0001|                          SENATE MEMORIAL 3
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SPECIAL SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                           Patrick H. Lyons
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0005|     
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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|                              A MEMORIAL
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0011|     REQUESTING THE AIR FORCE TO PROHIBIT LOW-ALTITUDE TRAINING
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0012|     FLIGHTS OVER NORTHERN NEW MEXICO AND REQUESTING CONGRESS TO
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0013|     RESTRICT 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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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; and
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0023|          WHEREAS, the planned flights over New Mexico are by
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0024|     aircraft from air force bases in Texas; and
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0025|          WHEREAS, the New Mexico economy will not receive any
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0001|     direct benefit from the low-altitude flights; and
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0002|          WHEREAS, the state's economy may in fact suffer as a
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0003|     result of negative impacts on travel and tourism;
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0004|          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE
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0005|     OF NEW MEXICO that the air force be requested to prohibit low-
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0006|     altitude training flights over northern New Mexico and that
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0007|     congress be requested to restrict all low-altitude training
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0008|     flights of the armed forces over populated areas; and
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0009|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
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0010|     transmitted to the secretary of the air force, the secretary
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0011|     of the department of defense, the base commanders of air force
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0012|     bases in Texas and to the New Mexico congressional delegation.
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0013|                              
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