREAS, northern New Mexico is a populated region
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0008| dependent on ranching, farming, tourism and recreation
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0009| enterprises such as skiing, fly-fishing, hunting and camping;
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0010| and
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0011| WHEREAS, northern New Mexico is the location of numerous
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0012| special cultural areas, such as the Taos pueblo world cultural
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0013| heritage site; many prehistoric sites; important recreation
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0014| areas, including ski resorts, world class fly-fishing streams
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0015| and wildlife habitat; religious and ceremonial grounds; farms
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0016| and ranching operations with valuable domestic animals; and
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0017| historic sites and buildings subject to potential damage from
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0018| noise and excessive vibration; and
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0019| WHEREAS, low-altitude aircraft have caused damage to
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0020| property, the health of the elderly and infirm, cultural sites
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0021| and wildlife habitat and have placed civilian aircraft and
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0022| aerial tram passengers in grave danger;
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0023| NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE
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0024| OF NEW MEXICO that the air force be requested to stop low-
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0025| altitude training flights over northern New Mexico and that
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0001| congress be requested to prohibit all low-altitude training
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0002| flights of the armed forces over populated areas; and
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0003| BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
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0004| transmitted to the secretary of the air force, the secretary
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0005| of the department of defense, the base commanders of Cannon,
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0006| Holloman and Kirtland air force bases and to the New Mexico
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0007| congressional delegation.
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